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The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi/Sonatine (2004)
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Reviews Counted: 106
Fresh: 92
Rotten:14
Average Rating: 7.2/10
Consensus: A violent, but fun samurai pic.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong stylized bloody violence
Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:Jul 23, 2004 Limited
Box Office: $584,553
Synopsis: With ZATOICHI, Takeshi Kitano, best known for such gangster films as VIOLENT COP, BOILING POINT, and BROTHER, makes his first period drama, an updating of the classic Japanese character portrayed... With ZATOICHI, Takeshi Kitano, best known for such gangster films as VIOLENT COP, BOILING POINT, and BROTHER, makes his first period drama, an updating of the classic Japanese character portrayed by Shintaro Katsu in movies and television from 1962 to 1989. Zatoichi is a blind samurai who shuffles from town to town, righting wrongs with his remarkable sword hidden within his cane. He is also a masseuse who likes to gamble. Kitano serves as director, writer, co-editor, and star of the film, playing the protagonist under his acting name, Beat Takeshi. This version of Zatoichi, based on the stories of Kan Shimozawa, is more violent than the earlier series, as Kitano strives to make it more realistic. He has also infused a clever sense of humor, while cinematographer Katsumi Yanagishima adds beautiful depth of field to many scenes. When Zatoichi arrives in a small town, he unknowingly walks into a classic tale of revenge, as two women plot to kill the men who murdered their family. As Zatoichi becomes more involved, an eventual showdown with young samurai Hattori (Tadanobu Asano, who excelled in Takashi Miike's very violent ICHI THE KILLER) is inevitable. ZATOICHI is thrilling filmmaking at its best, an endlessly entertaining samurai epic from a man who fully understands the genre and is not afraid to take it to the next level. SONATINE tells the story of gang boss Murakawa (Takeshi Kitano), who decides to consolidate his power as he approaches middle age. When his boss responds by assigning him to a peacekeeping mission in a town where a couple of the gang's provincial chapters are coming to blows, Murakawa is naturally suspicious. Is he being kicked upstairs--or kicked out? When he and his crew become the targets of a bloody ambush, the conclusion seems inescapable. A brutal indictment of the soul-crushing yakuza lifestyle. [More]
Starring: Beat Takeshi, Tadanobu Asano, Michiyo Ogusu, Yui Natsukawa
Starring: Beat Takeshi, Tadanobu Asano, Michiyo Ogusu, Yui Natsukawa, Guadalcanal Taka, Daigoro Tachibana, Yuko Daike, Ittoku Kishibe, Saburo Ishikura, Akira Emoto
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Screenwriter: Takeshi Kitano
Story: Kan Shimozawa
Producer: Tsunehisa Saito, Masayuki Mori
Composer: Keiichi Suzuki
Studio: Miramax Films
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Release:
Nov 9, 2004
Reviews for The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi/Sonatine
É uma pena que esta tenha sido, provavelmente, a única incursão de Kitano pelo universo de Zatoichi. Seria bom ver o samurai cego mais vezes.
A rich display of fantasy swordsplay at its goriest, slickest and most demanding.
I'd call Zatoichi stylish to the point of distraction, except I'm not sure what I was being distracted from.
For those unfamiliar with such films, Zatoichi might be a little off-putting. But given a chance, the movie can be pretty entertaining.
Its style is zesty and surprising, and that more than compensates for any ordinariness in its storyline.
Zatoichi is successful in that it retains its own personality even while echoing other films and genres.
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