Ichi (2008) [Film Review]

Ichi; or, The Tale of Female Warrior
     Those who cannot see... do not know where the boundaries are. We can't see boundaries, like whether it's day or night right now, or where the path we're walking on suddenly disappears. And since we can't see, it's terrifying. Who is good, and who is bad? Where are the boundaries for that?! I don't even know that much! I can't even see for sure whether I'm alive, or whether I'm dead!
Ichi is a 2008 adaptation of a manga series created by Hana Shinohara. Inspired by the Zatoichi figure, the manga centers around the character of Ichi, a blind woman who wanders through Japan in search of her mentor, the man who taught her the art of swordsmanship. Interestingly, the fans of the manga were disappointed with many differences conveyed in the movie adaptation.

Release Info

Directed by: Fumihiko Sori Starring: Haruka Ayase, Takao Osawa, Shido Nakamura

Language: Japanese Original Title: Ichi Runtime: 120 min

Synopsis
Ichi (a m a z i n g Haruka Ayase) searches for her mentor, the master of backhanded, straight-stroke style. While confronting a gang of thugs, she encounters Fujihira Toma (Takao Osawa), a wandering samurai who was expelled from his clan. The two venture into a village that is plagued by savage bandits. Contrary to Toma, Ichi does not want to get involved. Eventually, she faces off against the bandits when discovering that their leader might have some information about her mentor’s whereabouts…

Like Father Like Daughter
I have to admit that I did not read the manga, so I am writing this review from a standpoint of a person who has seen only Zatoichi movies. In this regard, that is Ichi being a modern take on the Zatoichi myth with double twist, the movie works flawlessly. However, I can understand the outrage of manga fans that the screenplay gives little care to the supporting characters.

The secret as to why Ichi works is primarily due to Haruka Ayase’s crazy awesome performance. I have seen the actress previously in such dramas as Hero and Mr Brain, but I have never suspected that she is capable of playing such a complex and kick-ass character. She absolutely owns the movie.

Another great advantage are the fight scenes, which seem to be an improvement over good-looking action set pieces from Takeshi Kitano’s Zatoichi (2003). It is exhilarating to see how Ichi obliterates the bad guys in slow motion.

Additionally, there is a variety of great actors in supporting roles, including Yosuke Kobuzoka as the righteous villager, Akira Emoto as the village leader, Eri Watanabe as the maid, and Shido Nakamura as bat-shit crazy samurai who went rogue.

The only thing that I disliked about the movie is that there are a bit generic villains. The screenplay desperately tries to make them come off as brutal and gruesome, but in reality they are no match for the main heroine.

Recommendations
If you want to experience a Zatoichi story from a different perspective, then Ichi is the movie for you. I’m not going to lie that I fell in love with Haruka Ayase after watching it. Hopefully, I will be able to check out the manga series in the future as well. Ichi definitely deserves another movie or even a drama series.Overall score: 9/10

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The Tale of Zatoichi (1962) [Film Review]

The Tale of Zatoichi; or, Inconspicuous Masseur This Way Comes
     What I do is no different than the tricks street vendors use to attract customers. Enough about me...
The Tale of Zatoichi from 1962 marks the first movie in the long-running series about a blind swordsman who wanders through Japan and experiences numerous adventures. Produced by the studio Daiei and directed by Kenji Musumi (best known for Lone Wolf and a Cub series), this adaptation of Kan Shimozawa’s novel presents Zatoichi not as a larger-than-life hero, but as a compassionate, Sherlock Holmes-like keeper of justice. 

Release Info

Directed by: Kenji Misumi Starring: Shintaro Katsu, Shigeru Amachi, Eijiro Yanagi

Language: Japanese Original Title: 座頭市物語 Runtime: 95 min

Synopsis
Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) reaches a yakuza den in Iioka. He is provided shelter and care by the gang-leader Sukegoro (Eijiro Yanagi) who knows about Zatoichi’s extraordinary fight skills and wants to use them for his own advantage. It turns out that Sukegoro is preparing to attack a rival yakuza boss Shigezo (Ryuzo Shimada). In consequence, Shigezo hires a renowned ronin, Miki Hirate (Shigeru Amachi). Due to a coincidence, Zatoichi and Hirate befriend each other. The two warriors are not keen on fighting each other in some petty gang war, especially in view of the fact that Zatoichi is blind and Hirata suffers from tuberculosis. Nevertheless, both gangs press for a conflict.

Where the Devil Says Goodnight
I have to admit that I did not expect much from The Tale of Zatoichi, but now I understand why it kick-started the popular movie series. Unlike other samurai epics of that time, such as Yojimbo (1961) or Harakiri (1962), The Tale of Zatoichi is a radically different film. With slow-pace, Buddhist undertones, and innovative (for that time) cinematography, it is more similar to Woman in the Dunes (1964), a perfect example of Japanese New Wave, rather than standard chanbara motion pictures. Also, the sombre music score by the legendary Akira Ifukube increases the viewing experience.

The movie about people whose activity is mostly talking in enclosed spaces does not seem to be encouraging, but the character of Zatoichi glues everything together. He is the symbolic fool who is frowned upon by almost everybody, but he presents extraordinary skills, not only in fighting, but also in gambling, and solving mysteries. My all-time favourite scenes are 1) touching the face of Otane (Masayo Banri) in the moonlight and 2) Zatoichi giving Hirata a massage. The conversation between the two protagonists is so soothing and tranquil, which only increases the bromance level between them.

There are some scenes in which too many random characters plot against each other, which, in my opinion, is the only disadvantage of the film. Yet. the story is straightforward enough to follow without the necessity of having a repeated viewing.

With regard to performances, I have to say that I like Shintaro Katsu’s interpretation of Zaotichi more than Takeshi Kitano’s. This classic Zatoichi can be funny, cheerful, but also incredibly humble and sorrowful (Kitano’s Zatoichi’s seems to be a bit too angry in the 2003 remake). I also enjoyed the performance of Shigeru Amachi as Harata. The two actors had amazing chemistry on the screen. There is also some nice acting done by Masayo Banri, a woman who falls hopelessly in love with Zatoichi.

Recommendations
If you want to see a classic Japanese production which does not necessarily follow the chanbara formula, then I recommend The Tale of Zatoichi. This movie is definitely classic and it encouraged me to check out the remaining sequels. Hopefully, I will be able to review all of them soon.

Overall score: 8/10

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Zatoichi (2003) [Film Review]

Zatoichi; or, Blind Justice

    Even with my eyes wide open, I can’t see a thing.
The character of Zatoichi, a blind swordsman conceived by writer Kan Shimozawa, is deeply engraved in Japanese popular culture and remains a cultural icon similar to Tora-san and Godzilla. Throughout the period between 1962 and 1989 the character was played by an acclaimed actor Shintaro Katsu in 26 theatrical movies and 100 episode-long TV show. The 2003 Shochiku production is both a stand-alone movie and an homage to the classic series.

Release Info

Directed by: Takeshi Kitano Starring: Takeshi Kitano, Yuko Daike, Michiyo Okusu, Akira Emoto

Language: Japanese Original Title: 座頭市 Runtime: 116 min

Synopsis
Zatoichi (Takeshi Kitano) is a blind masseur who roams through the Japanese countryside. He reaches a small town which is torn between rivaling yakuza gangs. The war for influence pushes ordinary citizens into poverty as the gangs take over businesses and demand extraordinary amounts of protection money. Zatoichi joins forces with other people who have enough of this exploitation and takes a stand against the gangsters.

Welcome to Lawless Japan
I have frequently heard about this movie over the years, even more so than about the Shintaro Katsu series. Allegedly, Takeshi Kitano made this movie in order to prove that he can make an entertaining action flick. Indeed, Zatoichi is a radical departure from Takeshi’s slow-paced, existential style. The director/writer/actor/editor created the world of flashing blades, ruthless gangsters, and dancing villagers.

Kitano stated in an exhaustive being-the-scenes documentary that he wanted the movie to be dynamic and look like a computer game. He certainly achieved his intention with many amazing fight sequences and gripping cinematography. The scenes at the inn or at Aunt Oume’s house are simply beautiful.

In addition, even though the movie is connected with the Shintaro Katsu series, it could very well be counted as part of the universe, because the bad guys recognise Zatoichi and the main hero even has a flashback of a spectacular showdown in rain. Still, Kitano provides his personal spin on the Zatoichi mythos, bringing his story arc closer to that of Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo (1961). To be honest, my favourite action scene of the movie was Zatoichi’s confrontation with the bodyguard Hattori (played by the great Tadanobu Asano).

What is more, keep an eye out for the final scene. I was totally surprised that Kitano put a Broadway-like number in his movie. It is a ridiculous fun to watch. My respect goes to The Stripes troupe who pulled this off.

With regard to performances, the cast of this movie is outstanding. Takeshi Kitano provides a rougher interpretation of Zatoichi, devoid of happy-go-lucky vibes and musings about morality. Another great performance is that of Yuko Daike as Okinu, a woman who wants to avenge the death of her parents (She looked exactly like Ruriko Asaoka from Goyokin (1969)). There are also great supporting parts done by such veterans as Ittoku Kishibe, Michiyo Okusu, and Akira Emoto.

Recommendations
I highly recommend Zatoichi to chanbara lovers and ordinary viewers. Takeshi Kitano’s take on the blind swordsman story is definitely unique and extremely engaging. Even though I’m a fan of Shintaro Katsu movies, I am a little disappointed that we did not get a sequel to Kitano’s version. At least, there was Ichi (2008), but it is a subject for another review.Overall score: 8/10

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