Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi's Flashing Sword (1964)
Directed by Kazuo Ikehiro
Genres - Action, Adventure, Drama |
Sub-Genres - Costume Adventure, Samurai Film |
Run Time - 82 min. |
Countries - Japan |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Bruce Eder
The blind swordsman Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) goes up against an ambitious crime boss who isn't above kidnapping and murder. He must rescue a fireworks specialist who has been kidnapped for his expertise with gunpowder as a weapon. This film tells us something of the origins of Zatoichi's training in martial arts, as a way of compensating for his blindness, and his preferred method of using darkness as a weapon against sighted opponents.
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Themes
Keywords
gangster, blindness [physical], boss [employer], courage, feud, gambling, Japan, masseuse, on-the-run, outlaw [Western], revenge, Samurai, Superhero, sword