Zatôichi (2003)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Takeshi Kitano

Writers:

Takeshi Kitano (screenplay)
Kan Shimosawa (novels)

Release Date:

6 September 2003 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Crime | Comedy

Tagline:

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

Plot:

The blind masseur/swordsman comes to an town in control of warring gangs, and while bunking with a farming family, he meets two women with their own agenda.

Plot Keywords:

Zatoichi | Blind | Samurai | Swordsman | Murder

Awards:

21 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Takeshi Kitano	...	Zatôichi / Ichi (as Beat Takeshi)
Tadanobu Asano	...	Hattori Genosuke
Michiyo Ookusu	...	Aunt Oume
Gadarukanaru Taka	...	Shinkichi
Daigorô Tachibana	...	Geisha Seitaro 'Osei' Naruto
Yuuko Daike	...	Geisha Okinu Naruto
Yui Natsukawa	...	O-Shino, Hattori's Wife
Ittoku Kishibe	...	Boss Inosuke Ginzo
Saburo Ishikura	...	Boss Tashichi Ogi
Akira Emoto	...	Tavern Owner Pops
Ben Hiura	...	Tavern Gramps
Kohji Miura	...	Lord Sakai
Hideboh	...	Dancing Farmer (as The Stripes)
Ron II	...	Dancing Farmer (as The Stripes)
Suji	...	Dancing Farmer (as The Stripes)

Also Known As:

Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi (International: English title) (informal title)
The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (USA)
Zatoichi (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong stylized bloody violence.

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | Brazil:18 | Canada:18A (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:13 (DVD rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Italy:T | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Peru:14 | Philippines:R-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Eiga-mura, Kanami, Kanae-chô, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima, Japan

Company:

Asahi National Broadcasting Company

Trivia:

It was during the filming of "Zatoichi" in 1988, that one of the greatest tragedies in the history of Japanese film occurred. Shintaro Katsu's son, Ryuutaro Gan, thinking he was using a prop, accidentally used a real blade by mistake and killed stuntman Yukio Kato with a stab wound to the neck.

Quotes:

Shinkichi: I have to say, it's incredible. You really look like a woman! Does make-up make men beautiful?
Geisha Seitaro 'Osei' Naruto: It doesn't work on everyone. It depends on the face!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cool! (2004)

Liberal Liberties Taken by Takeshi ***SPOILER ALERT****

When an actress friend of Shitaro Katsu, the original Zatoichi, asked Takeshi to take on the role, as the new Zatoichi, he hesitated to do it. Shitaro Katsu was the only one to play the character since it's creation. And he is inseparably and indelibly ingrained in Japanese culture as The One & Only Zatoichi. Takeshi agree to do it, but only if he could do it his own way. That's just what he did. With dance troupe extras, a cross-dressing geisha, and a Zatoichi who isn't completely blind, with bleached hair and a bright red sword cane. Look for Tadanobu Asano from the over-the-top gangster flick, "Ichi The Killer", again playing a Yakuza Boss, only this time from the tradition samurai period -- Though this is anything but a traditional Samurai Film. Takeshi plays it mostly for laughs with buckets of CGI blood.