Kazuo Mori

Zatoichi and the Doomed Man

Zatoichi and the Doomed Man

An elderly prisoner accused of murder begs Zatoichi to find evidence of his innocence. The blind swordsman, for the first time, chooses not to help, but fate has other plans for him. Director Issei Mori, who played a significant role in getting Shintaro Katsu cast as Zatoichi in the first place, shows his filmmaking flair, delivering bloody battles and raucous humor while mischievously upending narrative expectations.

Film Info

  • Japan
  • 1965
  • 77 minutes
  • Color
  • 2.35:1
  • Japanese

Available In

Collector's Set

Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman

Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman

Blu-ray Box Set

9 Discs

$159.96

Zatoichi and the Doomed Man
Cast
Shintaro Katsu
Zatoichi
Kanbi Fujiyama
Hyakutaro
Kenjiro Ishiyama
Boss Jubei Araiso
Masako Akeboshi
Ochiyo
Eiko Taki
Oyone
Ryuzo Shimada
Yakuza boss
Koichi Mizuhara
Shimazo
Sachiko Murase
Shimazo’s wife
Credits
Director
Kazuo Mori
Produced by
Sadao Zaizen
Original story by
Kan Shimozawa
Screenplay
Shozaburo Asai
Cinematography
Hiroshi Imai
Edited by
Toshio Taniguchi
Original music
Seitaro Omori
Art direction
Seiichi Ota

Current

Tony Rayns on the Meaning of Zatoichi
Tony Rayns on the Meaning of Zatoichi

Asian-cinema expert Tony Rayns unpacks the significance of Zatoichi’s name and the strict social hierarchy that the character so gleefully upends.

On the Road with Zatoichi
On the Road with Zatoichi

He massages, he gambles, and he’s great with a blade. Who is this blind swordsman, anyway?

By Geoffrey O'Brien