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Zatoichi (2003)

Zatôichi (original title)
M/16 | | Action, Comedy, Crime | 12 December 2003 (Portugal)
Zatoichi Poster
The blind masseur/swordsman comes to a town in control of warring gangs, and while bunking with a farming family, he meets two women with their own agenda.

Director:

Takeshi Kitano

Writers:

Takeshi Kitano (screenplay), Kan Shimozawa (novels)

Stars:

Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Yui Natsukawa | See full cast & crew »
75
Reviews
24 wins & 14 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Takeshi Kitano ... Zatôichi / Ichi (as Beat Takeshi)
Tadanobu Asano ... Hattori Genosuke
Michiyo Yasuda ... Aunt Oume (as Michiyo Ohkusu)
Taka Guadalcanal Taka Guadalcanal ... Shinkichi
Daigorô Tachibana Daigorô Tachibana ... Geisha Seitaro 'Osei' Naruto
Yûko Daike ... Geisha Okinu Naruto
Yui Natsukawa ... O-Shino, Hattori's Wife
Ittoku Kishibe Ittoku Kishibe ... Boss Inosuke Ginzo
Saburô Ishikura Saburô Ishikura ... Boss Tashichi Ogi
Akira Emoto Akira Emoto ... Tavern Owner Pops
Ben Hiura Ben Hiura ... Tavern Gramps
Kohji Miura Kohji Miura ... Lord Sakai
Hideboh Hideboh ... Dancing Farmer (as The Stripes)
Ron II Ron II ... Dancing Farmer (as The Stripes)
Suji Suji ... Dancing Farmer (as The Stripes)
See full cast »
Learn more

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Storyline

Blind Zatoichi makes his living by gambling and giving massages. But behind his humble facade, Zatoichi is a master swordsman, gifted with lightning-fast draw and strokes of breathtaking precision. Zatoichi wanders into a town run by sinister gangs and a powerful samurai. He's destined for violent showdowns when he stumbles on two beautiful geishas avenging their parents' murder... Duels, wit and a touch of zen! Cult anti-hero Zatoichi is back in a sword-fighting adventure written, directed and starring Takeshi Kitano. Written by intlpress@aol.com

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

tap dancing | chopping wood | spinster | basket | extortion | See All (265) »

Taglines:

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

Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Certificate:

M/16 | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

With this film, Takeshi Kitano become the second actor to portray the titular blind swordsman theatrically after Shintaro Katsu. See more »

Quotes

Zatôichi: [Last lines: Zatoichi trips on a rock while walking down a road] Even with my eyes wide open, I can't see anything.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Zinda (2006) See more »

User Reviews

Kitano doesn't fail to amaze!!
11 June 2004 | by sandspider1 – See all my reviews

Zatoichi is definitely one of my favourite films and I consider it one of Kitano's best if not his best in terms of his acting and directing. I have the majority of Kitano's films and I was over joyed to hear that he was starring and directing Zatoichi and I was not disappointed when i saw it. Everything about the film is exceptional although a big disappointment for me was the fact that CGI blood was used which does look a bit fake in some scenes. That is the only criticism I can think of. The film is very violent but like Kill Bill it is comic violence. I was also pleased to see Tadanobu Asano(Kakihara from Ichi the Killer)who was very good and he also plays a reasonably similar role in Gohatto(also starring Kitano). Fans of Kitano and Japanese cinema should watch this as well as fans of the Zatoichi franchise.

Near flawless film!!

9.5/10
31 of 50 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Official Sites:

Artificial Eye [UK] | BAC Films [France] | See more »

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

12 December 2003 (Portugal) See more »

Also Known As:

Zatoichi See more »

Filming Locations:

Eiga-mura, Kanami, Kanae-chô, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima, Japan See more »
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Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$61,104, 25 July 2004

Gross USA:

$1,118,163

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$34,196,922
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Asahi National Broadcasting Company, Bandai Visual Company, DENTSU Music And Entertainment See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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