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THE BLIND SWORDSMAN ZATOICHI Send This Review to a Friend
There was a period in New York when Japanese films played regularly at a theater dedicated to them, and one source of fun in reviewing them was the series of action films featuring the blind swordsman Zatoichi. Although he couldn’t see his opponents, his senses and skill enabled him to dispatch them handily. It’s a wonderful character.
In the new film “The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi,” written and directed by Takeshi Kitano, the master sword-slinger, played by Beat Takeshi, works as a gambler and masseur. In a mountain village a gang leader and his Samurai bodyguard (Tadanobu Asano) are a menace and anyone who challenges them is sliced and diced. The plot involves two geishas whose parents were murdered by the gang leader. They seek vengeance.
Who is there better to conquer villains than Zatoichi? He is reluctant, but when the chips are down he is ready with the sword.
The film is akin to traditional American westerns, as has been the case with the string of Samurai films emanating from Japan over the years. The twist here is blindness, which makes Kitnao’s film an enjoyable equal opportunity action saga. A Miramax Films release.
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