Samurai Films (8 page)

Kurosawa flawlessly balances the humorous and violent aspects of his film, creating a highly entertaining product. However,
Sanjuro
is also thought-provoking, and for all its graphic fight sequences, ultimately delivers a condemnation of violence. Unlike
Yojimbo
, in
Sanjuro
, the callous ronin actually meets someone who he can learn from. After rescuing the Chamberlain’s wife, Sanjuro is forced to consider his actions more carefully when she admonishes him for killing too readily. She likens Sanjuro to a sword, saying he is too sharp. Sanjuro is forced to yield to her wisdom, later becoming enraged when the blundering of the young samurai forces him to kill some of the conspirator’s men. Sanjuro is presented at the end of the film as a slightly tragic character; he doesn’t want to kill but frequently finds it necessary for his survival. He is offered a place in the clan, but cannot accept because he’s accustomed to the freedom of his ronin lifestyle; he has no place in civilised society. Kurosawa presents the anti-violent message in his film through a series of clever lines and Sanjuro’s predicament. This message is integrated seamlessly into the film, and loses none of its integrity.

Like
Yojimbo
,
Sanjuro
is an absolute classic, and a must-see for anyone interested in samurai films, featuring swift battle scenes, humorous and well-crafted characters and a thought-provoking plot.

Zatoichi, the blind masseur and deadly swordsman, arrives in the town of Iioka. He decides to stay with Sukegoro, a yakuza boss he knows. Sukegoro is preparing for a war with his rival, Shigezo. He hopes to use Zatoichi’s skill on his side, and does all he can to keep the blind man happy, assigning Tate, one of his nastier thugs, to look after him. Zatoichi spends his time in Iioka relaxing, fishing at a nearby lake, where he meets Hirate, a disgraced samurai hired by Shigezo. The two form a strong friendship, realising they may face each other on the battlefield. Zatoichi rescues Tane, Tate’s sister, from Seisuke, a yakuza thug who desires her, and she falls in love with him. The tensions between the two gangs escalate and result in a war. It seems as though both Zatoichi and Hirate won’t participate, but Hirate is manipulated into fighting by Shigezo, which also draws Zatoichi into the fray. Hirate insists they fight, as he wants to die at the hands of a master, rather than thugs. Zatoichi wins the duel, but is sad to have lost his friend. Sukegoro’s men win the battle, and Zatoichi yells at him for the pointless waste of so many men, before seeing to Hirate’s burial. Tate attempts to kill him, but only ends up killing himself. Tane waits on the road for Zatoichi but he avoids her by taking a longer route through the mountains.

The Tale of Zatoichi
is the first film in the immensely popular Zatoichi series, which tells the story of the highly skilled blind swordsman. This first entry is atypical of the series, which is most famous for frequent and well-executed battle scenes in which Zatoichi cuts down large groups of his enemies.
The Tale of Zatoichi
takes a more gentle and thoughtful approach to deliver its character-driven story.

Interestingly, the Zatoichi series begins with a film that’s much closer to the work of Akira Kurosawa and Hiroshi Inagaki. Director Kenji Misumi delivers some poignant scenes, both beautiful and revealing. In the best of these Zatoichi and Hirate sit at the riverbank fishing; Misumi creates a sense of tranquillity with shots of the two warriors sitting in the sun, intermixed with shots of the still water, disturbed only by their fishing lines. Misumi reveals much about the two characters during this scene. Special mention must be made of the way he handles Zatoichi’s amazing abilities, which require more than a little suspension of disbelief. As Hirate approaches Zatoichi, who sits fishing, Misumi uses a simple technique to show how the blind swordsman’s other senses compensate for his lack of sight. Close-ups of Hirate’s feet falling on the grass are intermixed with close-ups of Zatoichi’s ear, the sound of Hirate’s feet playing across both these shots. This technique is repeated with a shot of Hirate’s sword, which Zatoichi can hear moving in his belt. This sequence makes later scenes, such as the moment when Zatoichi cuts a lit candle perfectly in half, all the more believable.

Minoru Inuzuka creates some beautifully poetic moments in his script, which revolve around Zatoichi’s blindness. When he rescues Tane from the lustful Seisuke, Zatoichi pretends he doesn’t know Seisuke is present. Then, as he leads Tane away, Zatoichi dares Seisuke to attack him, asking if anyone is indeed there. Seisuke is afraid and cowers away, and Zatoichi laughs, seeming to chide himself for the mistake, when in reality he knows exactly what has happened. A similar moment occurs at the end of the film, achieved through Inuzuka’s clever dialogue – but to say more would ruin the moment for anyone who hasn’t seen it.

As always, Shintaro Katsu puts in a great performance as Zatoichi. He’s more restrained here than in later films, but still presents a very likeable, affable hero. The kindness and warmth of Katsu’s Zatoichi has endeared him to fans all over the world.

Though there are fewer of them,
The
Tale of Zatoichi
still mounts some very well-choreographed battle scenes. When Zatoichi slices a lit candle clean in half, his blade moves so fast it’s barely visible. During the sequences in which yakuza gangs fight, a slow pan effectively captures a mass of writhing bodies and flashing blades. A few wonderfully gory moments are scattered throughout the film, most notably when Hirate vomits blood all over his feet. The duel between Zatoichi and Hirate towards the end of the film is particularly adept at conveying the dramatic weight of what has happened. Katsu convincingly portrays Zatoichi’s sadness for having killed his friend, provoking a profound sense of loss.

Shintaro Katsu as Zatoichi.
The Tale of Zatoichi
directed by Kenji Misumi and produced by Ikuo Kubodera for Daiei Studios.

 

Atypical of the popular series it spawned,
The Tale of Zatoichi
is still a solid film, and a must-see for anyone interested in Zatoichi’s humble beginnings.

Zatoichi makes an enemy of the Kuroda clan, but Setsu, a woman who reminds him of his first love, Chiyo, helps him to escape them. Unable to find Zatoichi, the Kuroda samurai hire Kanbei, the local yakuza boss, to track him down. Zatoichi escapes Kanbei’s men, and returns to Sasagawa, where he plans to pay his respects to Hirate (see
Tale of
Zatoichi
). Kanbei and his men pursue Zatoichi, and meet with Sukegoro, who agrees to help them. Sukegoro has also been harbouring Yoshiro, a wanted criminal. Sukegoro tells him to leave immediately, but has him followed, planning to betray Yoshiro to the authorities and collect a large reward. Kanbei and his men confront Zatoichi and a violent battle ensues. In an impressive display of swordsmanship, Zatoichi kills all the men, leaving only Kanbei alive. Yoshiro appears and challenges Zatoichi. It turns out that the two are brothers; Chiyo left Zatoichi when she discovered he was blind and married Yoshiro. In his rage, Zatoichi cut Yoshiro’s arm off. Yoshiro now wants to settle the score and nearly succeeds, but Zatoichi is able to deal him a serious wound. Sukegoro and his men arrive, intent on capturing Yoshiro. Zatoichi helps Yoshiro escape, but he dies from his wounds. Zatoichi is enraged. Finding Sukegoro, Zatoichi kills him for betraying his brother.

A satisfying sequel to
Tale of Zatoichi
, this pushed the series forward with the kind of film that would come to dominate the series. Around 20 minutes shorter than the first,
The Tale of Zatoichi Continues
packs in a lot more of the frenetic fight scenes that would become a hallmark of the Zatoichi films.

And what magnificent fight scenes they are. The sight of Shintaro Katsu cleaving his way through a large number of yakuza thugs is a delight to behold. Although it may seem hard to believe that a man could fight so effectively without being able to see, Katsu’s astonishingly convincing movements make it easy to suspend disbelief. He fights with his head bowed low, clearly concentrating on every sound around him, and strikes only when his opponents move.

Katsu’s performance as Zatoichi is as likeable as ever, but in this film his affable persona is offset by his creepy brother Yoshiro, played by Katsu’s real brother, Tomisaburo Wakayama. As Yoshiro, Wakayama plays a grim and inexpressive man of few words, who murders only for the sake of money. Wakayama’s cold stare is every bit as frightening as Katsu’s chuckle is friendly, and his performance pre-dates his later role as Ogami Itto in the
Lone Wolf and Cub
series.

Director Kazuo Mori handles the highly charged fight scenes very well. Yet, there are some touching moments between the bloody scenes, which hark back to
Tale of Zatoichi
. Zatoichi’s brief experience of domesticity with the beautiful Setsu is tender, and made all the more fleeting by the arrival of Kanbei’s thugs. The moment when Zatoichi returns to the lake where he and Hirate used to go fishing, and considers his life thus far, is suitably calm. The moment when Yoshiro dies, just after the two brothers have ended their long feud, is emotionally charged and sensitively handled.

With this film, the Zatoichi series found the voice it would use for the next 24 films. Some Zatoichi films contain even more action, but
The
Tale of Zatoichi Continues
founded its reputation for well-executed, and bloody, battle scenes. Essential for Zatoichi fans, this film is worth seeing alone for Katsu and Wakayama’s performances.

When Lord Asano is appointed Head of Reception for an important ceremony, he refuses to bribe Kira, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, a particularly nasty, greedy old man. Despite Kira’s bullying, Asano won’t break from his principles. The strain grows too much for Asano when Kira refuses to tell him how to conduct the ceremony, and he draws his sword, trying to cut down his tormentor. Having drawn his sword in the Shogun’s palace, Asano is sentenced to commit seppuku. Asano’s samurai are displeased, and wish to remain in Asano’s castle and fight the troops sent to claim it. Oishi, the Chamberlain of the Asano samurai, convinces them to leave peacefully, hoping to reinstate the clan with Daigaku, Asano’s brother, as the new lord. When the Shogun banishes Daigaku, Oishi is forced to reconsider his position. He decides on a course of justice, seeking to punish Kira for his crimes. Oishi lives a false life, as a decadent drunk, hoping to fool Kira and his allies. Many of the other ronin make similar sacrifices. They are successful in fooling the authorities, and when the time comes, they assemble in Edo. In a brave assault on Kira’s mansion, the 47 ronin find and behead him. The ronin are then ordered to commit seppuku, a punishment they accept, now that they’ve found justice for their dead lord.