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The Tale of Zatoichi

The Tale of Zatoichi

1962
Drama, Action
1h 35m
The adventures of a blind, gambling masseur who also happens to be a master swordsman. (imdb)
Your probable score
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The Tale of Zatoichi

1962
Drama, Action
1h 35m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 64.86% from 247 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(247)
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Rated 25 Jun 2012
93
99th
Ahh the first Zatoichi film, man what a treat. Shintarô Katsu shines in this, he's dripping with charm but carries an air of deadly menace and anger which is missing from some of the later films. the series starts off deadly serious and then slides towards comedy and spoof before ending on a more melancholy and sombre note. Shintarô Katsu in his first turn as Ichi is lean, agile and gives a nuanced performance which is done so naturally that you can easily forget that he's just acting. WATCH IT
Rated 12 Apr 2013
75
74th
While staying as a guest in the home of a yakuza boss, Zatoichi is coerced into fighting in a gang war but ends up befriending the samurai he is supposed to kill. It's odd to see Shintaro Katsu looking so young, but the best elements of his character are already in place...the tricky gambling, the impish grin, and the lightning fast swordplay. It's actually a little short on fighting, but serves as a great introduction to the series.
Rated 02 Sep 2021
84
80th
To call this first outing a ‘template’ would be a disservice - I think of it more as an ‘elemental’ film, a jazz standard of such precision it inspired at least 25-plus-odd riffs, but never at the original’s expense. “Tale” lays the foundation of the series, narratively, with the Bushido virtue of Rei, and, energetically, with Katsu’s naturalistic, brooding dignity. Tellingly for the series, the climax peaks to a sort of mad nihilism, before retreating into melancholy.
Rated 08 Jun 2008
65
73rd
Good film.
Rated 01 Sep 2008
86
90th
Ichi is the man, and is hands down the best series of films of all time. With more that 20 sequels the only series to come close would be Godzilla but he can't claim the consistency this series had.
Rated 03 Mar 2009
90
96th
Great film, and great introduction to the blind gambling swordsman. We get to learn about the blind masseur and what makes him so special, in this film. The characters are great, and the action is fun to watch. Shintaro Katsu would go on to play Zatoichi for a total of 27 films. This definitely worth watching for anyone interested in Japanese cinema.
Rated 24 Apr 2009
90
88th
"Though The Tale of Zatoichi features a few exciting action sequences, this is more of a moody character study than an outright karate flick."
Rated 17 May 2011
4
55th
Here's hoping this series picks it up, cause right not It's just an inferior Yojimbo with talent lacking everywhere.
Rated 30 Sep 2012
73
36th
It was a little slower than I expected. It spends a lot of time building up the character and the rivalry between the gangs, and very little on actual swordsmanship. The rivalry is boring but Zatoichi is an interesting character and that carries the film pretty far. There are some fun moments that don't lose any impact despite their predictability, and the general story arc is well done. I dunno, I liked it but it didn't seem all that special and doesn't give me much to write about.
Rated 10 Apr 2014
90
84th
A great samurai movie and a great start to the series. Zatoichi is a blind swordsman and masseur who visits a yakuza boss whom he met in Nikko. The two begin as fast friends, but soon Zatoichi finds that he is just being used for a war between yakuza clans. Zatoichi doesn't want to be looked down upon because he is blind. He is skilled and wants to be respected for being skilled at massage, or even at sword fighting.
Rated 02 Aug 2014
4
74th
At least superficially comparable to Yojimbo, in which a clever swordsman outwits a yakuza mob. Unlike Kurosawa's film, this first installment of the legendary saga is less focused on eccentric style and gruesome action, being more of a quiet character piece and moral drama. Shintaro Katsu is phenomenal, his eyes perpetually closed, a fun and charismatic performance.
Rated 01 Jan 2015
75
64th
Tense camaraderie between rival mercenaries, one crippled and one doomed. The sets and lighting provide an appropriate hint of fantasy.
Rated 07 May 2015
85
86th
"WAIT! We're on a bridge?! Why the hell didn't you tell me, you samu-dick? I could break my damn neck on this thing!" I just wanted to point out that I am a terrible person for MST3K-ing Zatoichi. (great film, but the lantern scene irritated the shit out of me)
Rated 01 Jun 2015
8
71st
The first picture in the "Zatoichi" series is slow-paced and deliberate--light on action until the climax--opting instead to slowly introduce and develop the titular swordsman, played with great menace and gentility by Shintaro Katsu.
Rated 16 Nov 2015
56
44th
Perfectly satisfying samurai movie sports some excellent character work and beautiful cinematography. However, the plot is very standard and it lacks action, saving all of it for the last fifteen minutes. Still a very promising start to the series.
Rated 29 May 2016
80
73rd
A fine movie. The opening gambling scene tells us so much about who Zatoichi is, and the rest of the film fleshes out his skill in combat but more importantly his ethical code. The film has some pacing problems, but these are alleviated to some extent by the short length.
Rated 19 Apr 2019
85
78th
Maratona Zatôichi filme #1. Acho que o que mais gostei nesse filme é o parecer que armas de fogo são imorais, antiéticas e infames segundo o código de katanas. Box Versátil.
Rated 11 Aug 2019
38
23rd
Although the poster and description, and indeed, much of the dialogue, hint at the existence of swordplay in this film, be aware that there isn't any save for just a tiny bit in the finale. It's mostly a very drab chanbara drama.
Rated 12 Nov 2020
70
82nd
Though it's less the tale of Zatoichi & more a tale that happens to have Zatoichi in it, this is still a really great & unique samurai film that has just the right amount of charm, action, tension, & comic relief to create a near-perfect blend. Shintaro Katsu is brilliant in the title role, delivering a great & nuanced performance that few could pull off as effectively. The supporting cast is strong. The story is well-paced & well written, save for the clumsy romance. Definitely check this out.
Rated 24 Sep 2022
60
26th
He'sacoolcharacter+coolendingfight-thoughtthere'dbemoreofthatlol+openseyestoscoldguyaboutyakuzashame
Rated 30 Jan 2024
62
46th
Fumbles a bit on the hurdle of relaying the character's backstory entirely through dialogue in retrospect rather than dramatizing it, but that hopefully frees up the rest of the series to be more creative and directly engaging.

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