Zatoichi (2004)

The films of Takeshi Kitano have always seemed slightly off-beat to audiences used to Western cinema. His striking juxtapositions of tragedy and comedy leave many at odds about how to react to his works, and his use of surprising, split-second ultraviolence has the potential to alienate both the conservative, drama-seeking viewers and the hungry gore-hounds. There’s no denying, however, that Kitano is one of Asia’s virtuoso filmmakers, an artist as versatile as he is sharp, and while perhaps not his all-time best, his newest film, the samurai epic Zatoichi, stands as his most unified and coherent work.

 

Popcorn

80%

Set sometime in feudal Japan, the film centers on the adventures of the titular character, a blind wanderer named Zatoichi. Making his life by selling massages for shelter and gambling for loose change, Zatoichi nevertheless carries a significant secret: he is, in fact, a legendary master samurai, precise, lethal, and stunningly fast.

As the film opens, Zatoichi wanders into a rural town, and soon discovers that evil lurks under its quaint façade. Indeed, two warring gangs fight for control of the city, and its citizens are increasingly oppressed by blackmail and violence. After befriending a few of the city’s inhabitants (a kindly old farmer who gives him shelter, her good-natured but slow-witted nephew, and two lovely geishas with secret plans of their own), Zatoichi decides to free the town from its evil underbelly, thus precipitating a series of colorful confrontations and uniquely drawn action set-pieces.

Indeed, the action scenes peppered throughout Zatoichi are vibrant and unique. In striking opposition to the drawn-out fights found in most modern fare, Kitano stages the film’s action with breathtaking kinetics, and thus, although the fights rarely last more than a few minutes, they generate an excitement seldom attained nowadays. It must be said this is also due to their visceral nature: every slash of Zatoichi’s well-sharpened katana sword loosens geysers of blood, and dismemberings abound.

However, the surprising amount of humor infused in every aspect of Zatoichi brings as much entertainment value as the action does. Indeed, in a surprising move considering the subject matter, Kitano peppers his film with good-natured comedy of every sort. In an early scene of Zatoichi walking through the countryside, the farmers tilling the fields strike the ground with their hoes rhythmically, in perfect sync, and their earthly rhythms combine with the musical score to great effect. This kind of wry situational comedy also applies to the fight scenes, in which offbeat little touches (accidental deaths, comical expressions, and surprising twists of fate) abound.

It is this seemingly at-odds juxtaposition of violence and comedy that makes Zatoichi worthwhile. Had it been simply violent, the film would have proven too bleak and drab; had it been more broadly comedic at the expense of blood-letting, it would have lacked oomph. As it is, Kitano’s film stands as near-perfect entertainment, and good, kinetic fun.

 

Smarts

75%

Zatoichi is also, contrary to most action films, quite smartly crafted. From the fully-developed screenplay to the high production values and pitch-perfect acting, Kitano’s film is entertainment that you don’t have to feel guilty about liking.

Adapted by Takeshi Kitano from Kan Shimozawa’s series of novels, Zatoichi presents a complex screenplay, replete with fully-developed characters and intricate plot twists. The central player, Zatoichi himself, is enigmatic and fascinating, a protagonist we can both cheer for and feel intrigued by. Honest yet wry, playful even in the most serious of cases, and ruthless when need be, the blind samurai is a great character indeed. He’s also supported by a colorful, eclectic cast that is as well-developed as he is; in particular, the two revenge-seeking geishas and a conflicted samurai working for the gangs are fascinating fringe characters that bring intellectual stimulation to the proceedings.

The film also offers a rich tapestry of technical achievements to impress the eye. Shot in mostly monochromatic tones, with the usual expert Kitano compositions, Zatoichi achieves a visual dynamism entirely free of over-emphasis; it’s striking without being gaudy, elegant without being pretentious. The same qualities apply to the musical score and the production values, which are subtly superlative.

Linking the technicals and the story, and more importantly, anchoring the film, is Takeshi Kitano’s fantastic performance. Few working actors manage to capture both caustic coolness and genial good humor quite as well as Takeshi does, and these qualities complement his character perfectly. As far as I’m concerned, Kitano playing Zatoichi is a case of flawless casting.

 

Final

Visceral and abounding with wry comedy, Zatoichi manages to present a fully-developed story and great production values. In a cinematic environment in which entertainment is usually diametrically opposed to solid filmmaking, Kitano’s film stands as a welcome exception.