Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman

[Crim122]

I see that it was released this year on BD, but is only availiable as a UK import...but it does not say what region

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies.php?id=1692

[kpkelley]

The only release from Artifical Eye that is listed at the blu-ray region code site was region-free, that was Hidden.

[Psychonaut]

I loved this movie.

[Rodney-2187]

Which is the best Zatoichi movie?

[Shingster]

How long is a piece of string? You wanna elaborate on the reasoning for the question? (Coz some entries are brilliant for their place in the established franchise and may not work so well if you start with them).

[P-Rock]

Originally Posted by rodneyfaile

Which is the best Zatoichi movie?

Zatoichi vs Yojimbo!

[Rodney-2187]

I know there are a lot of Zatoichi movies. I’ve only ever seen a few of them. I was wondering if they’re all about the same or are certain ones, maybe even a certain group, that are either significantly better or worse than the others.

[captveg]

Originally Posted by rodneyfaile

I know there are a lot of Zatoichi movies. I’ve only ever seen a few of them. I was wondering if they’re all about the same or are certain ones, maybe even a certain group, that are either significantly better or worse than the others.

All of them are at least good, but I found some I liked a lot more than others when I went through the Criterion box set a couple years back. So my favorites were:

Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold
Zatoichi and the Chess Expert
Zatoichi's Cane Sword
Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman


Funnily enough, I've yet to see the 1989 26th film since it wasn't in the box set.

[Shingster]

There isn't really any widely-established "best" film or films in the series, which is what I was getting at in my last post (nice thread resurrection btw), it seems to depend entirely on who is answering the question. Are you interested to make a start on the series? Get to grips with the character? Looking more for the best action in the series? etc, all determines the answers you want because the best films in the series aren't necessarily the ones with the most kickass action. For instance the very first Zatoichi film is definitely one of the best, if not the best in the franchise, but it's not exactly an iconic action film. If you're a fan of Sam Peckinpah you've got a good chance of loving it though. I would recommend the following:

The Tale of Zatoichi
The Tale of Zatoichi Continues
Zatoichi on the Road (the first two films might have established the Zato vs huge gang type of finales but this is the first to crank that up to 11)
Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold (one of the best final duels in the franchise)
Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman
Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo

And I would say that Zatoichi meets Yojimbo is probably as good a place to start as any if you don't care about starting with the first film in the franchise. It's pretty long (over 2hrs IIRC) but it delivers in both plot, comedy, character interplay, and action.

My personal favourite in the franchise is probably Zatoichi and the Chess Expert. It's a great film and Katsu's performance is truly poetic imo. I often say that Katsu as Zatoichi is the greatest sustained performance and single take on a character across a franchise in film history, and The Chess Expert is its peak. However, you need to be familiar with the character to get the most out of the Chess Expert, you can start with it and it's stilla great film, but watch it after seeing a number of the films preceding it and the film is greater still.

[Grethiwha]

My personal favourites are...

Zatoichi’s Flashing Sword
Zatoichi’s Cane-Sword
Zatoichi Challenged
Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman
Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival
The Tale of Zatoichi

...but the thing I think about the Zatoichi series is that it's amazingly consistent in quality. My favourites aren't that much better than most, they're pretty much all great, and there are only a couple entries I found a little disappointing (including the overlong Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo).

[TajSamKojiJesam]

Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo is easily one of the worst ones. Just really drawn out and unsatisfying, the plot is just a collection of typical Zatoichi tropes and plot points.

My favorite is probably Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman
.

[captveg]

I dug up my quick summary reviews for the series when I went through the films a few years back (done from January 2014 - January 2015).

The Tale of Zatoichi

A stirring samurai classic, with a masterfully understated performance by Shintarô Katsu as the legendary blind samurai. This film is relatively low on action, though what action is present is excellently presented. It relies mostly on character and setting, and though I prefer Yojimbo and Sanjuro from the early 60s era, this is sure to please any who seek out this era of the tried-and-true Japanese genre. 8/10

The Tale of Zatoichi Continues

Like all great serialized stories, the Zatoichi films finely balance the familiar themes, characters and style viewers expect with intelligent tweaks and creative new threads. In this second installment we begin to get a peak into Zatoichi's past, and the story acknowledges that there is a long journey ahead, keenly setting up elements for future films that the initial film avoided. Fortunately it's not all just setup for another film, as minor character relationships from the first film are tied up with fan-pleasing swordplay. 8/10

New Tale of Zatoichi

The third installment - and first color production - of the Zatoichi series continues the tradition, this time questioning the perceived honor of the samurai codes of vengeance and loyalty. 7/10

Zatoichi the Fugitive

Though the story gets over-plotted in this the fourth film in the series, the swordfighting in the last 20 minutes is quite exhilarating. 7/10

Zatoichi on the Road

The fifth Zatoichi film is a vibrant and at times chaotic chapter in the series. Our stoic and even-tempered hero shows more anger and deeper compassion in this tale, mirroring the lift in kinetic energy in the filmmaking. My favorite one yet. 9/10

Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold

Directed with a new flourish and vibrant style for the series by Ikehiro, the sixth Zatoichi film moves swiftly. Along with a bold and haunting organ driven score, the fight scenes are more vicious and chaotic, such as the brilliant sequence in the forest between the lantern carrying magistrate soldiers and Zatoichi, who is simultaneously protecting a young boy. The black background, ballet-like battle sequences in the opening credits are also exceptional. The first (and hopefully not last) true masterpiece of the series. 10/10

Zatoichi's Flashing Sword

Director Ikehiro returns for a consecutive film, the seventh in the series. While distilled down to basics and nowhere as ambitious stylistically as the prior installment, the film does feature a rousing climactic showdown that plays with the lighting in a cramped hallway impressively. 7/10

Fight, Zatoichi, Fight

The eighth Zatoichi adventure is the most melancholy and somber yet, as our wandering blind yakuza is indebted to bring an orphan baby to his father when the child's mother is mistakenly killed by hired assassins out to avenge some perceived slight from Ichi. A nice change of pace for the series, even if less engaging on a visceral action level. 8/10

Adventures of Zatoichi

Doesn't have the more compelling plot or intriguing style of many of the previous films in the series, but an enjoyable samurai action picture that covers the basics entertainingly. 7/10

Zatoichi's Revenge

Zatoichi appreciates the small pleasures of life - sunshine, a song - most likely because he does not rely on other men to grant them to him. Because other men can do nothing except try to kill him, it seems. Which leaves Zatoichi in a bind, and likely ends with dozens falling to his cane sword. 7/10

Zatoichi and the Doomed Man

Zatoichi #11 aims for more comic relief in the form of a con artist who travels alongside Ichi but then, among other attempts to earn a quick buck, steals Zatoichi's identity. This balances out the more pessimistic, ornery version of our hero in this installment, and despite his attempts to avoid the conflict and save his own skin he finds himself front and center, and subsequently slashing down dozens - all with little change in the world around him. 8/10

Zatoichi and the Chess Expert

Original Zatoichi director Misumi returns for the third of his five installments in the series and brings a higher level of intricate drama not seen in the series since the first few films. The swordplay continues, but the complexity of character motivations, along with their strained interplay, make this one a significant notch above the rest, with even Ichi himself having to wrestle a few of his inner demons rising to the surface. 10/10

Zatoichi's Vengeance

The normal Zatoichi film motifs are complimented by the wisdom of a blind priest and one hell of a swordfight shot in silhouette on a bridge, one of the series' most notable sequences yet. 9/10

Zatoichi's Pilgrimage

Our put-upon hero is out to seek atonement through a pilgrimage to 80+ temples when he is once again drawn into a conflict between a greedy regional boss and the disadvantaged peasants. To shake things up a bit the same peasant farmers are keen to exploit Zatoichi's services. 9/10

Zatoichi's Cane Sword

Upon learning that his cane-sword will likely break on its next use Zatoichi attempts to live a simple life as a masseuse at a small inn. The injustice around him, however, stirs him to action in this exceptional entry in the series. 10/10

Zatoichi the Outlaw

This 16th film in the series is the first under lead actor and star Katsu's production company, and with that comes a new level of violence to match the depth of corruption and betrayal depicted, as Ichi is for the first time utterly deceived - with dire consequences. 9/10

Zatoichi Challenged

Another solid entry - the 17th - in the exceptional series. This time our sightless anti-hero is bound to transport a child to his distant father, which proves to be more difficult than originally imagined, with an entangled web of artisans, yakuza, and a mysterious samurai on a mission of his own. The duel at the end is the first one in a while for the series, and it doesn't disappoint. 8/10

Zatoichi and the Fugitives

Zatoichi confronts another corrupt boss and a band of ruthless outlaws. A solid entry, but lacking any distinctive elements found in the best of the series. 7/10

Samaritan Zatoichi

Zatoichi feels obligated to protect the sister of a man he's killed, having cut him down under false information from a local boss. The character of Shinsuke provides some comedy as Zatoichi's yakuza associate, one of the few loyal friends Ichi has had in the series. Otherwise this entry has the standard scenes one expects of the 19th entry. 7/10

Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo

Teaming up Katsu's Zatoichi with the incomparable Mifune's Bodyguard had to be a no brainer for the 20th film in the series. Both actors are superb in a story that is over-plotted, leaning more towards the play-two-evil-groups-against-each-other concept of the superior Kurosawa films. Still, an enjoyable entry, with some dark, almost dead scenery of browned vegetation, colorless inns/shops, and blustery snow. 8/10

Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival

Zatoichi finds himself opposed to a powerful - and blind - yakuza boss who is exploiting the people of multiple regions in a proto-mafia band of corruption. The series is a bit on auto-pilot at this point, but some interesting set-pieces and swordplay make it a good, if average, entry. 6/10

Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman

A Chinese one-armed swordsman brings an international flavor to this terrific entry in the series, creating a language barrier to confuse an otherwise typical Zatoichi film plot of unjust yakuza clans and innocents caught in their schemes. There's even a slight amount of mysticism in the fights which, while a bit incongruous to the world built in these films, is certainly acceptable after the many feats our blind hero has demonstrated. 10/10

Zatoichi at Large

We've long passed any significantly unique elements in story for the series, but this is another solid entry, with the misunderstandings, gambling, awkward laughs, and - most importantly - swordplay delivering as expected. 8/10

Zatoichi in Desperation

The most uneven film of the series, with a couple miscalculated subplots, but saved a bit via a tense final 20 minutes. 6/10

Zatoichi's Conspiracy

The final film in the original series before moving to television is a compelling entry, with Ichi returning to his childhood home only to find a boyhood friend has grown up to be a ruthless businessman. 8/10

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by TajSamKojiJesam

Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo is easily one of the worst ones. Just really drawn out and unsatisfying, the plot is just a collection of typical Zatoichi tropes and plot points.

My favorite is probably Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman
.

That is actually one of my least favorite...although, I enjoy every single one. My top two (if I had to pick) would be The Tale of Zatoichi and Zatoichi Meets Yohimbo .