The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)

The adventures of a blind, gambling masseur who also happens to be a master swordsman.

Director:

Kenji Misumi

Writers:

Minoru Inuzuka (screenplay) (as Minoru Inuduka), Kan Shimozawa (short story)

Stars:

Shintarô Katsu, Masayo Banri, Ryûzô Shimada

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shintarô Katsu	...	Zatôichi / Blind Man Ichi / Masseur Ichi
Masayo Banri	...	Tane / Tatekichi's sister / Seisuke's ex-lover
Ryûzô Shimada	...	Shigezô of Sasagawa / Sasagawa yakuza boss
Hajime Mitamura	...	Hanji of Matsugishi
Shigeru Amachi	...	Hirate, Miki
Michirô Minami	...	Tatekichi / Tane's brother / Saki's lover / Iioka yakuza member
Eijirô Yanagi	...	Sukegorô of Iioka / Iioka yakuza boss
Toshio Chiba	...	Masakichi / Iioka yakuza member (as Toshirô Chiba)
Manabu Morita	...	Seisuke / Tane's ex-lover / Iioka yakuza member
Yoshindo Yamaji	...	Yahei / Father of Tane and Tatekichi (as Yoshito Yamaji)
Yôichi Funaki	...	Yogorô / Sasagawa yakuza member
Eigorô Onoe	...	Rihei / Sasagawa yakuza member
Ikuko Môri	...	Yutaka / Shigezô's wife
Chitose Maki	...	Yoshi / Hanji's wife
Kin'ya Ichikawa	...	Mokichi / Sasagawa yakuza member

Storyline

An impoverished blind masseur becomes a mercenary swordsman, to gain basic respect. The first of novelist Kan Shimozawa's Zatoichi series: 26 films, a TV series and a play, all but two starring controversial singer/producer/director Shintaro Katsu. First of six Zatoichi films directed by Kenji Misumi. The shrewd Zatoichi targets a yakuza-controlled village, because war with a neighboring town's smaller gang is brewing. The broke ex-masseur "Ichi" immediately wins big, by taking advantage of local bakuto's cheating, after they scoff at his asking to join a dice game. The larger horde, who have been given carte blanche by the local governor, summoned Zatoichi. Zatoichi hates the fact that he's become an outlaw, so he strikes up a friendship with the other gang's honorable hired samurai, who has TB.

---

Plot Keywords:

opening action scene | tough guy | action hero | blind hero | blindness | 

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

18 April 1962 (Japan)

Also Known As:

The Tale of Zatoichi

Company Credits

Production Co:

Daiei Motion Picture Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Just before Shigezo leaves for battle, his wife strikes a flint over his shoulder. This was a common good luck custom that evolved from an ancient Shinto spiritual ritual.

---

Goofs

Hirate's fishing line is clearly a modern transparent nylon filament.

---

Quotes

Zatôichi: [after asking Zatoichi what she would do with having so many children] Just don't raise them to be gangsters.
Tane: I won't... But why do you say that?
Zatôichi: Because to be a gangster is a foolish way to live.
Tane: Then why don't you live a decent life?
Zatôichi: It's like being stuck in a bog; it's not easy to pull yourself out once you've fallen in.

---

Connections

Followed by Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman (1971)

User Reviews

Fight, Zatoichi, Fight!...Please...

I DID like this, the first of the series of blind swordsman movies. Ichi doesn't draw his sword for the first half of the movie; moreover, he seems a lot more bitter than in later movies. This being said, it was an excellent movie.

Others have described this movie well, so, I will only add something that I noticed while watching the scene of Ichi fishing with the ailing samurai. What made the scene so compelling was not what was said, but, the effective use of silence between them. The pauses in dialog were masterful, especially the long lull at the end of the sequence. It reminded me of some of Kurosawa's work.

I recommend this movie, not as the first Zatoichi that you see; but, rather as something to experience after a few of the more exciting movies...after you've developed a relationship with the character.