Plot: What’s it about?
When he arrives in a small village, Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) doesn’t expect to find much excitement, but he soon has more than he can handle. The town seems normal on the surface, but a dark force is present and holds the town in fear. That force is a gang of bandits, who rule the town and pretty much do as they please. The thugs remain out of sight most of the time, but pull string from their hidden headquarters, impacting the lives of all of the residents. The bandits have no mercy for the local villagers either, any disobedience is met with swift punishment. They’re able to keep such control thanks to a corrupt police official, who overlooks their crimes and when needed, can ensure their enemies are taken care of. The official also runs the sweatshop, which is where young women are forced to labor in a brutal atmosphere. Of course, Zatoichi wants to take down the bandits and even had a run-in with them before he arrived in town. His wrath grows when the bandits kill an entire family in order to appease the local yakuza. But he faces immense odds, as he is soon ambushed and shot by the bandits. Zatoichi manages to escape, but he is wounded and only recovers thanks to a doctor’s care. When he returns to the face the bandits, the battle will be epic, but who will survive the carnage?
Zatoichi and the Fugitives is the eighteenth installment of Zatoichi, but the sword remains as sharp as ever. The series is consistent in excellence and tone, though some evolution is present, as is the case with any good franchise. A foundation built on over the course of the series, with new bricks added with each new movie. In Zatoichi and the Fugitives, the tone and storyline are about what we’d expect, but there is more violence and bloodshed than usual. I doubt that will upset anyone, since fans of the series are used to both elements, after all this is a series about a blind swordsman. So the added blood and violence just makes the battles more intense, though special effects were a tad lacking back in 1968. If you’re after realistic gore, then don’t come here, unless you just love obviously fake severed limbs. But there is a more aggressive tone in the sword battles, so be ready for some awesome action sequences. As always, Shintaro Katsu is great as the title character, with yet another dynamic performance. He is able to work some excellent scenes with his main costar, who plays the swordsman’s most sadistic rival to this point. The two work well together, which enhances the movie to no end. Another great Zatoichi picture, another great Home Vision disc, another great recommendation.
Video: How does it look?
Zatoichi and the Fugitives is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is an excellent visual presentation, one that is free from almost all defects. The print looks pristine in most scenes, with no grain and minimal debris to be seen. This allows for such a clean, sharp visual presence, you won’t be able to believe your eyes in some instances. I found the colors to be bright and bold, but within a natural scope, while flesh tones are normal throughout. The black levels are superb here also, as even the darkest of scenes looks smooth and refined. This is simply a top notch visual treatment in all respects, so kudos to Home Vision.
Audio: How does it sound?
A basic soundtrack is present here, which preserves the original Japanese language and while not too memorable, this is a solid track. I heard little in terms of distortion, while hiss is absent and that’s great news, without a doubt. The music here is quite good and is well presented, though of course, it isn’t too expansive, thanks to the material’s limitations. The sound effects follow the same order, as they sound good, but also restrained to some extent. But this isn’t exactly new showroom material, so I think we can cut it some slack. The dialogue is sharp and never gets muffled much, so even if you can’t understand what they’re saying, at least it sounds clean. This disc also includes English subtitles, should you need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
