When a prominent merchant is murdered, zatoichi immediately casts suspicion upon matsugoro. Zatoichi, the fugitive is the fourth entry in the franchise and the second film to be shot in color. The fugitive is the fourth episode in the 26 part film series devoted to the character of zatoichi. Beat takeshi kitano directs and plays the title role in this tribute to the wildly popular blind swordsman of japanese cinema who was the hero of more than 20 movies and a television series from the early 60s to the late 80s. Zatoichi and the fugitives is the 18th zatoichi film and it first appeared in the theaters august 10 1968. Zatoichi makes himself known to matsugoro, which only makes the yakuza more paranoid. It was originally released by the daiei motion picture company later acquired by kadokawa pictures zatoichi and the fugitives is the eighteenth episode in the 26part film series devoted to the. Zatoichi triumphs at a village wrestling match, much to the chagrin of his yakuza. Zatoichi tv series volume 1 finally, the famed tv series is now available for u. Blind masseur and master swordsman zatoichi becomes involved with a gang of bandits hiding out in a small village. Katsu is still great and there is an interesting plot thread concerning a weak man who is placed in. Zatoichi stays with junan, a doctor, and his daughter oshizu. Zatoichi embodies the kinds of contradictory elements that make takeshi kitano japans most intriguing contemporary actordirector. When he arrives in a village torn apart by warring gangs, he.
Zatoichi returns and cops down six of the fugitives. The wandering swordsman finds himself in a small village that serves as hideout for a band of fugitives who control the town officials and enforce brutal slave labor in the local silk mill. Shintaro katsu is back, and in great form in the fourth of the blind swordman s adventures. Shintaro katsu is back, and in great form in the fourth of the blind swordmans adventures. Zatoichi is one of the great characters of any medieval japanese film, and unusually he is not a samurai himself. Zatoichi and the fugitives 1968 directed by kimiyoshi yasuda. Hes a low ranking blind masseur who lives by the yakuza code and answers his foes with a deadly cane sword. Best movies like zatoichi and the fugitives bestsimilar. A letter of challenge is the eighteenth film in the series. The fugitive, zatoichi kyojo tabi is a 1963 japanese chambara film directed by tokuzo tanaka starring shintaro katsu as the blind masseur zatoichi, originally released by the daiei motion picture company now known as kadokawa pictures. While they hide in the attic of a silk mill, they manipulate the corrupt chief official of the town. Zatoichi 20 zatoichi meets yojimbo zatoichi to yojimbo 1970 2003 toho co.
Its written by kinya naoi and directed by kimiyoshi yasuda. Zatoichi and the fugitives is a 1968 japanese chambara film directed by kimiyoshi yasuda and starring shintaro katsu as the blind masseur zatoichi. Zatoichi shintaro katsu walks into a mess as the yakuza sects of a certain area jockey for position and a mysterious samurai arrives with an old flame of ichis in tow. But zatoichi in his run of two dozen films stays good to the end. Zatoichi and the fugitives full movie 1968 youtube. The movie starts with zatoichi being attacked by an inexperienced yakuza who wants to earn the bounty on zatoichis head. A yakuza gang targets the blind masseur zatoichi after he defeats their group in a wrestling match. This film is a shebang, a fullscale show, complete with everything you would happily pay to see.
Ichi tries to rescue a young woman from the sweatshop conditions of the mill, and eventually battles both the leaders of the town and the outlaw gang. Miller overview the colossally popular zatoichi films make up the longestrunning action series in japanese history and created one of the screens great heroes. Nicknamed katsushin, he lived in the moment, and relied upon his feelings when acting. Watch zatoichi and the fugitives full movie in hd visit zatoichi runs afoul of some evil fugitives, working for a. It includes a long essay on the series by geoffrey obrien, and notes on each film along with a short list of credits by japanese film scholar chris d. The most comprehensive list of japanese movies ever. Like every katsuscripted zatoichi film, zatoichi in desperation lacks a coherent plot, yet it is truly a film that has to be seentobebelieved and shows just how far the series as evolved from its initial outing. Tokuzo tanaka, masaichi nagata, kan shimozawa, seiji hoshikawa. Take kurosawas yojimbo character a misnomer, i know and throw him up against katsus zatoichi and you get nothing but samurai goodness.
Zatoichi, zatoichi is a fictional character featured in one of japans longestrunning series of films, as well as a television series. Also known by the alternate titles zatoichi the blind swordsman or zatoichi. Simultaneously zatoichi tries to rescue a young woman from the sweatshop conditions of the mill. During his travels, ichi has a few runins with members of a gang of fugitives and eventually they all arrive in the same town. The blind swordsman zatoichi the fugitive english subtitled. The character, a blind masseur and blademaster, was created by novelist kan shimozawa. Zatoichi and the fugitives msmichel the 18th film in the long running series is a rousing and exciting entry that finds our hero once again having to. Most similar movies to zatoichi and the fugitives the list contains related movies ordered by similarity. He plays, as usual, a man with an impassive face, few words, and sudden bursts of action that end in a few seconds. Zatoichi and the fugitives, zatoichi hatashijo is a 1968 japanese chambara film directed by kimiyoshi yasuda and starring shintaro katsu as the blind masseur zatoichi.
Zatoichi the fugitive 1963 the criterion collection. This lean and mean entry is packed with coldhearted villainy and rough justice, but it finds its heart in the great takashi shimura. Will zatoichi fight to free his love, or will he search out the man who wants him dead. Watch zatoichi and the fugitives full movie in hd visit. I particularly like yuko shimizus for adventures of zatoichi and jhomar sorianos for zatoichi the outlaw, but all are interesting, capturing the. To further complicate matters, gen, the leader of the thugs, is the estranged, dissolute son of junan. Zatoichi and the fugitives 1968 the criterion collection.
Recommendation engine sorted out serious, realistic, cult film and stylized films with plots about samurai, martial arts, heroes, master warrior, escapades, adventure and lone wolves mostly in action, drama and adventure genres. After having witnessed this soulshattering monster of a film, it truly seems unbelievable that zatoichi started as a family. Another solid zatoichi film, zatoichi the fugitive once again follow zatoichi as he is. Not to be confused with episode four, zatoichi the fugitive, this one is about ichi tangling with a gang of six vicious thugs on a murderous crime spree. In japanese w english subtitles this outing places the blind swordsman against a corrupt official that is aided by fugitives. This lean and mean entry is packed with coldhearted villainy and rough justice, but it finds its heart in the great takashi shimura ikiru, who plays a kindly country doctor caught up in a violent world. Zatoichi you are looking for exciting, humorous and atmospheric movies about with samurai, martial arts, one man army, violence, gang, good versus evil and gang war themes of action, comedy and crime genre shot in japan. Zatoichi seems to have totally pushed aside any hangups he had about being a murderer in zatoichi and the fugitives. The wounded zatoichi is still too much for the doctors son and he quickly chops him down. Criterion reflections zatoichi and the fugitives 1968. Once again, the everwandering blind swordsman gets drawn into a cruelly unbalanced conflict between merciless criminals and honest village folk who. Zatoichi 2003 blind traveler zatoichi beat takeshi is a master swordsman and a masseur with a fondness for gambling on dice games. The blind swordsman box set gets our highest recommendation and damn well deserves it.
The fugitives beat the doctor to find out where zatoichi is. Zatoichi and the fugitives season 1, episode 18 080968 zatichi confronts a corrupt police official and an outlaw gang to free a young woman enslaved in a silk mill. Mifune and katsu two great tastes that went great together. Zatoichi tv series collection 1 6disc collection of the first zatoichi tv episodes.
The story behind these fugitives is a mystery thats gradually revealed, so i wont go into much detail except to note that the coldblooded bastards dont hesitate to wipe out innocent families and murder children. Meanwhile a long lost love of zatoichis returns to his life. Zatoichi and the fugitives dvd, 2004 at the best online prices at ebay. The darkness is his ally 16 years after zatoichis conspiracy, effectively the final film in the series, and a decade after the tv series that followed, shintaro katsu returned to the character as both director and star in a twilight sequel as the final word on the. Then another dozen or so and then the show down with the leader. Zatoichi and the fugitives, the 18th installment in the series, is pretty solid overall, a wellmade and swiftly paced actionadventure that adheres pretty closely to the standard zatoichi formula. Zatoichi runs afoul of some evil fugitives, working for a corrupt law official. A yakuza gang targets the blind masseur zatoichi after he. He has a code, but enforces it according to his own rules. Despite zatoichi being something of an unstoppable, seagalesque force of nature this time round, i enjoyed zatoichi and the fugitives a lot.
Zatoichi and the fugitives 1968 directed by kimiyoshi. Zatoichi the fugitive 1963 directed by tokuzo tanaka. Film 1967, dvd 2004, color, 86 minutes, not rated, 2. Usually when a film series starts getting long, most of the films in the series are mediocre at best, particularly in the later shows.
With shintaro katsu, miwa takada, masayo banri, junichiro narita. Blind swordsmanmasseur ichi known as zatoichi, or masseur ichi angers a local yakuza gang when he defeats several of them in a wrestling match. Criterions handsome bluray set focuses on the first wave of zatoichi films, from 1962s the tale of zatoichi, to 1973s zatoichi and the fugitives. Its the second of three films released within the same year. Zatoichi and the fugitives 1968 full movie download full. When he finds that his long lost love tane is nearby and romantically involved with a tough samurai in the employ of the gang, he remains in the village.