The Tale of Zatoichi marked the start of one of the most loved and long-lived series in Japanese genre film. Actor Shintaro Katsu (1931–1997) became a major star thanks to his role as the blind samurai Zatoichi who has trained his hearing and sense of smell to become a master swordsman. He is hired as a Yakuza boss’s masseur, in anticipation of a fight with a rival gang. This gang promptly hires Miki Hirate, an equally adept swordsman, for whom Zatoichi has great respect. Zatoichi hesitates to fight him. However, Hirate, who has discovered he hasn’t got long to live, desires a final confrontation.
This smash hit was followed by some 26 feature films and a long-running TV series based on Zatoichi. Remakes include Blind Fury(1990) with Rutger Hauer as the lead and Zatoichi (2003) by Kitano Takeshi. Shintaro Katsu’s idiosyncratic acting, Misumi’s calm direction and the historic-realist background make this a truly exceptional genre film.
Film details
- Country of production
- Japan
- Year
- 1962
- Festival edition
- IFFR 1991
- Length
- 96'
- Medium/Format
- 35mm
