Zatôichi kenka-daiko (1968)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Kenji Misumi

Writers:

Kiyokata Saruwaka (writer)
Kan Shimosawa (story)

Release Date:

28 December 1968 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama | Action | Adventure

Plot:

Zatoichi is forced to kill a young man who owes a debt to a yakuza boss. Moments later, his sister Osode...

Plot Keywords:

Zatoichi | Yakuza | Character Name In Title

Cast

Shintarô Katsu	...	Zatoichi
Yoshiko Mita	...	Osode
Makoto Satô	...	Yasaburo Kashiwazaki
Kô Nishimura	...	Sosuke Saruya
Takuya Fujioka	...	Shinkichi
Chocho Miyako	...	Ohaya
Akira Shimizu	...	Kumakichi
Ryoichi Tamagawa	...	Chohachi
Machiko Soga	...	Osen
Ryutaro Gomi	...	Sashichi
Osamu Okawa	...	Tokuji
Rokko Toura	...	Choji
Kazue Tamachi	...	Aburaya no Banto, the oil shop clerk (as Kazue Tamaki)
Yukio Horikita	...	Isokichi
Takeshi Date	...	Kinzo

Also Known As:

Samaritan Zatoichi (literal English title)
The Blind Swordsman Samaritan
The Blind Swordsman and the Drums
Zatôichi 19 (Japan) (informal title)
Zatoichi and the Drum
Zatoichi: Fighting Drums
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Samaritan

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Company:

Daiei Studios

Trivia:

This was the nineteenth "Zatoichi" feature film.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Zatôichi to Yôjinbô (1970)

Nice mix of drama, action, and humor

I have enjoyed Samaritan Zatoichi from the first viewing. If you enjoyed Zatoichi's Cane Sword, I believe you will like Samaritan Zatoichi as well.

There is a great combination of drama, action, and humor. Very early in the film, we are introduced to another traveling yakuza named Shinsuke. Shinsuke is a real lively, interesting guy and the only character in the series who is easily identifiable as a person from Kansai (Osaka region). Early on in the film we also learn that Zatoichi does not have infinite patience. Don't call him a blind bastard more than twice!

But the main attraction in this film is the complex and emotional story between Zatoichi and Sode. Zatoichi kills Sode's brother. He soon regrets the part he played in the killing and takes on a guardian role to Sode as she makes her way back to her aunt's home.

The action scenes in Samaritan Zatoichi are good, but not the best you will see in the series. Zatoichi also does more than simply running his usual scam in the gambling scene. Did you know that he also carries a pair of loaded dice? Zatoichi comes close to paying the ultimate price for such behavior, but manages to pray to the right buddha as he is all bundled up and manages to escape.

Samaritan Zatoichi is a fun journey full of twists and turns that leads to the requisite showdown with a samurai. A quick word of warning to the samurai. Zatoichi is most dangerous when he is on the ground!