Zatôichi (2003)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Takeshi Kitano

Writers:

Takeshi Kitano (screenplay)
Kan Shimosawa (novels)

Release Date:

6 September 2003 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Crime | Comedy

Tagline:

His Sword Made Him a Hero... His Courage Made Him a Legend. This Summer, Justice is Blind.

Plot:

The blind masseur/swordsman comes to an town in control of warring gangs, and while bunking with a farming family, he meets two women with their own agenda.

Plot Keywords:

Zatoichi | Blind | Samurai | Bodyguard | Murder

Awards:

21 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Takeshi Kitano	...	Zatôichi / Ichi (as Beat Takeshi)
Tadanobu Asano	...	Hattori Genosuke
Michiyo Ookusu	...	Aunt Oume
Gadarukanaru Taka	...	Shinkichi
Daigorô Tachibana	...	Geisha Seitaro 'Osei' Naruto
Yuuko Daike	...	Geisha Okinu Naruto
Yui Natsukawa	...	O-Shino, Hattori's Wife
Ittoku Kishibe	...	Boss Inosuke Ginzo
Saburô Ishikura	...	Boss Tashichi Ogi
Akira Emoto	...	Tavern Owner Pops
Ben Hiura	...	Tavern Gramps
Kohji Miura	...	Lord Sakai
Hideboh	...	Dancing Farmer (as The Stripes)
Ron II	...	Dancing Farmer (as The Stripes)
Suji	...	Dancing Farmer (as The Stripes)
Noriyasu	...	Dancing Farmer (as The Stripes)
Makoto Ashikawa	...	Carpenter
Edamame Tsumami	...	Carpenter
Kosuke Ohta	...	Carpenter
Yoshiyuki Morishita	...	Carpenter
Naomasa Musaka	...	Yakuza Boss on the Country Road
Shoken Kunimoto	...	Rival Swordsman
Daigaku Sekine	...	Ginzo's Henchman I
Koji Koike	...	Boss Funahachi
Koji Kiryu	...	Dice Dealer at Funahachi's Joint
Taigi Kobayashi	...	Funahachi's Bodyguard
Ayano Yoshida	...	Young O-Kinu
Taichi Saotome	...	Young O-Sei (Seitaro)
Kanji Tsuda	...	Playboy at Home
Ikki Goto	...	Kuchinawa Underling 1
Yoshio Nakamura	...	Kuchinawa Underling 3
Hiroaki Noguchi	...	Kuchinawa Underling 5
Shinichi Nakatsu	...	Kuchinawa Underling 2
Toru Yonezu	...	Kuchinawa Underling 4
P. Man	...	Tavern Customer 4
Al Kitago	...	Farmer Boy 1
Omiya Nomatsu	...	Farmer Boy 2
Tsutomu Takeshige	...	Farmer Boy 4
Gambino Kobayashi	...	Farmer Boy 5
Sammy Moremore Jr.	...	Farmer Boy 6
Muhomatsu	...	Farmer Boy with a Spear
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yasushi Higuchi
Masayoshi Ohzeki
Kenji Takechi	...	Yakuza

Directed by
Takeshi Kitano

Writing credits
Takeshi Kitano		(screenplay)
Kan Shimosawa		(novels)

Produced by
Shinji Komiya	....	line producer
Jack Maeby	....	producer (english language version)
Masayuki Mori	....	producer: Office Kitano
Chieko Saitô	....	planner
Tsunehisa Saitô	....	producer: Saitô Entertainment
Masanori Sanada	....	co-producer
Takio Yoshida	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Keiichi Suzuki

Cinematography by
Katsumi Yanagijima

Film Editing by
Takeshi Kitano
Yoshinori Oota

Casting by
Takefumi Yoshikawa

Production Design by
Norihiro Isoda

Costume Design by
Yohji Yamamoto

Makeup Department
Kakusei Fujiwara	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Kensei Mori	....	production manager

Sound Department
Senji Horiuchi	....	sound designer
Akira Nakano	....	sound recordist
Kenji Shibazaki	....	sound effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Hitoshi Takaya	....	lighting director

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kazuko Kurosawa	....	costume supervisor

Other crew
Hideboh	....	choreographer: tap dancing (as The Stripes)
Richard Lormand	....	publicist: international
Noriyasu	....	choreographer: tap dancing (as The Stripes)
Ron II	....	choreographer: tap dancing (as The Stripes)
Haru Shôbara	....	script supervisor
Suji	....	choreographer: tap dancing (as The Stripes)

Production Companies

• Asahi National Broadcasting Company
• Bandai Visual Company
• DENTSU Music And Entertainment
• Office Kitano
• Saitô Entertainment
• TV Asahi
• Tokyo FM Broadcasting Co.

Distributors

• Shochiku Company (2003) (Japan)
• Office Kitano (2003) (Japan)
• Celluloid Dreams (2003) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• Artificial Eye (2004) (UK) (theatrical)
• Bac Films (2003) (France) (theatrical)
• Bright Angel Distribution (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Frenetic Films (2003-2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Lighthouse Pictures (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Mikado (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2004) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Sandrew (2004) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Artificial Eye (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2005) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Switzerland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Warp Station Edo  exterior sets
• Yoshikawa Casting Office  casting

Also Known As:

Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi (International: English title) (informal title)
The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (USA)
Zatoichi (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong stylized bloody violence.

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | Brazil:18 | Canada:18A (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:13 (DVD rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Italy:T | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Peru:14 | Philippines:R-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Eiga-mura, Kanami, Kanae-chô, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima, Japan

Company:

Asahi National Broadcasting Company

Trivia:

The end dance sequence is a tribute to many of the popular Japanese films, in which the Hollywood-style happy ending was followed by a sudden "burst into song". He wanted to attempt this, but in a different type of way. Kitano combined traditional Kabuki theatre clog-dancing with "the latest African-American tap style".

Quotes:

Zatôichi: Even with my eyes wide open I can't see a thing.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)

A absolutely enchanting film!

Zatoichi is the updated version of cult Japanese show some decades back.Here a blind swordsman goes to a small town controlled by a ruthless gang and abuses the people there. There he meets many characters like the siblings on a mission, a samurai who is hired by the gang, as well as an unlucky gambler who befriends the blind swordsman.

This is the first ever Takeshi Kitano film I have ever seen and I got to say it turned out to be a rather pleasant surprise. Prior to this I have heard so much about Kitano's work and was really expecting to see a really good film. Add to that every samurai film I see normally gets compared to Kurosawa's works like Rashomon, and Ran which of course are tough acts to follow. I thought the film was well made in many aspects. The cinematography was really beautiful and well made. The costumes like most period films were finely crafted and were beautiful. The scoring was also very good.

I always find it rather hard to laugh in a film that is non-English. I guess I always believed that humour doesn't always transcend different cultures. What may be funny for one may seem rather dull in another. This film however debunks that thought. I found myself laughing over a lot of scenes in the film. Even in scenes where you do not think there could be a funny moment Kitano is able to deliver one just to break the tension a little.

The fight scenes in this film were also well planned and I though it was done realistically but not necessarily done to shock the audiences with bucket loads of blood and mangled body parts. It was effective but not too disturbing.

I also thought that the overall story of the film was good. I was particularly interested with the story of the siblings and it's eventual resolution at the end of the movie.

Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi is a great film which now ranks as one of my and hopefully it will be to other people. I'm already anticipating the next film from this great film and will also look for some of his earlier works.