| Ichi | |
|
The original story by writer Kan Shimozawa told of a male blind masseur and master swordsman who wandered the land gambling, drinking and fighting and getting into all kinds of adventures. Zatoichi was the star in Japan of some 25 films, many TV series as well as novels and manga comics. Actor Shintaro Katsu made the role his own playing Zatoichi from 1962 up to 1989 but more recently UK audiences have been exposed to Beat Takeshi Kitano’s version in 2003 which revived the franchise for a modern audience. Now Ping Pong director Fumihiko Suri and writer Taeko Asano have changed the character into Ichi. A beautiful but deadly blind women played magnificently by actress Haruka Ayase who still wanders the land giving massages and music recitals for money but now on her own quest to find the blind swordsman who trained her as a child to defend herself and others. When she is threatened by a group of bandits she is “saved” by an incompetent samurai called Toma (Takao Osawa) who cannot draw his sword. She quickly rescues her rescuer and continues on her way only to discover that the locals think Toma killed the bandits and promptly hire him to defend their town. She them rooms at the town and gets reluctantly caught up in the middle of a battle between two sets of gangs who want to control it. But when she learns that the leader of one of the gangs Banki (Shido Nakamura) may know the whereabouts of the blind man she is seeking so she is forced to choose sides in order to learn about her past. Having already been a fan of previous versions of this Japanese icon I had big expectations for this film and was not disappointed in any way at all. From the amazing snow swept opening scene which sees Ichi trying to get a job and features beautiful cinematography from newcomer Keiji Hashimoto to the astounding fight sequences choreographed by Hiroshi Kuze who worked extensively with Akira Kurosawa this is one of the best films of the year hands down no contest. Everything about the production is meticulous from costume and set design during the feudal period to nuanced performances and a genuinely stunning central character who you believe in and will follow anywhere. Much of this idea of following a character with a disability derives from Japan’s ‘Pure’ dramas made during the recession there in the 90’s and the director and writer have now made Ichi a tragic character not responsible for her condition but finding a way to not overcome it but live and earn a living with it and in doing so find her place in a society that shunned people who were disabled and seen as useless. Director Sori has crafted a wicked analysis of society then that mirrors peoples prejudices now and it’s all contained inside an exciting and intelligent piece of art. It’s a wonderful film, full of great humour and astounding fight sequences but also one of tender moments and on screen beauty as Ayase is marvelous in the title role as are all the supporting cast who make this film come alive and the tale of Ichi one that could and should continue for many years to come.
If you like this, why not check out our review of The Good, The Bad, The Weird? You might also fancy having a look at our Red Cliff review too! |
If you were expecting full on astounding sword action from the recently released Blood (read our 
