Samaritan Zatoichi (Zatôichi kenka-daiko) (1968)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Luke B

  
  19th outing for Zatoichi, and in all honesty the last few efforts were becoming a bit of a chore to get through. Not because they were bad, just because they were too familiar. I was surprised to see Samaritan Zatoichi grab me once again. This has it all. The perfect mixture of comedy… More
  19th outing for Zatoichi, and in all honesty the last few efforts were becoming a bit of a chore to get through. Not because they were bad, just because they were too familiar. I was surprised to see Samaritan Zatoichi grab me once again. This has it all. The perfect mixture of comedy and violence, with great complexities in emotion and characterisation. The main treat here is an almost corrupted Zatoichi. He must kill a man according to the brotherhood code, really highlighting Zatoichi as the gangster he is often referred to as, and also cheats in a game of dice. After his first kill, he is tormented by how he has been used. The sister of the man also comes close to killing him, but instead develops a complex love affair. It doesn't JUST happen, we are treated to a classic and moving scene where she admires his skills and then has flashes of his skills used to kill her brother. These fantasy moments are beautifully silent and coloured in a weird nightmarish palette. The comedy is also fantastic, making slapstick funny without being ridiculous. The villains are also very interesting and add to the excitement. There's some great music/songs, excellent editing and even some inventive shots, such as a camera on it's side displaying the full length of a tree in widescreen. Great to see how wonderful these films can still be.