New Tale of Zatoichi (1963) User Reviews

Great drama and a lightning sword!

[bighouseaz · 8/10 · 3 January 2005]

ROBTRAIN is telling the truth about this entry in the Zatoichi series. Zatoichi has to contend with the brother of Kanbei from film 2, a criminal gang, and most shockingly, his former sensei!

Everyone (except Ichi's love interest) is basically a bastard. Zatoichi shows regret in the choices which have brought him into the yakuza world. And yet, Ichi always tries to do the right thing, showing respect for his sensei, refusing to believe that a young women from a samurai family could fall for him, and saving a kidnap victim. The drama builds and builds in this action-drama and leads to a great climatic scene involving Ichi and his sensei.

It is obvious that Katsu Shintaro has worked on his sword technique and shows amazing speed and increasing agility in his moves. This is a great film and one of the best in the Zatoichi series.

Good entry in the series

[JohnSeal · 7/10 · 19 November 2001]

This is the third entry in the popular Zatoichi series, and as usual it features an outstanding performance from Shintaro Katsu as the blind masseur who is also a master of sword play. This time he takes on a gang of thieves who are marauding the countryside. Of particular note is Akira Ifubuke's brilliant and evocative score, reminiscent of his best work from kaiju.

Inclined Towards the Subdued

[kurosawakira · 8/10 · 19 January 2014]

Usually long film series see a gradual development or deconstruction of the main character simply because either the character changes or the environment does. Most often our heroes are marched through various situations, numerous more often than not, and only when the ticket sales start to diminish there's usually a twist in the hero's personality or identity.

There's a third way, too. It has to do with the filmic problem of presentation, and usually this happens when the film is made during a historically significant technological paradigm shift. Sound was one, and nowadays it's most likely 3D, although more because of the commercial powers behind the technology. In the 1960s it was colour.

With Zatōichi its introduction in this third film becomes deliciously ironic, since in the first two films there have been several japes different people play on Ichi because he's blind. In those moments we, the audience, have been able to see it with them, making us part of the bad guys' gang as well. This cinematically fruitful branch of narrative play extends here to the very form of the film itself – its colour.

As a colour film this a very beautiful one. It's more inclined towards the subdued than the showy, and that's commendable. It's also more interested in characterization, really casting the second film in more realistic light as an afterthought. What's so striking is that while it's customary to have the hero denounce his craft and want to lead a normal life, it's usually fluff that lasts only a while. Not so here: Ichi really wants to quit, and promises to. It's made feasible, it makes sense. It feels like the right thing to do. But still we know that won't happen, that the torment will continue, and in part that's why we cheer for Ichi, that he might go on. They manage to make Ichi's torment our own. It really is expertly handled.

Among the best in the series so far.

Philosophical entry in the saga

[alucinecinefago · 7/10 · 15 May 2020]

The following review is an extract from the book "Shintaro Katsu´s Zatoichi: Complete guide to all movies", which is now available on Amazon.

In this third part of the Zatoichi saga, the protagonist (played by Shintaro Katsu) wants to change some things of his past, leave behind the Yakuza and correct his mistakes, returning to the town where he grew up. On the way he meets a former schoolmate, who acts as a musician singing and playing the shamisen. His childhood friend is with his wife and young son. The four stay in an inn for the night, and as Ichi sings a song with the shamisen, the place is assaulted by a gang of hooded thieves. So as not to endanger his friends and other guests, Zatoichi does not resist for the time being, and prefers the criminals to believe that he is nothing more than a poor, blind masseur (when in reality he is a prodigious swordsman, even though he lacks a sense of vision).

(...)

The third part of the Zatoichi saga has a slight philosophical background that is somewhat reminiscent of Taoism (the action of non-doing, or wu-wei). Zatoichi's apparent passivity towards Kanbei's brother, who wants revenge, provokes new reactions and events. The attitude of the protagonist is to renounce his past life and become a new man by returning to the origins, to the village where he grew up. There he will discover with disappointment that the one who trained him in the arts of fencing, the one to whom he owes his knowledge in the handling of the sword, far from being a venerable master, is actually a despot who does not hesitate to mercilessly murder unarmed people and in inferior conditions, either as a consequence of his uncontrollable anger or simply for money and material goods, in cold blood. Much more noble and honorable is the young yakuza. After verifying this, Zatoichi decides to continue his wandering life, renounces family and marriage and continues on his way with the firm intention of never returning to his village.

The best of the whole series

[R0BTRAIN · 10/10 · 3 February 2004]

The third installment of the Zatoichi series is the best one I have ever seen. While not as exciting as some of the other action packed entries (Chest of Gold, Zatoichi's Revenge) in terms of character development this film had the most impact on me. The stakes just seem to be higher in this entry than in most. Make no mistake, Ichi's life is on the line in EVERY other installment, but this centers on how Ichi really wants to quit his swordsman lifestyle and take a wife. To live the rest of his days in peace is all he wants and that is taken away from him. Ichi is forced to not only see how terrible the people he trusts can be, but how much he brings upon himself. This film really drives home how much Ichi loses each time he takes a life. A new friend, a new aquaintence or a new lover is almost always instantly taken away from him, either by an enemies hands or by his own. But the single greatest scene in this film is not any of the sword fights, like in other entries, the best scene is the evens/odds scene in this film. If you're a fan of this series at all please see this entry.

His past still follows.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 7/10 · 26 December 2020]

'New Tale Of Zatoichi (1963)' sees its eponymous blind swordsman/masseur return to the town in which he was trained, followed by his reputation and the repercussions of the prior movie's events. Once again, it's a relatively meditative character study at heart. With flashes of fast-paced, decisive action and a background plot focused on a kidnapping, the picture ebbs and flows until it reaches its melancholic yet explosive finale. It's a little bit scatterbrained and doesn't have the strongest of central threads; the closest thing to a proper through-line is probably an ill-fated romance that brings out the best in Zatoichi but the worst in his master. In general, the movie is enjoyable. Plus, its shift to colour has little impact on its overall look and feel. Even if it isn't as solid as its two predecessors, it's still well-made and engaging. 7/10

Possibly the best of the series

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 31 May 2009]

In "Zatôichi: The Blind Swordsman's Return" (a film that seems to have a bazillion alternate titles--like most of the films in the series), Zatôichi is back for a third film. Here we see a very tired man who is sick of his violent life and wants to make amends. Apparently, when he was younger and dumber, he was with the Yakuza (organized crime) and did much he is ashamed of doing. However, stupid people keep challenging him and he is forced to kill them again and again.

In the midst of one of these fights, Zatôichi's old sensei (master) shows up and this becomes an eye opening experience (so to speak) for this blind swordsman. It has been four years since they last met and much has changed. While you would assume that the sensei would be a wonderful guy, you slowly see that he's a jerk. First, the sister of this sensei has a conversation with him about a marriage proposal--at which time the sensei throws his drink in her face because she doesn't want the man he picked for her--not exactly a chivalrous thing to do on his part. Later, this same lady tells Zatôichi that she loves him and wants him to marry her. However, when she asks this brother permission, he angrily refuses and curses Zatôichi--even though only moments earlier he had this blind guy put on a demonstration to his pupils to show off his talents! Eventually, it becomes obvious that the sensei is bought and paid for by the forces of evil and this puts him into conflict with the good guy, Zatôichi. So what is our beloved swordsman to do--show his loyalty and gratitude to his master or break with him--no matter the consequences? And, if he does break, what chances would Zatôichi have against the very man that taught him IF they come to blows? And what will happen with his lady love? Will he finally be able to settle down and stop this aimless wandering life? This film might just be the best in the original series. That's because although all his films feature wonderful swordplay and action, this one has a lot more depth. You learn much more about Zatôichi other than he's a nice guy. His past, his roots and his future all come into much sharper focus here than in the other films--giving the series greater context and richness.

By the way, this third film is also noteworthy because it's the first color one in the series. Even after all these years, the color looks beautiful. The rich musical accompaniment sure helped as well to make this an exceptional film in every way.

Zatoichi, mark three

[Zbigniew_Krycsiwiki · 7/10 · 19 May 2017]

Daiei's logo is impressively shown for the first time in colour, in this, the third Zatoichi adventure, released only five months after the second film, and eleven months after the original.

Well photographed in full colour, it's another beautiful looking film, and the director, and cinematographer, both know how to effectively use bright, vivid colours, contrasted with subdued tones, as the second film's villain's brother tries to avenge his death, while Ichi is dealing with a ruthless gang of thugs, but I must admit that I did prefer the monochromatic photography of the first two installments.

New Tale of Zatoichi (1963)

[mevmijaumau · 26 July 2015]

New Tale of Zatoichi is the first of the series to be shot in color, and the difference between this film and its two predecessors is night and day. Now you can actually say what's going on during the night-time scenes and it overall looks much prettier. It's directed by Tokuzo Tanaka, most famous for other Zatoichi films and some jidaigeki films that have gained a mini-cult following.

The story to this one is equally as generic, convoluted and simple as it is confusing. I can't really explain it, but let's just say the previous two movies had story lines that drew me in far better. Little has changed about Zatoichi, he's still on a path of redemption, avoiding violence whenever he can and dipping his toe into some unresolved conflicts from the first two films.

I really like how this film looks, especially the night scenes taking place in the house of Zatoichi's former sensei (which is bathed in beautiful shades of light yellow and dark blue) and the foggy forest from the movie's finale.

Highlight of the film: the final shot, where Zatoichi exits the forest and walks away into a new day.

So far, the best of the series.

[pppppppppppppppsomanyppppppeees · 9/10 · 15 November 2022]

In terms of plot, the third Zatoichi is no better than the previous two films. Cinematically, it is a vast improvement. Every shot is fantastic, and the score is as good as it gets. The change in Director really shows. Oh, and it's in colour. I do love black and white photography, but the colour adds so much in a film like this.

Like the previous film, it's a little melodramatic in places, but it works in the films favour. The lead actor is as great here as he was the last two times round, and the actor playing his master is perfectly cast. There is a lot of character development in this one. A little more about Zatoichi's past is revealed, as is his desire to leave the yakuza life, and the shame he feels for his past deeds. As someone else said, there is a great scene in which he plays a game of odds and evens. Maybe I'm just a softy, but after a scene like that I find it impossible not to rank this film higher than the previous two. I love it when villains have a change of heart. Very impactful scene. Admittedly, the character Zatoichi befriends in the first film and their relationship is stronger overall... but that odds and evens scene... Love it.

This film also has a great ending; a far cry from the abrupt ending of the previous, which felt as though they ran out of time and cut it short. I'm all for stylish abrupt endings (Sword of Doom), but the second film's ending felt almost accidental, almost as if they had an allocated time slot and were running over. This one ends with style. In fact, for a film like this I'd say it's a perfect ending (though not as good as Sword of Doom's ending, obviously). In a way it reminded me of some of the Sharpe (Sean Bean series) endings, and that non-detrimental melodrama reminded me of Sharpe, too.

I've not seen all the films in the series yet. I'm working my way through and rating them as I go, but so far Zatoichi 3 is the clear winner. Stylish and impactful.

EDIT - I'm now up to the ninth film. There have been films that surpasses this one overall, but I have to add that so far this film is still the best in terms of visuals and cinematography. Every shot is fantastic, so much so that the photo used for the actor is a still from this film.

An emotionally driven second half pardons for a plodding beginning

[kluseba · 7/10 · 15 January 2018]

New Tale of Zatoichi is the third entry in the franchise centered around the skilled blind swordsman with the strong moral compass. It's also the first movie of the franchise to be shot in color. However, it's also the weakest part of the franchise thus far but still an above average experience. Zatoichi is hunted down by the family of a yakuza he killed in the previous film when he is unexpectedly saved from trouble by his former master. He agrees to stay with his former master and his younger sister and also visits his solitary grandmother. What seems to be a joyous reunion soon turns sour when Zatoichi realizes how his master has changed for the worst. His former master tries to marry his sister to a man whom she doesn't love, kills unarmed people for unjustified reasons and cooperates with a ruthless gang of criminals by taking advantage of his pupils' rich parents. Zatoichi can't ignore the truth and ends up challenging his former master to a decisive duel.

The third installment of the Zatoichi franchise must be separated into two parts. The first half of the movie is quite pointless and could also be told in five minutes or less. We follow Zatoichi traveling across rural Japan and meeting former friends and foes. The movie plods along and is only average at best because of an imprecisely meandering plot. Up to that point, the film could be considered an at best average slice of life or road movie. Things however improve by a few notches when his former master's sister proposes to Zatoichi. From then on, the characters are developed in depth, philosophical topics such as dishonor and honor are discussed and the movie skillfully mixes beautiful fight choreography with a tragic love story. The second half of the film is the most emotional passage of the franchise as we witness Zatoichi's desperate quest for love, peace of mind and renaissance which he simply cannot find as he is constantly challenged, judged and haunted by the demons of his past.

In the end, despite being the least interesting part of the franchise thus far, New Tale of Zatoichi is still worth your attention because of an emotional second half that pardons for a plodding first half. The movie stands out with a sad, melancholy and gloomy touch and makes the viewer empathize with the haunted swordsman more than ever before. Fans of the franchise should definitely watch this film while occasional martial arts fans should rather try out the first installment, The Tale of Zatoichi.

It's just OK!

[RodrigAndrisan · 7/10 · 27 June 2022]

This is more boring and more predictable than the other Zatoichi movies I've seen so far. And, I only mean the ones with Shintarô Katsu, excluding the one with Takeshi Kitano. However, it has some good moments, still worth seeing. Mikiko Tsubouchi is not as beautiful as the actresses in other Zatoichi movies, but she has her own charm.

Ichi Returns Home and Discovers Unwelcome Changes

[drqshadow-reviews · 6/10 · 12 February 2022]

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.

Colored Zatôichi

[ricardojorgeramalho · 6/10 · 8 January 2023]

Filmed in color for the first time, without the beautiful black and white cinematography of the first film, and with an Impossible love at the center of the plot, which thus gains an unexpected romantic, yet fatalistic touch, this new tale by Zatoichi falls short of the first.

I understand the desire not to repeat formulas, but the path followed removed this Zatôichi's charisma and brought him closer to banality.

I cannot fail to mention that the cinematography leaves a little to be desired, especially when compared to the first episode.

The hero lost his charisma and went down to the audiovisual market.