My new project is to watch all of the beloved Zatoichi film series (25 in total) collected in the new Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman box set (2013). The first film, The Tale of Zatoichi (1962) is directed by Kenji Misumi and introduces Shintaro Katsu as Zatoichi. The story is reminiscent of Kurosawa's Yojimbo, in that Zatoichi, a blind gambling masseur and master swordsman, is hired as muscle for a yakuza gang that is in danger of going to war with a rival clan. He befriends a sickly samurai, Hirate (Shigeru Amachi) who he must defeat as he has been hired by the rival clan. There is a love interest in Otane (Masayo Banri), the sister of an unruly yakuza. The film opens with a gambling grift on Zatoichi's part. later he proves his swordsman prowess to the yakuza by throwing a candle in the air and slicing it in two so that it lands with both ends burning. The excellent non-traditional score was provided by Akira Ifukube who was known for scoring Godzilla films. Misumi's direction is impressive as he shots from behind fences and windows and classically framed shots in houses, doorways, and with screens. it will be interesting to see if these cinematic touches remain in future films.
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