ZATOICHI: THE FUGITIVE
(Japanese Title:
Zatoichi
kyojo tabi)
(1963 - Japan)With Shintaro Katsu, Miwa Takada, Masayo Banri, Junichiro Narita
Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka
Reviewed by JB
Master Ichi, everybody's favorite "god of calamity", enters a town, discovers there is a price on his head, and does exactly what you expect him to do - hang around and piss off his potential assassins on an almost 24/7 basis.
After viewing this third sequel to TALE OF ZATOCHI, two things seem obvious. Firstly, a formula had been worked out, one that would provide enough simple stories for as many sequels as the Japanese public demanded. Master Ichi would enter a town, usually find some warring factions, take one side in the fight, fall in love with a woman, wipe out entire yakuza (Japanese underworld) armies, and then ease on down the road to the next town.
Secondly, and more importantly, the fun
of
Zatoichi movies would not be in the stories, but in the amazing
combination of Zatoichi the character and Shintaro Katsu the
actor. The films do not need (and do not have, so far)
endless
action sequences to generate interest. Some of the best
moments
in Zatoichi films feature Master Ichi walking into a room and
proceeding to humbly and gently humiliate everybody in it without
shedding a drop of blood. Watching Shintaro work his simple
magic
in these scenes is a joy. The chuckles, the bows, the
flickering
of his eyes, and, of course, the swift maneuver of his sword as another
candle or bottle of sake is bi-sected. Even after four films,
Shintaro is still creating and refining the character. The
ending
has Master Ichi leaving town after slaughtering an entire gang, and
nursing his broken heart over a slain woman. As he heads down
the
road, he passes a small band of musicians, and begins to dance
lightheartedly to amuse the kind people who have bid him
goodbye.
Moments later, once he is sure is out of sight, his face changes from
happiness to pure dispair and darkness. It is an amazing
moment
that shows what a fine actor Katsu truly was. 
- JB
ADD ANOTHER
QUOTE AND MAKE IT A GALLON
"Wherever I go, I am the god of calamity."
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Copyright © 2008 John V. Brennan, John Larrabee