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 t last, the review of Kitano Takeshi's
"Zatoichi" remake is now online. I've had the DVD in my
possession for the last, oh, three months or so, but for one reason or
another -- but mostly simple disinterest -- I have ignored it. With the
current public relations push for the film well underway in cyberspace and
elsewhere, what better time to finally watch the film than now.
"Zatoichi" is Kitano Takeshi's updating of
the popular Japanese TV show of the same name that ran, if I'm not
mistaken, for decades in Japan. The movie version stars writer/director
Takeshi as the titular Zatoichi, a blind swordsman who wanders feudal
Japan killing lots and lots and lots of people. Luckily for the
common man, ol Zatoichi, who claims masseuse as his profession of record,
always looks out for the little guy. This is a good thing because soon
Zatoichi finds himself in a town ruled by a violent gang, and decides to
dish out some justice by way of his sword, which is hidden inside his
cane. But he better get in line, because two traveling geisha girls are
also gunning for the gangsters.
It's no surprise that "Zatoichi" is
well-directed. Takeshi has been an actor/writer/director going on decades
now, and is probably the closest evidence of the auteur theory given
substance. "Zatoichi" is polished and the direction is flawless
and oftentimes lyrical, as if the images onscreen were taking their cues
from the soundtrack -- or vice versa. A more musically inclined film you
won't find anywhere, something that gives "Zatoichi" an
interesting, even lovable, vibe despite its massive bloodshed and darker
parts.
The script, on the other hand, could have used a
professional proofreader who had no stake in the movie. At least 20
minutes of background pathos could have been shaved, and it wouldn't have
mattered to the overall story. Of note is a series of flashbacks that
fleshes out every character except our hero. Frankly, it's a surprising
choice by Takeshi not to tell us anything about Zatoichi the man. All we
see of Zatoichi's past is Zatoichi being Zatoichi -- which is blind, old,
and killing a bunch of people. I should also warn people that Takeshi uses
flashbacks with no fanfare at all, which means it usually took me a couple
of minutes to realize when the film was showing a flashback.
Half comedy and half farcical cartoon,
"Zatoichi" can't really be taken seriously, even when the movie
shifts into grim mode whenever co-star Tadanobu Asano ("Gojoe")
shows up onscreen. Playing a ronin, Asano's character freelances as a
bodyguard for the local gang in order to earn money to care for his wife.
If "Zatoichi" was a video game, Asano is the de facto Big Boss
that Zatoichi must defeat in order to beat the game. Although as written,
Asano isn't much of a villain -- in fact, he's not a villain at all
despite his willingness to slaughter rival gangsters for his current
employer. It's an interesting idea to make the Big Boss not even a little
bit villainous, but it also renders Asano's inevitable duel with Zatoichi
strangely anti-climactic.
Although there's probably too many fluff moments in
it, "Zatoichi" is nevertheless a fun movie. As if to further
indicate that he had no serious intentions with the movie, Takeshi uses
CGI extensively. When Zatoichi's sword dispenses justice and limbs go
flying, it's readily obvious those are CGI arms getting sliced; the same
is true of the sudden wounds that appear when people are slashed. This
allows Takeshi to have blood spurt with wild abandon, literally gushing in
the most absurd manner. It's all very over-the-top, which was probably the
point.
"Zatoichi's" storyline is basically a
simple one, and shouldn't be considered beyond the realm of popcorn
entertainment. I would have liked to know more about the main character,
and felt somewhat cheated, especially since we know so much about everyone
else. Toward the end, Takeshi seems to be hinting at a past connection
between Zatoichi and the gangster's elusive boss, but to tell you the
truth I wouldn't be surprised if the final 15 minutes of
"Zatoichi" was mostly ad-libbing, including a 10-minute musical
number.
Should I have watched "Zatoichi" earlier
instead of letting the DVD languish in the "to watch" queue?
It's certainly a fun and enjoyable film, even if Takeshi might have
approached it as nothing more than light-hearted fluff. As with the CGI
blood, there doesn't seem to be much weight to the film.
FYI: In all the years I've watched Asian cinema, I
can't remember a time when an American studio went to such great lengths
to promote a film. "Zatoichi" might just be the first of its
kind; hopefully it won't be the last.
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