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Movie Info & Details
Release Year1964
Runtime1h 22m
LanguageJapanese
CertificationNR
GenresAction, Drama, Adventure
Votes57
DirectorKazuo Ikehiro
WritersShozaburo Asai, Minoru Inuzuka
TypeFeature Film
Rating6.9 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsZatoichi's Flashing Sword
About Zatoichi's Flashing Sword
Blind masseur Zatoichi is nursed back to health by a young woman after he is shot by a gang member. Zatoichi, who had come to the village to repay a debt, now feels further indebted. He commits himself to use his amazing sword skills to help the young woman's father, whose river-crossing service is under attack by the same gang responsible for Zatoichi's wounds.
Directed by Kazuo Ikehiro, Zatoichi's Flashing Sword leans on a strong ensemble — Shintarō Katsu, Tatsuo Endō, Bokuzen Hidari — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about action titles of 1964.
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7.1Zatoichi's Pilgrimage
1966 7.1
Zatoichi's trek through 88 temples to atone for his violent past is interrupted as he stumbles into a village terrorized by a violent yakuza boss.
Zatoichi's Pilgrimage
1966
6.9Zatoichi's Vengeance
1966 6.9
Zatoichi comes upon a dying man who asks him to give a bag of money to "Taichi". Zatoichi has no idea who this is but when he comes upon a small town harassed by gangsters, he finds that "Taichi" was the man's young son. Along his travels he also met a blind monk who makes Zatoichi question his murderous lifestyle. In trying to help the town, Zatoichi kills some gangsters and becomes a hero to the boy. He must make a choice of whether to use non-violence and set a good example, or violence and set the boy on the wrong path in life.
Zatoichi's Vengeance
1966
6.8Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman
1971 6.8
Zatoichi is a blind massage therapist and swordsman who finds out that something troubling is taking place on the outskirts of town. After discovering who the guilty parties are -- an accomplished Chinese martial artist named Wang Kang and his youthful attendant -- Zatoichi finds them and discovers that the pair's mixed up with a dangerous bunch of terrorist samurai who murdered the boy's parents. Now, Zatoichi must step in to save the day.
Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman
1971
6.7Zatoichi and the Chess Expert
1965 6.7
Zatoichi makes friends with a dangerous chess player, while fending off angry yakuza and bloodthirsty relatives out for revenge, and trying to save a sick child. Meanwhile, his luck with dice is turning.
Zatoichi and the Chess Expert
1965
6.8Samaritan Zatoichi
1968 6.8
Zatoichi is forced to kill a young man who owes a debt to a yakuza boss. Moments later, his sister Osode arrives with the money she earned (prostituting herself) to pay his debts. The bosses true motives are revealed and he attempts to steal Osode even though the debt is paid. Zatoichi realizes his grievous error and protects the girl from the gang. Osode and Zatoichi are caught in a dilemma as she must rely on her brother's killer for protection and Zatoichi wrestles with the injustice he has caused.
Samaritan Zatoichi
1968
6.8Fight, Zatoichi, Fight
1964 6.8
Blind swordsman/masseuse Zatoichi befriends a young woman returning home with her baby. When gangsters mistake her for Zatoichi and kill her, Zatoichi determines to escort the baby to its father. He gains the reluctant help of a young pick pocket and together they travel to find the baby's father. But they do not reckon on the father's reaction to their arrival, nor on their own growing feelings for the child.
Fight, Zatoichi, Fight
1964
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