DVD Review: Zatoichi (2004)

After watching the unsubtitled VCD a couple months ago (and crawling through the translation with my brother) I finally landed a copy of the Region 2 DVD for Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi. My hands just about trembled as I fed the disc into my player and all I can say at the end of it is that it was worth every minute.

Kitano's reimagining of the Zatoichi mythos (it was originally a series of movies spanning 30 years) may not sit well with fans of the original, but it's certainly worth a watch if only to marvel at the love that was poured into this outing. Part drama, comedy, action movie and musical (!!), it's a refreshing change for the genre, and one that bodes well for other forays. The original series told the story of a blind wandering masseur who for some reason or another always managed to get himself into trouble. Luckily for him, the titular character is also a skilled swordsman, using the blade hidden in his cane to dispatch his foes in brutally satisfying ways.

In this remake, Kitano casts himself as Zatoichi (blond, no less) as he winds his way into yet another unnamed village. There he strikes up an acquaintance with Oume, an old peasant woman, her bumbling nephew Shinkichi and two travelling geishas (who are more than they seem) and gets into a confrontation with a rogue ronin (played by Tadanobu Asano no less). Needless to say, there is evil afoot and before long, the gambling hero-masseur draws his sword to uphold justice. And what beautiful justice it is.

As spiral remarked in his review earlier this year, Zatoichi is less about the brutality and violence (although there are equal amounts of both) and more about the rebirth of tradition. It's evident in almost every frame how much Kitano tries to stuff in every conceivable aspect of traditional folk lives, from their work and social interactions to their various (and incredible) entertainments. It's as if by doing this Kitano is trying to leave one last indelible mark on the landscape, before the Japanese viewers of today forget their heritage, swamped by pop culture and video games.

Perhaps the most telling instance of this is just before the climactic final battle, as Zatoichi passes by a scarecrow left in the middle of the path, he picks it up and plants it back into the field, therefore moving himself out of harm's way in the process. It's almost a silent challenge to the wave of modern cinema: up yours, he says. After the battle, as the film wraps up with an explosive tapdancing routine from Japanese group The Stripes one sees that the whole film is a paean to a receding era, and one that Kitano insists must go out with a bang.

Now, in case you action fans were wondering if there actually was any killing in this movie, rest assured there is. The swordplay is bloody and brutal, with most enemies despatched in three strokes or less (the way it ought to be, IMHO). There's none of the protracted fight scenes we're used to (I hate to spoil it guys, but even the final battle is over in about..2 seconds). Kitano opted for CGI blood, but it doesn't really detract from the whole experience.

Now, on the downside, there are some plot elements that don't seem to gel, and we don't really get to know the characters except for a brief expository flashback that occurs periodically. The special effects are a bit ambiguous too, at points. At the end of the day, Zatoichi provides a good dash of humour, action, drama and of course music that gels into a tight, entertaining whole. Sure, the acting isn't overtly spectacular, and the humour might fly past anyone unfamiliar with the genre but if you're sufficiently curious, you may find it to be one of the sleeper hits of 2004, and end up being pleasantly entertained.

Ash.ox gives Zatoichi a 4 out of 5.