In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Friday 2 May 2014

Zatoichi's Vengeance (1966)

The blind swordsman’s 13th film brings us to the halfway point of the original series. It's a good time to offer up some introspection. As a catalyst for that, Ichi’s tasked with fulfilling a dying man’s wish. It isn't a new idea, but along the way he meets a blind biwa playing priest who questions the severity of the swordsman’s methods. The perspective makes Ichi more acutely aware of the consequences of his actions.
It was Dir. Tokuzô Tanaka’s third entry and he performed just as well as he had on the previous two. The sense of foreboding and the comedy that exists within it are well-balanced.

3½ sightless insights out of 5

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