Zatoichi: The Dark Light
Where do I begin talking about 25 films at a time?
From a technical standpoint, these films have always been consistent despite being handled by a number of different directors.
Even though there are 25 films, there are still some aspects that are carried on from one film to the next. There’s always a cinematic feel to them; beautiful wide shots of the Japanese landscape immerse us in this world, bringing this bygone era closer to us. The production design and costumes are an essential part of this experience. After all, it is a Jidaigeki (a period drama). This added to the realism of the film, contrasting (and balancing out) the unworldly exploits of Zatoichi.
What truly brought these films to life is the acting of Shintaro Katsu in the lead role. He gives a very nuanced performance, further making the character feel real. Not to undermine the efforts of anyone involved in the making of these films, but Shintaro Katsu is the star and highlight of the series.
Another anchor of the series is the fighting choreography. They managed to create a fighting style that is almost believable even as one blind man chops down hordes upon hordes of enemies. The fights were always exciting and enjoyable, and most importantly, they were memorable, from the way Zatoichi gripped the sword to the way he moved his feet. The foes he faced were diverse too, each having a different fighting style.
In terms of quality, some of the films shine more than others, but none of them is bad by any means, it’s just that some fail to reach the heights of others. The storytelling is sometimes very repetitive, making it really hard to distinguish or remember individual films.
This is a truly iconic character, a real hero and an anti-hero at the same time. Our blind swordsman is a force to be reckoned with. Everyone shudders in fear just when they hear of his name, but before all that, he is a human, a compassionate, loving human with a heart of gold encased in a shell of iron.
We never get a proper backstory for our blind masseuse; instead, we learn how his past shaped the character we see through his actions and interactions as we follow him on his journey through the series.
Through the small details, we start to peel off the layers of this mysterious and peculiar swordsman.
His eyesight. How can a blind man be this good with a sword ? We wonder, as we see him fighting, we witness how sharpened his other senses are. He can identify people using only his nose. His hearing is like a bat, able to hear the faintest of sounds, the swish of a sword and the lightest of steps. No one can surprise Zatoichi and creep up on him.
Others see blindness as a handicap, but not Ichi. He uses it to his advantage, symbolically and literally, fighting in the dark, where his sighted opponents are at a disadvantage and he has the upper hand. Where his sighted enemies live in the darkest corners of morality, he uses his dark past to wander and live among them to defend the light.
Many foolishly belittle him for being a blind man, but they are quickly proven wrong, either by his sharp sword or his equally sharp wit and tongue.
Which brings us to his sword. He uses a backhand grip or a reverse grip, as if he is always on defense, like a cobra coiling up waiting to attack, always sizing up his adversaries. A crucial point here is that he is never the one to launch an attack; he patiently waits until his enemies attack for him to counter and slice them open.
A duality is carried within his sword as it is a cane sword, always sheathed and hidden in plain sight, acting as the blind man’s walking cane. This is the way of the sword. The sword literally and symbolically shows him the way.
Ichi also has a gambling addiction, which is at the heart of most of his clashes with corrupt Yakuza trying to take advantage of his blindness.
And now for his role in this society and how he fits (or doesn’t) into it. Zatoichi is at the bottom of the hierarchy within his society, the lowest of the lowest. He’s a Yakuza (already seen by many as a mafia-like scum who control gambling, prostitution, and are nothing but trouble). He’s also known as Zato ichi, a name given to a blind traveling Yakuza masseuse, so he’s at the bottom of the Yakuza’s mirco-hierarchy, or so he’s supposed to be, and this is where Zatoichi stands out. He gives out a certain aura that puts fear into the hearts of everyone who knows him (in Yakuza circles and others). He managed to create a reputation for himself that brought him the respect of the highest bosses and daimyos (regional rulers). They are either afraid of what he’s capable of or they’re admirers of his many feats, such as his skills with the bow and arrow and with the sword.
This moves the narrative of quite a few of the films, as some bosses, upon seeing him, because of their fear, greet him with caution or even try and kill him (and miserably fail at that). But other bosses greet him with open arms, offering him their services and sometimes helping him fight off other bosses (staying at inns for free, offering women, food, and shelter).
And so Zatoichi is breaking these societal rules, and in doing so, he gains the respect of some and the hate of others.
Zatoichi, the force of Justice.
He is always wandering from village to village, guided by his moral code, and whenever he encounters injustices along the way, he does his best to set them right, but it almost never works out because harm comes to whoever is around him, friend or foe.
A haunting shadow is always lurking behind him, from his past. This shadow robs him of any chance of love or friendship. He wants to help, but his dark past always comes back to punish him by hurting those he loves and keeping him alive. Karma haunts him. His suffering forced him to create a harsh exterior, a shell to protect what little love was still buried deep within his heart.
Violence begets violence. To end injustice, one must shed blood. That’s the only way he knows, the way of the sword.
He is left without a home, no land, no house, or family to go back to.
Loneliness is the ultimate penalty.
