Masseur Ichi Enters Again

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Christopher B The third Zatoichi film, and the first in color, The New Tale of Zatoichi is packed with action and some great battle scenes and displays of Zatoichi's drawing skills as he splits more candles in half and one by one each fall off perfectly in sync while still lit. We get much more character development and even see a more softer and vulnerable Zatoichi as he tries to quit the life of killing to marry a young girl who falls for him. Of course it turns out she is the daughter of Zatoichi's master who taught him the way of the sword. He quickly renounces Zatoichi and forbids the marriage, and we findout that he has fallen from the samurai path and is now nothing more than a murderer and thief. In the end of course it's up to Zatoichi to bring justice to those who have hurt and killed the innocent and caused such tragedy to unfold. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/26/22 Full Review sean l This blind masseur / reluctant swordsman still roves Japan's forest trails and back roads, now presented in full color. The change in format lends extra visual punch to a series that didn't struggle in that department to begin with. New Tale is just as visually poetic and well-composed as its two predecessors, despite changes in the director's chair, but now seems freer to experiment with tone and texture as it faithfully portrays everyday life among disparate classes in a bygone age. In this adventure, Ichi returns to his home village after many years away, crosses swords with the vengeful sibling of a dispatched adversary and unexpectedly bumps into his old instructor. These main points fight hard against the grain - the avenging brother proves sympathetic and honorable, while the friendly ex-master is mixed up in a shady scheme - and cast Zatoichi in a different light. Cowtowed by the presence of an authority figure, he struggles to balance his innate sense of justice with the changes evident in a man he once revered. Their discord is real and palpable, largely portrayed by wary glances or awkward pauses as the two swordsmen begin to realize they're now at odds. The addition of a romantic subplot with the master's young sister only adds to this conflict and further pushes the blind samurai into murky, unfamiliar waters. This all sets up very well, but the film holds onto its resolution for too long, rushes into an anticlimax and leaves many juicy aspects of the protagonist's past unexplored. There's still time to get into all that, what with twenty-three feature-length bullets left in the chamber (including two more before the end of 1963), but it still feels like a missed opportunity. The subtext is delicious, but I still felt hungry after the credits. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member This film was great. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Its Zatoichi, but in colour! It looks great, and this installment finds a weary Ichi returning to his hometown. But the brother of the villain from Part 2 is out to get him, on a matter of honour. Meanwhile, Ichi has fallen in love with his master's younger sister, and his mentor does not approve. The love triangle isn't developed as well as I'd hoped, and the action scenes are few. I couldn't find myself getting into this one, even though it had a decent story. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member I really enjoyed this, the first colour entry and third overall of the fine samurai series. You can see they know they're onto something, and hence the bigger budget. Katsu once again expertly toes the line between fine action and sensitive acting. Once again I heavily recommend the series, and I can't wait to watch Part 4 of his exploits this evening! Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Another boxset that I continue to chip away at, in which Zatoichi returns to his home village only to find that trouble follows him everywhere, as he becomes embroiled in revenge driven people from his past, as well as a budding love affair. Well worth tracking down. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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