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Like some of the other Zaitoichi movies from 1967, it begins with a pretty girl singing a traditional song. In this film, Zatoichi crosses paths with someone who is dying. Like usual, Zatoichi offers to the help the dying person. In this case, it is a woman who seems to be dying from tuberculosis. She wants Zatoichi to take her son to meet his father. Zatoichi accepts and she dies.Unlike some of the weaker entries in this series, this movie has a lot of story and dialogue and the supporting characters are given more screen time. The best Zatoichi movies have had fully developed supporting characters and villains. Unlike the very annoying Zatoichi movie where he cares for the crying baby, in this film the little boy's antics are kept to a minimum, and that is great.Joshiro Konoe plays the role of a Samurai who is working for the national government in order to find and kill corrupt government officials who are working with the Yakuza. Konoe looks a lot like Toshiro Mifune, and Konoe is an excellent actor. Konoe carries himself with dignity and power that one associates with ancient Samurai. He looks and talks the part.Aside from Zatoichi's various interactions with the corrupt villains and with the noble common people, not much fighting happens in this movie. It has a lot of story, and I enjoyed it. The swordplay was not missed at all. Of course, once Zatoichi and the Samurai (Konoe) separately uncover the villains, there is some excellent sword-fighting demonstrated.The climactic final scene between Konoe and Zatoichi (Katsu) is one of the best Samurai sword fight scenes that I have ever seen. The fight is long enough that the director captured the increasing exhaustion on the face of Zatoichi and the Samurai (Konoe). The final moments are heart-rending and yet fully within the spirit of Zen and the Samurai Code of Honor. However, I wish that the movie would have left out the epilogue that has the little boy crying for Zatoichi. It would have been better if the movie had ended on the scene that follows the drops of blood on the snow. That was powerful.
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