As its appropriately generic title implies, Adventures of Zatoichi, installment #9 in the long-running chronicle of Japan's heroic blind swordsman, shows the franchise chugging along quite contentedly in a well-established and still-fresh groove. The central premise that the series had settled on by this point involved Zatoichi, wandering lonely as a cloud, getting caught up in the plight of likable ordinary folks who've fallen into the disfavor of some corrupt powerful official and his gang of brutal henchmen. Along the way, Zatoichi shows himself to be affable with the children and supportive to the ladies, who are almost uniformly mistreated and disrespected by the brutes who boss them around so callously. Upon entering a new village, Zatoichi assumes his usual modesty, playing the part of a bumbling incompetent just long enough to figure out the particular details of the scam that's being perpetrated. Once he has that information, he subtly shifts into attack mode, beginning his assault with a well-played bout of gambling that drains the crooks of at least part of their treasury, and subsequently displaying the lethal sword-drawing skills that put his would-be assailants back on their heels in fear of his awesome prowess, while also a instilling deep-seated hatred and jealousy from at least one of his rivals that fuels the big showdown that you know will come at the end of each episode.
Released right at the end of 1964, the most distinctive contribution that Adventures of Zatoichi makes to the ongoing saga at this point in its development is how it advances our knowledge of the lead character's back story. Here we learn a bit more about Zatoichi's lifelong quest to discover the identity and personality of his father. In his encounter with a forlorn but crafty old drunkard, Zatoichi picks up some tantalizing clues that may shed some light on a few all-but-forgotten mysteries of his past.
But what makes the film especially timely, and the main reason that I'm rushing this post after just a single viewing, is that it's an excellent New Year's movie. The story begins, as is so often the case, with Zatoichi having a chance encounter that leads him to do a favor for a friendly stranger. In this case, his task is to pass along a letter to a woman who works at an inn that Master Ichi was already planning to visit as part of his ritual observations to mark the new year. (See the quote above.) The letter turns out to be written from a yakuza hit man, now a fugitive from the law after his escape from the island prison to which he'd been exiled, to his sister Osen, explaining his need for her financial assistance as he seeks vengeance on the crime boss who double crossed him. Soon enough, Zatoichi is apprised of all the dirty dealings and, primarily moved by pity for the two women who've suffered the most at the hands of cruel assassins and the hypocritical overlords who hired them, he decides to once again wield his cane sword in his never-ending quest for justice. And if in the process, he rids the world of a couple dozen good-for-nothing scumbags, so much the better.
As a film, it holds together quite well, with a narrative that sufficiently complex to hold our interest without throwing too many potentially confusing wrinkles and subplots at us. Zatoichi's full-fledged arrival as a dependable box office sensation is especially underscored at the beginning of the movie, as we're treated to a few light-hearted scenes of winsome comedy involving both cute children and surly bickering old men. Clearly there's been some thought put into making each new installment of the series a well-rounded entertainment package, suitable for family viewing. There's no blood or gore to be seen in this one, despite all the flashing swords in action, and the only ones who get cut are those whose ill deeds or crooked alliances made them deserve it. One slight drawback is that the climactic battle takes place in the dark of a snowy night on New Year's Eve, so it's hard to make out the finer details in the action, but that also adds a cloak of mystery to it all as well. And when the sun rises once again on Zatoichi's smiling face, we're grateful in the knowledge that the year ahead will certainly deliver abundant opportunities to see where his long and winding path leads him next.
I couldn't find any trailers or short clips from Adventures of Zatoichi on YouTube, though the entire movie is available from multiple sources. This clip is kind of unique, a compilation of soundtrack music from the film to put you in a boisterous, heroic mood. Happy New Year!
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