The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (R, 2004)

Introduced in the early 1960s, Zatoichi is now an archetypal character in Japanese film, inspiring dozens of films and numerous television shows. Ichi is a blind masseuse ambling from town to town until some injustice or threat cause him to reveal his incomparable swordplay and samurai-styled sense of honor. This time around, Ichi (Takeshi Kitano) wanders into a village under siege by rival gangs, just as a talented, young ronin and two justice-seeking geishas tip the balance of one gang's power and paranoia. The result is bloody, with skirmish after skirmish leading to the final fights, when the formerly ambivalent Ichi is drawn into the fray.

Takeshi Kitano, both as director and actor in the character of Ichi, seems to be blending more modern influences with the older themes. While revenge is the common driver of most movies in this style, it is rare that a director will dwell on the psychological impact of the violence that inspires the revenge. In this case, a young boy is driven to prostitute himself (implicit, off-screen) to provide for himself and his sister when their parents are killed by gangsters.

The movie's pervasive blood gushing is done with computer animation, which lends a strangely toned hue to the many fight scenes. While Kitano's first period piece is far from traditional, fans of the samurai swordplay genre will welcome his style.

Studio: Miramax
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Cast: Beat Takeshi, Michiyo Ookusu, Tadanobu Asano
Genre: Action/Adventure
Run time: 116 minutes
Theatrical release: July 23, 2004
DVD release: November 8, 2004
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: strong stylized bloody violence.