#122 Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman

Takeshi Kitano's modern take on the samurai legend trades on offbeat characters, slapstick comedy and obscenely gory swordplay. The original series, starring Shintaro Katsu, played out over 26 films, one of which even pitted the blind masses against Yojimbo. In Kitano's update he plays the master swordsman with a bleach-blonde buzz cut and a sense of humor. Still, traditional "chanbara" or sword-fight film forms, are followed to a tee. Zatoichi shuffles upon a town where overbearing bosses push peasants around and murderous thieves hide from children who wish to avenge their family's 10-year-old murder. A roaring rampage of revenge ensues, replete with spewing blood and severed limbs. Of course, Kitano still manages to find a way to tell a story he can relate too. The films outcasts (Zatoichi, a gambling addict, a cross dresser and his sister, an idiot and a widow) eventually form one happy family.

Zatoichi's biggest surprise come not in flashes of violence, but in song and dance. The film sports an exuberant final Houdini and entrancing instances of rhythmic and ambient sounds scored by Keiichi Suzuki.

Official Site
Inferior Miramax Site