The Tale of Zatoichi
1962 · Movie · Not Rated · 96 min · ★ 7.3 · 95% critics
A wandering blind masseur with a sharp gambling streak arrives in a small village caught in a brewing yakuza turf war. Pulled into the conflict by competing bosses, he tries to keep his own code while tensions rise and a feared rival is brought in to match him.
Also known as Zatoichi: The Life and Opinion of Masseur Ichi · Zatoichi 1: The Tale of Zatoichi · Zatôichi 1 The Tale of Zatôichi
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Details
- Original title
- 座頭市物語
- Years
- 1962
- Release date
- 1962-04-18
- Language
- Japanese
- Rated
- Not Rated
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Critic score
- 95/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.3/10 (153 votes)
About
If you enjoy measured samurai dramas with moral gray areas, quiet tension, and bursts of decisive swordplay, this should land well; Not for you if you want constant action or a light tone like Sanjuro.
Pros: moody, character-driven story; tense slow-burn buildup; memorable lone hero | Cons: limited action scenes; slow pace for some; grim, melancholic tone
Themes
- japan
- samurai
- based on novel or book
- yakuza
- sword fight
- chambara
- zatoichi
- criminal
- period drama
- ronin
- jidaigeki
- edo period
- +1 more
Cast & crew
Shintarō Katsu
as Zatôichi
Masayo Banri
as Otane
Ryūzō Shimada
as Shigezô
- HM
Hajime Mitamura
as Hanji
Shigeru Amachi
as Miki Hirate
Michirō Minami
as Tatekichi
Eijirō Yanagi
as Sukegorô
- TC
Toshio Chiba
as Masakichi
Manabu Morita
as Seisuke
- YY
Yoshito Yamaji
as Yahei
Directed by Kenji Misumi