Zatoichi The Fugitive (1963)

The blind swordsman's 4th film was also Dir. Tokuzô Tanaka’s second; he did such a fine job on the previous entry that I was glad to see him back at the helm. He has the ability to shift effortlessly from quiet moments to action scenes; even when he has a lot of visual elements in the frame he manages to keep what’s important as the focal point.
The story is a tragic one. Ichi has a price on his head, meaning his hope to avoid violence is once again shattered. Events spiral out of control and the usually calm swordsman gets angry, with good reason.

3½ farewells out of 5

The Tale of Zatoichi Continues (1962)

The 2nd Zatoichi film picks up the story one year after the events of the first film. It places Ichi briefly behind closed doors, both domestically and politically. He becomes hunted for seeing too far into one, which brings danger to his experience of the other. Along the way another snippet of his past is revealed and becomes crucially important in the second half.
A new director brought a slightly different look and more significantly a different pace, but it works just as well as before.
It co-stars Tomisaburô Wakayama, which made me happy clap immensely.
This was the last of the series to be filmed in Black and White.

3½ noble deeds out of 5

The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)

The first Zatoichi film isn’t a typical origin story. Dir Kenji Misumi relies on Shintarô Katsu to show us who Zatoichi is through his actions and his associations, while telling us only a little of how or why he came to be that way. Shintarô, who has to work extra hard because he can’t use his eyes to convey emotions, gives a sympathetic but strong performance. Misumi’s long takes, dramatic timing and occasional playful movements complement that performance beautifully. And yet, it’s also a film of contrasts. Most overtly in the swordplay that shows how degrading the amateur, chaotic mob mentality is compared to the honourable, masterful and purposeful samurai exchange.

3½ manipulations out of 5