Zatoichi And The Chest Of Gold - Obfuscating Simplicity

Jan

22

Zatoichi And The Chest Of Gold - Obfuscating Simplicity

≡ Category: Action, Drama, Japan, Martial Arts, Recommended, Swordplay |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

Country: Japan
Genre: Action/ Drama/ Swordplay/ Martial Arts
Director: Kazuo Ikehiro
Year: 1964

Rating:

TRASH CINEMA RECOMMENDED MOVIE

Considering how simple the central conflict of Zatoichi And The Chest Of Gold is, the film can be awfully confusing.

When Zatoichi (Shintarô Katsu) happens upon a celebration, it turns out that the villagers are happy because they have managed to scrape together the 1000 ryo tax they owe the local tax collector, despite the fact that for the last three years, their crops have been devastated by drought.

While on the way to the tax collector with their payment, the farmers are attacked by two different groups of swordsmen, many of the peasants are killed, and the money stolen. Zatoichi is seen with the money by one of the villagers, and he becomes the chief suspect, along with Chuji, a local bandit who has been protecting the farmers up until now.

The only way for Zatoichi to clear his name is to recover the money.

Who stole the money? Did the thieves have prior knowledge that the tax payment was being transported along the road? Why were there two groups of swordsmen attacking the farmers?

Initially, it’s quite confusing. You have no idea who the attackers are.

Director Kazuo Ikehiro also makes some bizarre elisions in the storytelling. For example, after some would be thieves lose control of the money chest and it tumbles down a hill, they find Zatoichi sitting on it. When they attack him, most of the thieves are cut to ribbons. All of this is witnessed by a villager. In the very next scene, the villagers are accusing Zatoichi of stealing the tax payment.

What happened after Zatoichi was attacked? Did Zatoichi wander off? Who picked up the gold, the remnant of the swordsmen who attacked Zatoichi or someone else?

Eventually, we can figure out who did what by a process of elimination, but it’s an odd way to tell a story. Kazuo Ikehiro does this kind of thing often, which leaves the reader struggling to comprehend what’s going on, rather than being caught up in the drama.

But this isn’t to say that Zatoichi And The Chest Of Gold isn’t any good. As always, Zatoichi is a wonderful character. The villagers are a distinctive lot. The villains are top notch as usual.

The swordplay in the Zatoichi series has now settled down to be elegant and ferocious at the same time. There is even a little gore thrown in. The great Tomisaburo Wakayama shows up and is just as impressive as his brother, Shintarô Katsu.

As is often the case in the Zatoichi movies, there are poetic moments, like when Zatoichi runs into rope strung through the forest hung with elaborate bells. I also enjoyed a speech given by Tomisaburo Wakayama in which he compares Zatoichi to a worm.

Poor Zatoichi! He’s the Rodney Dangerfield of swordsmen.

The characterizations and psychology are never less than intelligent and thought provoking. For example, screenwriters Shozaburo Asai and Akikazu Ota refuse to sentimentalize the villager peasants as salt of the earth types. Even when Zatoichi refuses to flee and offers to find the thieves who stole their tax payment and return the money, the farmers are ready to lynch him. The writers are smart enough to know that people can become frantic with anxiety under sustained and inhuman pressure, which can affect group behavior in extremely ugly ways.

In short, in most respects, Zatoichi And The Chest Of Gold maintains the usual high standards of the series, with the only caveat being some less than smooth storytelling this time around.