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ZATOICHI
(2003)
Reviewed
by Pat King
Zatoichi
(Takeshi Kitano) is a blind wondering masseur. He also happens
to possess exceptional skills with a sword. As he approaches a
town he helps a woman carry vegetables. In turn she offers him
a place to stay and explains to him about how the Ginzo clan
run the town and demand protection money from the villagers
and farmers every day. At the same time a skilled Ronin by the
name of Hattori (Tadanobu Asano) and his sick wife O-Shino (Yui
Natsukawa) also arrive in town. Desperate for money to cure
his wife’s sickness he gets a job as a bodyguard working for
the Ginzo clan who have aspirations of wiping out the rival
gangs. Meanwhile, Zatoichi engages in his favourite pastime of
gambling and makes the acquaintance of fellow gambler
Shinkichi (Gadarukanaru Taka). When Shinkichi buys two
Geisha's for the night Zatoichi senses that they are not
genuine. It turns out that the Geisha's family were
slaughtered for their money by the Ginzo clan, and after
leaving a bloodbath behind him in a crooked gambling den
belonging to Ginzo clan, Zatoichi's fate lies in the
confrontation of the Ginzo clan.
As
'Zatoichi' nears it's end there are some surprising
revelations which I shall not divulge here for fear of
spoiling the film for anyone who has not yet seen it. But the
revelations about the character of Zatoichi himself will give
viewers something to dwell on after the credits have finished
rolling. It is worth pointing out however that the English
translation is inaccurate and therefore gives misleading
implications to English speaking audiences when compared to
that of Japanese speaking audiences.
Although
I would have never thought of Kitano in the role of Zatoichi,
one of Japan's most loved characters, however he fits into the
role extremely well. Tadanobu Asano also puts in a subtly
exquisite performance. Though all cast members apply their
skills admirably.
Kitano
directs with his usual quirky measured style punctuating the
narrative with his classic odd ball humour. One of the
standout comic moments is the scene where Shinkichi is
teaching three farmers the art of swordsmanship. Best known in
the west for making modern Yakuza films, Takeshi proves
himself equally at home depicting feudal Japan. He never
allows the film to concentrate solely on the character of
Zatoichi, and that is one of it's strengths. Zatoichi remains
one of the characters the audience knows the least about while
the characters of O-Kinu and O-Sei receive a more
comprehensive character background.
'Zatoichi'
also sports a pleasing music score, blending traditional and
modern forms of music successfully. Of note there is a quirky
scene with a group of farmers applying their hoe’s to the
rhythmic beat of the soundtrack.
If
I were to level one criticism at 'Zatoichi' it would be at the
excessive use of CGI. Most of the CGI is jerky and could have
looked a lot better using physical effects. However, it seems
to be becoming a very fashionable trend to have CGI blood
splattering everywhere. In my opinion this looks very
artificial and reduces the intensity of the scenes it is
utilized in. I fear however that this is not a trend that is
going to cease in the foreseeable future.
'Zatoichi'
is another quality production from 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano.
While I don't think it is as good as his masterful 'Sonatine',
I would not be inclined to compare the two as they are both
very different kinds of films. Slightly marred by the
excessive use of CGI, this is a relatively minor criticism.
Recommended for both fans of Kitano and chambara films alike.
Rating:
 
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