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Zatoichi (Zatôichi) - Takeshi "Beat" Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Yui Natsukawa

Threat advisory: High - High risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

His sword made him a hero, his courage made him a legend.

19th Century Japan... Zatoichi (Takeshi "Beat" Kitano) is a blind wanderer who makes a living by gambling and giving massages. But behind his humble façade, Zatoichi is a master swordsman, gifted with lightning-fast draw and strokes of breathtaking precision. Zatoichi discovers a remote mountain town at the mercy of the Ginzo gang. The ruthless Ginzo dispose of anyone who gets in their way, quicker than ever since they recruited mighty samurai ronin Gennosuke Hattori (Tadanobu Asano). In a gambling joint, Zatoichi and trustworthy young friend Shinkichi (Gadarukanaru Taka) meet up with a couple of geishas. As dangerous as they are beautiful, O-Kinu (Yuuko Daike) and her sister O-Sei (Daigorô Tachibana) have come to town to avenge their parents' murder. With their only clue being the mysterious name Kuchinawa, the geisha sisters have lots of tricks up their sleeves. Sinister henchmen are soon hunting down Zatoichi. With his legendary cane sword at his side, Zatoichi's path is destined for many violent showdowns...

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film Japan samurai swordsman blind gang crime justice ronin

Persons of interest

Takeshi "Beat" Kitano .... Zatoichi
Tadanobu Asano .... Gennosuke Hattori
Yui Natsukawa .... O-Shino
Michiyo Ookusu .... O-Ume
Gadarukanaru Taka .... Shinkichi
Yuuko Daike .... O-Kinu
Daigorô Tachibana .... O-Sei/Seitarou
Ittoku Kishibe .... Ginzou
Saburo Ishikura .... Oogiya
Akira Emoto .... Nomiya no Oyaji
Kan Shimozawa .... Author
Takeshi "Beat" Kitano .... Screenwriter
Takeshi "Beat" Kitano .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

Zatoichi (Zatôichi) official movie site
Zatoichi (Zatôichi) QuickTime movie trailers
Awards and film festivals:

Cinematic Intelligence Agency Trenchcoat Awards 2004: Nominated: Best cop or lawyer (Zatoichi - Takeshi "Beat" Kitano)
European Film Awards 2003: Nomination: Screen International Award (Takeshi Kitano - Japan)
Marrakech International Film Festival 2003: Won: Best Director (Takeshi Kitano); Nomination: Golden Star (Takeshi Kitano)
Melbourne International Film Festival 2004: Regional Focus
São Paulo International Film Festival 2004: International perspective
Toronto International Film Festival 2003: Won: People's Choice Award (Takeshi Kitano)
Venice International Film Festival 2003: Won: Audience Award Best Film (Takeshi Kitano), Future Film Festival Digital Award (Takeshi Kitano), Open Prize (Takeshi Kitano), Special Director's Award (Takeshi Kitano); Nomination: Golden Lion (Takeshi Kitano)

See also The last samurai
Studios and distributors:

Icon Film Distribution

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Zatoichi is a hard-core samurai flick that uses the traditional Hollywood Western story of the stranger who rides into town and cleans up the trash, then rides out again leaving only a silver bullet.

"Who was that masked man?"

There are some funny bits, too. And some tap dancing. Where would a samurai flick be without tap-dancing peasants?

Media intelligence (DVD)

Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Languages: English, Japanese
Picture: Widescreen 1.85:1
Special features:

Documentaries: Behind-the-scenes
Interviews: Katsumi Yanagishima (Cinematographer), Norihiro Isodo (Production Designer), Kazuko Kurosawa (Costume Designer), Tatsumi Nikamoto (Master Swordsman)