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The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi

Zatoichi

2003

Takeshi Kitano

Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Michiyo Oguso, Yui Natsukawa ...

7.2

29,025

Action. Comedy Blind Zatoichi makes his living by gambling and giving massages. But behind his humble facade, Zatoichi is a master swordsman, gifted with lightning–fast draw and strokes of breathtaking precision. Zatoichi wanders into a town run by sinister gangs and a powerful samurai, and is soon destined for violent showdowns when he stumbles on two beautiful geishas avenging their parents‘ murder.

	Author	Review
United States	Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"It's the kind of film I more and more find myself seeking out, a film that seems alive in the sense that it appears to have free will.(…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Desson Thomson The Washington Post	"While Kitano- the-performer fights with his seemingly endless array of enemies, Kitano the filmmaker makes sure that everything is beautiful, from the wonderful colors (...) to the intricate fighting choreography."	POS
United States	A. O. Scott The New York Times	"This may, in the end, be easier to digest than 25 sequels and a hundred hours of television. It may also whet your appetite for more."	POS
United Kingdom	Geoff Andrew Time Out	"Kitano pulls it off quite gloriously. Admittedly, this isn't one of his most idiosyncratic, innovative or, indeed, satisfying works, but it's without doubt fast, funny, fabulous to behold."	POS
United States	Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly	"When he draws his blade, the movie turns into slasher heaven, but as storytelling it’s awful."	NEU
United States	Stephen Hunter The Washington Post	"Kitano adds something new and unexpected (...) You've never seen anything like it, I guarantee you."	POS
United States	David Wiegand SFGATE	"A masterpiece of wry violence and stylized mayhem (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Ty Burr Boston Globe	"The work of a sophisticated filmmaker with a touch of the dilettante (...) Witty, gruesome, and artful fun."	POS
United States	Manohla Dargis Los Angeles Times	"Kitano's character may have his eyes closed, but this is one filmmaker who always ensures that the audience has theirs wide open."	POS
United States	Walter Chaw US Weekly	"A marriage of seemingly contradictory elements that somehow make a compelling whole. A little Ozu, a little Kurosawa and a whole lot of rock & roll."	POS

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