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Zatoichi (2003)
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Shintaro Katsu may have starred as Zatoichi the blind swordsman in 26 B-movie adventures during the 1960s and 70s, but none of those can match the cinematic panache of this thrilling variation on the traditional themes of duty, honour and championing the cause of the oppressed. Director Takeshi Kitano also takes on the iconic role of the itinerant masseur/swordsman, but his inevitable showdown with the warring clans terrorising the residents of a small town in 19th-century Japan isn't simply a homage to a cult hero. It's a glorious visual scrapbook referencing the greats of Japanese film-making who have influenced Kitano's unique blend of pitiless violence, slapstick comedy and sensitive social detail. Superbly shot and scored, this is both riotous entertainment — witness the tapdancing finale — and exquisite art. DP
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| Contains violence. |
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Tell us what you think
Email us at rtfilmcomments@bbc.co.uk to tell us what you think of this film. Your comments may appear in Radio Times magazine.
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Running time
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110min
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Country of origin
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Jpn
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Genre
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Period Action Adventure
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Original language
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Japanese
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Screenplay
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Takeshi Kitano, from a short story by Kan Shimozawa
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Theatrical distributor
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Artificial Eye
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UK cinema certificate
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18
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UK cinema release date
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March 2004
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Subtitling information
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In Japanese with subtitles
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Film certification logos reproduced by kind permission of BBFC |
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