Zatôichi monogatari (1962)

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   Siskoid

   The first in a series of 26 films about a blind swordsman, The Tale of Zatoichi stars Shintaro Katsu (as they all do) in the immediately affecting title role. He's a rascal, equal parts insolent and wise, who might take care of enemies with a sharp word as much as his highly-developed senses and a quick flash of the blade. There's a tragic quality to him, but he's also a comic figure. In the first chapter, which is just beautifully shot by director Kenji Misumi in lustrous black and white equal to any Kurosawa film, Ichi is swept into a yakuza gang war in which there are only two honorable combatants - himself and a dying samurai - with most everyone else, through their interactions and own subplots, acting as treacherous and cowardly contrasts. What's really brewing is a tragic bromance between star-crossed warriors, and it's actually pretty moving for something out of an action picture. The Tale of Zatoichi deserves a place in any list of great chanbara films, and is one of the strongest debuts for a continuing character in all of cinema. 3 years 9 months ago

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