Customer Reviews

Zatoichi - Darkness Is His Ally

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After so many years of playing the role of "Zatoichi" Katsu Shintaro still manages to put out a stellar performance is the reluctant hero "Ichi". His character has grown much older now but still roams the back roads seeking peace but always running into opposition from both the law and the gangsters (yakuza). In the midst of all this he is still trying to help out the less fortunate. Yes there's is less fight scenes but the theme of good conquering evil against all odds is still there. A must for fans of this series.

I loved this film. I am a relatively new Katsu fan, having started watching him on Samurai Saturdays on IFC.

With that said, I didn't know any of his personal history until having read the previous reviews. It doesn't matter. His end seems poetic in a way. The character that defined the man, never betrayed his code, yet the man who played the character did.

I loved the cinematography, as each scene played like a visual Haiku for my soul to play and replay. It was bloody, which I appreciated, because I think we need to see the full gore of what gangsters these men were in life. This film, unlike the milder TV versions I've watched previously, made you more acutely aware that Ichi had been forced each time to rid this un-repenting evil from the world. The dueling third party even verbalizes this for us during the film.

I found the introduction of the third duelists intriguing and important - since it was the betrayal of his own "code" that led to his demise. It left us wondering if Ichi even knew it was he whom he fought in the end, since I don't believe a word was spoken in the final fight scene, nor before it to let Ichi know that the price on his own head was too much for his friend to turn down - which for as far as Ichi was concerned, this could have just been another swordsman who drew first. But the character development and the caring this man showed for Ichi, led us to understand that it was a great internal conflict that prevented him from trying to collect the bounty on Ichi's head previously. In that regard, he had violated his oath to his master, even though his sword mastery appeared to rival that of Ichi. (The interview is to what I'm referring, where he was hired as a bodyguard.)

I didn't know that Katsu had died, although seeing this news in previous posts means little to this review, except that now, my possession of this DVD makes this highly coveted gem in my collection even more precious. It is a visual jewel, that I will enjoy watching again, and again.

Friends be warned - you may enjoy this film at my house on any occasion at the asking, however, I will never lend this DVD to anyone. It is to me, like Ichi's mirror, where I hope to see that which has previously eluded me.

I loved this movie! quite the best Zatoichi I've seen. very adult in it's theme, the love scene was the best yet. I also enjoyed the fight scenes. the sense of continuity from the other stories in the Blind Swordsman series is important to me as well and was extremely well done. the character of Zatoichi really lives in this movie.

what I did have a problem with was receiving two defective DVDs in a row.
:(
Amazon was good enough to take them back. but I was scared off of a third replacement.

This is the final Zatoichi movie and perhaps the best . Shintaro Kutsu (Zatoichi) died in 1997 of throat cancer. This movie made in 1989 shows an aging, graying Katsu with a raspy voice. It appears the cancer was known at that time. However in no way does the film suffer in action or quality. It exceeds the previous movies! It appears that he knew this was to be the last and went ALL THE WAY to make this a grand production.

Zatoichi comes to a town in turmoil with 2 bosses competing for control of the town. Add in one corrupt local official,a hired artistic assassin, 2 lovely women, and you have the largest Zatoichi production.

Zatoichi, a blind traveling massuer, wanders the country side getting into trouble everywhere he goes. With a heart of gold, and sword of steel he slices his way through the bad guys, dozens at a time. After 25 previous movies, he is the master of the cane sword by this time in his life. He may be in his best physical form of any of the movies. This, his 26th Zatoichi film, does contain some blood and some gore (earlier ones had little or none). There is also a brief sexual incounter in this film (mild by todays standards). This too is unusual for Zatoichi for normally he avoids any close relationship with women because he is a blind man that doesn't stay in any place more then a few days. In his mind he is yakuza (a gambler...today yakuza means gangster).

The DVD is well done and of good quality. There are some trailers and some photos of Zatoichi posters as extras. Of all the Zatoichi films, all except #14 have been released, I have not been disappointed in any so far. The first two are B&W with some audio distortion and loss of picture quaility. The newer films (like this one) are in great shape. Zatoichi is a humble mix of morals, kindness, justice, action, comedy,...oh yeah...throw in a little blood trailing a flashing sword! At his death Shintaro Katsu may have been the most famous Japanese actor ever. Only Toshiro Mifune was close.

This 26TH and final Zatoichi episode from 1989 brought an end to this wonderfully long odyssey starring the late Shintaro Katsu. Since the beginning of the series in 1962, Zatoichi defined the humble swordsman who tried to live the Bushido code--only to be foiled by his fellow yakuza; or encountering evildoers who preyed upon the innocent. And as a blind character in the series, all too often Zatoichi too was preyed upon by those who would try and take advantage of a blind man. Only he was no ordinary blind man. Zatoichi's flashing sword brought about swift and exacting vengeance on any who would foolishly attempt to cross paths with him. And this final film was no exception.

This final installment of Zatoichi is an excellent film. The acting and cinematography are outstanding. In this film we find an older and much greyer Zatoichi. The last Zatoichi full-length feature film was in 1973, however, Shintaro Katsu did a television series as Zatoichi with 100 episodes up until 1979. In this film Zatoichi's sword is as lethal as ever. And the ending of the film proves this. We also see Zatoichi being betrayed by a friend due to the price that was placed on his head: One who supposedly lived by the Bushido code.

The action sequences are terrific, and Zatoichi is just as fast as ever. I really liked this final episode of the peace-loving Zatoichi who is content to just be left alone; and yet cannot, due to the fact that he is Zatoichi and his reputation is too great for him to ever be left alone in peace. And more importantly, where the main theme in the film is that once again good-conquers-evil. I highly recommend this film to everyone, and especially to all Zatoichi fans. A must see.

This is the 26th Zatoichi episode by Shintaro Katsu. He wrote, directed and starred in this version. It follows the same plotline and has Zatoichi pursued by various groups. The action is intermixed with a simple story which drives the action. The fight scenes are quick and are the bloodiest and goriest in the series. There is a climatic fight scene at the end where Zatoichi takes on over 50 opponents and has him running, hiding and fighting in an almost abandoned village. There are some moments of humour but not as much as in other films in the series. If you like Shintaro Katsu's Zatoichi, then I'd recommend this film for you but don't be fooled by the current editorial review which says that this film is Beat Takeshi's 2003 version of Zatoichi.

This was my first Zatoichi movie and I was amazed, at both the action and the character. While the movie had it's slow moments that action made up for it with ease. No doubt that his prior movies based on the blind swordman will be added to my collection.

This is the way to end a legendary series. Not with any wacky gimmicks, hip young sidekicks, new spectacular special-effects or anything else that betrays the feel and tone of a long-established character. Just one last nostalgic trip into the gambling den, a flash of the deadly cane sword, and a retirement into quiet dignity. Hollywood could learn a lot from "Zatoichi: Darkness is his Ally".

Shintaro Katsu is not afraid to show his age. Greying and weathered from a life of hard-living, his Zatoichi character has reached a level of subtlety and depth that can only come from the many years he spent in the title role. All of the mannerisms, the ticks of the face and the gentle smiles, are as welcome as an old friend you haven't seen for a long, long time. He is still a rouge and a scoundrel, and he still pulls that same old dice trick that he has had up his sleeve for decades, but you forgive this old dog for never having learned a new trick. (Although he does get a little action with a pretty lady, which was a bit of a surprise. A departure from the usual sad refusal and longing looks when a woman offers herself to the brave warrior...)

The plot of the movie is...Zatoichi. There are some people in trouble. There is a beautiful woman. There is a scrappy up-and-coming fighter who tries to live his life honorably by the bushido code, but you know that he will eventually be drawn into conflict with the sage warrior whose reputation precedes him. Everything is paired down to the essential elements of a Zatoichi flick, and it delivers up exactly what we love with style and reverence.

The film itself is beautiful, and is a real testament to Katsu's abilities, as he put in triple service as writer, director and actor. He was dying at the time, and knew it, so this film was obviously very personal to him, his last outing as the character that had made him. The music is quite haunting as well, with the shamisen being used to perfect effect.

I wouldn't recommend this as anyone's first Zatoichi film. There is too much nostalgia here for that, and one should hold off on "Darkness is his Ally" until they have a dozen or so Zatoichi flicks under there belt. But with 26 films in the series, that is pretty easy to do, and it will give you something to look forward to.

This REALLY is all the plots, themes, and sword fights of all the earlier 25 films combined. From the betting on the dice outside the cup to the slicing enemies right through a wall! Everything was used in this film. But that's ok, fans will enjoy it. Also by 1989 the film quality and special effects had advanced alot since the last film in 1973. Think about it...in 1973 I was two years old. In 1989 I was one year from finishing high school and going into college. That IS good piece of time, yet Shintaro Katsu, while not looking that well, did a very respectable job in his performance as Ichi. And the final battle - well, you have to see it.

If you've seen one Zatoichi, you've seen them all; almost every one has him playing dice, and meeting a new friend who he later has to kill---both scenes are in this movie.

But, they're all enjoyable enough, and this one's ok, too, though the plot is kinda confusing. The first 30 or so minutes of this movie are the best, with good direction and photography; gets a bit tedious afterwards. Does have a good battle climax, with Zatoichi once again taking on over a dozen men at the same time, unlike the wimp climax of the movie version of CONAN, in which Arnold needed help.

The weirdest thing about this movie: there's not only only a song in English over a montage of Zatoichi walking---but it's the sort of song you'd expect in a ROCKY movie!