Blind traveler Zatoichi is a master swordsman and a masseur with a fondness for gambling on dice games. When he arrives in a village torn apart by warring gangs, he sets out to protect the townspeople.
Editing
Staccato cuts turn slaughter into percussive art.
Sound
Every footstep, dice roll, blade slice is musical.
Practical Effects
Blood geysers practical enough to shame CGI samurai.
Director
Takeshi Kitano
Takeshi Kitano
Zatoichi / Ichi
Tadanobu Asano
Hattori Genosuke
Michiyo Yasuda
Tante Oume
Yui Natsukawa
Oshino
Guadalcanal Taka
Shinkichi
Daigorô Tachibana
Geisha Seitaro O-Sei Naruto
Yuko Daike
Geisha Okinu Naruto
Ittoku Kishibe
Boss Inosuke Ginzo
Saburo Ishikura
Ogi
Akira Emoto
Pub Owner
Makoto Ashikawa
Carpenter
Tsumami Edamame
Carpenter
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Kitano digitally altered his own eyes to appear blind, refusing contacts that might limit his expressiveness.
The 26-film Zatoichi series (1962-1989) made Shintaro Katsu a folk hero; Kitano's reboot was controversial for its stylized violence and the hero's bleached hair.
JP
