Vote on this title
Click on a gene to vote or discover related titles.
-
Mood:
- ExcitingAtmosphericHumorousStylized
-
Plot:
- Master WarriorSamuraiGood Versus EvilVengeanceCrimesHeroesRivalryGang more...
-
Genres:
- ActionPeriodForeignCrimeDrama
-
Time/Period:
- 19th Century
-
Place:
- AsiaJapanVillage
-
Praise:
- Award WinnerCritically Acclaimed
-
Style:
- Martial ArtsGory
-
Based on:
- Based on BookRemake
-
Attitudes:
- Semi SeriousRealistic
Does this gene fit Zatoichi?
Find it on:
| IMDb | |
| Rotten Tomatoes |
Zatoichi, 2003
Japanese
Japan
Profile of Zatoichi
Zatoichi can be described as exciting, stylized, and atmospheric. The plot revolves around samurai, a master warrior, and good versus evil. The main genres are foreign, action, and period. In terms of style, Zatoichi features martial arts and is gory. In approach, it is realistic. It is set, at least in part, in a village. Zatoichi is located in Japan. It takes place in the 19th century. It is a remake and based on a book. Zatoichi has received attention for being an award winner and critically acclaimed.
Summary of Zatoichi
With ZATOICHI, Takeshi Kitano, best known for such gangster films as VIOLENT COP, BOILING POINT, and BROTHER, makes his first period drama, an updating of the classic Japanese character portrayed by Shintaro Katsu in movies and television from 1962 to 1989. Zatoichi is a blind samurai who shuffles from town to town, righting wrongs with his remarkable sword hidden within his cane. He is also a masseuse who likes to gamble. Kitano serves as director, writer, co-editor, and star of the film, playing the protagonist under his acting name, Beat Takeshi. This version of Zatoichi, based on the stories of Kan Shimozawa, is more violent than the earlier series, as Kitano strives to make it more realistic. He has also infused a clever sense of humor, while cinematographer Katsumi Yanagishima adds beautiful depth of field to many scenes. When Zatoichi arrives in a small town, he unknowingly walks into a classic tale of revenge, as two women plot to kill the men who murdered their family. As Zatoichi becomes more involved, an eventual showdown with young samurai Hattori (Tadanobu Asano, who excelled in Takashi Miike's very violent ICHI THE KILLER) is inevitable. ZATOICHI is thrilling filmmaking at its best, an endlessly entertaining samurai epic from a man who fully understands the genre and is not afraid to take it to the next level.
SONATINE tells the story of gang boss Murakawa (Takeshi Kitano), who decides to consolidate his power as he approaches middle age. When his boss responds by assigning him to a peacekeeping mission in a town where a couple of the gang's provincial chapters are coming to blows, Murakawa is naturally suspicious. Is he being kicked upstairs--or kicked out? When he and his crew become the targets of a bloody ambush, the conclusion seems inescapable. A brutal indictment of the soul-crushing yakuza lifestyle.
Details
| Language: | Japanese |
| Country: | Japan |
| Release date: | 16 January 2004 |
| Runtime: | 116 min |
Cast and Crew
as Zatôichi / Ichi
as Hattori Genosuke
Photos
Critics Reviews
Chicago Tribune
- |
- by: Michael Wilmington
Los Angeles Times
- |
- by: Manohla Dargis
