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Director: |
Takeshi Kitano |
Writer: |
Takeshi Kitano |
Starring: |
Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Michiyo Ogusu, Yui Natsukawa |
Released: |
September 2, 2004 |
Rating: |
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Runtime: |
116 minutes
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Websites: |
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Story: |
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) 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.
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Cast: |
Takeshi Kitano
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Zatoichi/Ichi |
Tadanobu Asano
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Hattori Genosuke |
Michiyo Ookusu
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Aunt O-Ume |
Gadarukanaru Taka
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Shinkichi |
Daigorô Tachibana
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Geisha O-Sei |
Yuuko Daike
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Geisha O-Kinu |
Yui Natsukawa
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O-Shino, Hattori's Wife |
Ittoku Kishibe
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Ginzo |
Saburo Ishikura
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Boss Ogi |
Akira Emoto
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Pops, Tavern Owner |
Ben Hiura
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Tavern Pops |
Kohji Miura
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Lord Sakai |
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