#679: VARIOUS: Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (1962-73)

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VARIOUS (Japan)
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman
Spine #679
Blu-ray


The colossally popular Zatoichi films make up the longest-running action series in Japanese history and created one of the screen's great heroes: an itinerant blind masseur who also happens to be a lightning-fast swordsman. As this iconic figure, the charismatic and earthy Shintaro Katsu became an instant superstar, leading a larger-than-life presence to the thrilling adventures of a man who lives staunchly by a code of honor and delivers justice in every town and village he enters. The films that feature him are variously pulse-pounding, hilarious, stirring, and completely off-the-wall. This deluxe set features the string of twenty-five Zatoichi films made between 1962 and 1973, collected in one package for the first time.

2,196 minutes
Black & White/Color
Monaural
in Japanese
2:35:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2013

#679a: MISUMI, Kenji: The Tale Of Zatoichi [1962]
#679b: MORI, Kazuo: The Tale Of Zatoichi Continues [1962]
#679c: TANAKA, Tokuzo: New Tale Of Zatoichi [1963]
#679d: TANAKA, Tokuzo: Zatoichi The Fugitive [1963]
#679e: YASUDA, Kimiyoshi: Zatoichi On The Road [1963]
#679f: IKEHIRO, Kazuo: Zatoichi And The Chest Of Gold [1964]
#679g: IKEHIRO, Kazuo: Zatoichi's Flashing Sword [1964]
#679h: MISUMI, Kenji: Fight, Zatoichi, Fight [1964]
#679i: YASUDA, Kimiyoshi: Adventures Of Zatoichi [1964]
#679j: INOUE, Akira: Zatoichi's Revenge [1965]
#679k: MORI, Kazuo: Zatoichi And The Doomed Man [1965]
#679l: MISUMI, Kenji: Zatoichi And The Chess Expert [1965]
#679m: TANAKA, Tokuzo: Zatoichi's Vengeance [1966]
#679n: IKEHIRO, Kazuo: Zatoichi's Pilgrimage [1966]
#679o: YASUDA, Kimiyoshi: Zatoichi's Cane Sword [1967]
#679p: YAMAMOTO, Satsuo: Zatoichi The Outlaw [1967]
#679q: MISUMI, Kenji: Zatoichi Challenged [1967]
#679r: YASUDA, Kimiyoshi: Zatoichi And The Fugitives [1968]
#679s: MISUMI, Kenji: Samaritan Zatoichi [1968]
#679t: OKAMOTO, Kihachi: Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo [1970]
#679u: MISUMI, Kenji: Zatoichi Goes To The Fire Festival [1970]
#679v: YASUDA, Kimiyoshi: Zatoichi Meets The One-Armed Swordsman [1971]
#679w: MORI, Kazuo: Zatoichi At Large [1972]
#679x: KATSU, Shintaro: Zatoichi In Desperation [1972]
#679y: YASUDA, Kimiyoshi: Zatoichi's Conspiracy [1973]

SUPPLEMENTS:

The Films

Notes by Chris D.

The Blind Swordsman

Directed by filmmaker and Japanese culture scholar John Nathan, this fifty-eight minute documentary from 1978 takes a candid and unvarnished look at the professional and personal life of Shintaro Katsu, the star of the Zatoichi series. It is accompanied by a new interview with Nathan, who shares his memories of Katsu and the making of his film.

Serialized Success

In this interview, conducted by the Criterion Collection in 2013, Asian-film critic, Tony Rayns offers his thoughts on the popularity of the Zatoichi series, its main character and some of the key talents involved in making it.

Trailers for all 25 films.

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