The Tale of Zatoichi
| The Tale of Zatoichi | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Kenji Misumi |
| Screenplay by | Minoru Inuzuka |
| Based on | The Tale of Zatoichi by Kan Shimozawa |
| Produced by | Ikuo Kubodera |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Chikashi Makiura |
| Edited by | Kanji Suganuma |
| Music by | Akira Ifukube |
| Backgrounds by | Akira Naito |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Dalei Studios |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
The Tale of Zatoichi (
Plot
The blind
Ichi presents himself as a meek, humble man and is commonly underestimated and looked upon suspiciously. His being a masseur, which was a position of low regard in
The only person who respects him is Hirate, who as a ronin understands what it feels like to be an outcast. Though Hirate and Ichi know they must fight when the war begins, they develop a sense of friendship. Hirate is eager to fight Zatoichi, as he is terminally ill with tuberculosis and wishes to die fighting. As Hirate becomes increasingly sick, Sukegoro takes advantage by ordering an all-out attack on Shigezo and removing Ichi from his payroll.
Hirate learns that Shigezo intends to kill Ichi anyway by sniping him with a tanegashima. The dying warrior drags himself from his bed and pledges to kill Ichi in an honorable manner. Ichi learns from a boy at the temple where Hirate was staying of his intentions, and also learns the reason. After the tense final fight, in which Zatoichi prevails and cuts Hirate down, he rejects the advances of the yakuza mistress Otane (Masayo Banri), who has become disillusioned with her lifestyle, to continue as a solitary wanderer.
Cast
- Shintaro Katsu as Zatoichi
- Masayo Banri as Otane
- Ryūzō Shimada as Shigezo of the Sasagawa Yakuza
- Gen Mitamura as Hanji of Matsugishi
- Shigeru Amachi as Miki Hirate
- Chitose Maki as Hanji's wife Yoshi
- Ikuko Mōri as Shigezo's wife Oyutaka
- Michio Minami as Tatekichi of the Iioka Yakuza
- Eijirō Yanagi as Sukegoro of Iioka
- Toshio Chiba as Masakichi of Iioka
- Manabu Morita as Seisuke of Iioka
- Yoichi Funaki as Yogoro of Sasagawa
- Kin'ya Ichikawa as Mokichi of Sasagawa
- Eigorō Onoe as Rihei of Sasagawa
- Yoshito Yamaji as Tatekichi's father Yahei
- Yukio Horikita as Kanaji of Sasagawa
- Ryūji Fukui as Daihachi of Iioka
Release
The Tale of Zatoichi was released in Japan on April 12, 1962.[3][4] It was re-issued theatrically in 1976.[4] The film was followed by The Tale of Zatoichi Continues later in 1962.[4]
Reception
The film received positive reviews earning 100% from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes according to 7 reviews. The film summoned the most sequels of a samurai film and has also spawned a remake in 2003.[5]
References
Footnotes
- ^ "映画監督 三隅研次" (in Japanese). National Film Archive of Japan. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
- ^ "座頭市物語". Kinema Junpo. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ Galbraith IV 1996, p. 262.
- ^ a b c Galbraith IV 1996, p. 263.
- ^ The Tale of Zatoichi at Rotten Tomatoes
Sources
- Galbraith IV, Stuart (1996). The Japanese Filmography: 1900 through 1994. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0032-3.
External links
- The Tale of Zatoichi at IMDb
