This samurai-themed movie is deeply branded by Takeshi Kitano.
Zatoichi said a sentence: "Because of the blind, it is easier to see people's hearts." This is a society that has both evil and goodness at the same time, and he, Zatoichi, can not only fight against evil, but also enjoy beauty.
Zatoichi, a blind masseur with superb swordsmanship, walks the rivers and lakes, unmatched. Another skilled ronin brought his wife to the city for treatment, and became a gang's bodyguard for money. Two geishas, Jinnu and Xiaozi, defraud men of money by performing tricks. The film develops with these three stories as the main line. There are also gangsters in the city who are fighting each other, Xinji, a small gangster who loves gambling, and Mrs. Mei, a kind old woman in the countryside. These characters play a role as a foil. There is also a mysterious tavern, where a seemingly honest tavern owner and an old waiter meet and bond with many characters.
Mass killing is the main feature of the movie. The opening scene is the bloody confrontation between Zatoichi and a group of samurai. The movie begins with the atmosphere of killing. The young ronin was hired to kill, and many lives were on his hands. The murder of Zatoichi in the casino, the murder in the rain and the murder in the gang hall were all very shocking. The neat technique, the extremely sharp samurai sword, and the situation of one enemy and many are full of violent aesthetics.
However, behind the sword, light and sword shadow, is the helplessness of the samurai. The young ronin didn't want to kill. In order to cure his wife's illness, he had to be hired. The wife was frightened for him and persuaded him to wash his hands in a golden pot, but he couldn't take it away until the moment he was cut down, lying in bed. On the beach, the tumbling waves lapped him, washing away his sins, while at the same time, his wife, after grooming herself, committed suicide in desperation. The scenes of the two people's death were presented one after another, which was shocking, and their lives ended in tragedy.
Behind the performances of Jinnu and Xiaozi, there are even more tragic stories. They have been bullied since childhood. Xiao Zi is a man, because of his handsome appearance, she disguises herself as a man, and performs with her sister Jin Nu. The belief that sustains their lives is revenge. There is a scene in the movie where they practice singing and dancing: when they were young and when they grew up, the two sets of shots crossed each other, Jinnu played the piano, and Xiaozi danced, with crisp and melodious music and graceful dancing. Behind the singing and dancing is the tragic life experience of this pair of geishas, and their growing experience of struggling to survive. Therefore, Jin Nu would suddenly be silent. She thought of too many bitter pasts. She had a happy and beautiful family, but was destroyed by robbers overnight. This was an unimaginable blow to them when they were young. Under the cruel beatings of the society, they became ruthless. Qinli hid a dagger and defrauded men of money by performing arts. Until they met Zatoichi and Shinyoshi.
On the other hand, Zatoichi seems to be a maverick. He has no worries and wanders in the world. As soon as they disagreed, they drew their swords and confronted each other. He and the gang had always had entanglements, but they never suffered losses. He was also chivalrous and righteous, rescued Jinnu and Xiaozi from the gang, and avenged the murder of their relatives for them.
The seemingly pitiful old man in the tavern finally revealed his true colors-----he is the gang leader Hisashi Naami, and the biggest enemy of the geisha. For ten years, he has been hiding in the tavern as a waiter. The seemingly peaceful tavern is the gang's contact center. This idea is very ingenious, and the reveal of the boss behind the scenes is unexpected but reasonable. It turns out that the boss has always appeared in front of people's eyes.
Takeshi Kitano likes to add some humorous elements to his films, and this film is no exception. The samurai who accidentally slashed his companion when he drew his sword, the idiot man who runs around the house every day and always dreamed of becoming a samurai, and the little gangster Shinji, are the bright spots. He imitated Zatoichi to gamble with his eyes closed and listened to the dice but lost everything, and practiced fighting skills with his companions but was beaten in a dreadful manner. He wanted to be as handsome as Xiao Zi and painted his face funny. Added some lighthearted vibes.
The scarecrow in the field is also a symbolic object. The first time it appeared was when Zatoichi passed the field. A group of farmers held up the scarecrow warrior and passed him by, and then the scarecrow stood in the field; second The second time was when the geishas were on their way down the mountain. Several children held up scarecrow warriors and chopped at them with sticks. The third time was on the way down the mountain in Zatoichi, when he stepped on the scarecrow samurai who had been thrown on the ground, he picked it up and re-inserted it in the dirt. Here, the scarecrow warrior is a symbol of the warrior spirit: name, loyalty, bravery, righteousness, propriety, sincerity, gram, benevolence. Zatoichi is such a samurai. Therefore, the moment Zatoichi helped the scarecrow, it also helped the warrior spirit.
The film shows a lot of pictures, farm life, gangsters who collect protection fees, market characters chatting in taverns, geisha accompanying drinks, lively gambling halls, and samurai walking in the rivers and lakes. A picture of the ecology of ancient Japan is vividly displayed.
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