Though he stays well away from the contemporary settings that have won him most success, Takeshi 'Beat' Kitano adds a very modern twist to this oft gruesome, yet always involving, morality play. Written by its director, Zatoichi follows the story of its title character (Kitano himself), a blind masseur who is also the finest swordsman in all of Japan. More reliant on his sense of hearing and balance than his sight, Zatoichi - in the style of the 'Littlest Hobo' - mooches around, earning his keep from the goodwill of strangers and his gambling talents. His relatively peaceful existence is brought to an end when he stumbles into a gang war between two rival bosses. One of them has employed the services of the desperate Ronin Hattori (Asano), who is prepared to do anything to help his ailing wife.
Though the plot lacks some dimension - it gets cluttered towards the finale - there's a deep routed, almost philosophical, sincerity around Zatoichi which is difficult not to warm to. Kitano manages to negotiate the perilous path between a tribute to the films of Akira Kurosawa and trade off, investing the proceedings with a healthy dose of humour and self-depreciation. Where the film really soars however, is with the extent of characterisation in what is essentially an action film with some impressively rendered fight sequences. Kitano does some fine work as the title character, and he coaxes some vital work out of Asano and Michiyo Ookusu and Gadarukanaru Taka. Meaty stuff.
