Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo

I can rant and rave about the stars, but the movie around them is unremarkable -- unless we're talking about how remarkably convoluted the plot is. And it should NOT be in its purest essence, yet somehow it is. It borders on almost retelling Yojimbo, except then it doesn't and maybe it never did it all?great action finale tho.it is and it isn't a Zatoichi to recommend. I recommend seeing Katsu and Mifune together. Which obliquely is to recommend this movie because there is nowhere else to do so.

Ichi visits a village he hasn't been to in a few years, and finds it overrun with gangsters. The plot is a convoluted mess involving several factions trying to find a cache of stolen Shogunate gold. Toshiro Mifune plays the yojimbo, and while it's fun seeing him verbally sparring with Ichi, you only get teases of them actually fighting each other, and in the end they both walk away alive. Kind of a cop-out IMO. Actually, it's disappointingly light on action in general.

Ok, even good, in parts but really, with such a dynamite pairing, "OK in parts" is a let down. Ayako Wakao as Umeneo looks gorgeous.

The assembly of talent here makes itself apparent onscreen: Okamoto and Miyagawa behind the camera, Katsu and Mifune in front. It's one of the more sophisticated aesthetic treatments this franchise has received, but in truth, the best episodes are always more eccentric. This is fairly boring, and somehow manages to turn a relatively simple "everyone wants the gold" plot into something way more convoluted than it needs to be.

Se esse filme está longe de ser dos melhores do mestre Okamoto, certamente diversão é que não falta, reunindo dois dos maiores filhos da puta do cinema japonês chanbarra, são duas horas muito bem empregadas do seu tempo. DVD Cinema Samurai Volume 5.

Surprisingly good and touching film. It doesn't glorify the violence of the yakuza but instead makes you appreciate how tough and spartan their lives were. The acting is top-notch. The only marks off are for the lack of exposition; the first half of the film is tough to figure out who is whom.

I was sceptical going in, as the "... Meets Yojimbo" title and Mifune casting sounded like a gimmick (not to mention "... On The Road" already drew heavily from Yojimbo). However, this turned out to be my favourite Zatoichi so far. This is one of the ones where Ichi seems quite fallible, which I always appreciate, and it's particularly effective here, with Katsu appearing frail and run down.

You watch this to see the two greatest movie samurais face off and it's a lot of fun when they're together. Otherwise, it's utterly confusing and kind of boring and honestly the only thing I really remember is that it ripped off the ending of Treasure of the Sierra Madre.