Zatoichi the Fugitive

Ichi, the blind masseur and swordsman, arrives in the town of Shimonita and learns there is a price on his head; the local yakuza boss wants him removed. He walks into the trap set for him. At the same time he hears that a woman he once loved has been killed. Her killer is a ronin hired by the clan. Ichi cuts through the whole clan to reach him. Tokuzō Tanaka's film is one of the early entries in the Zatoichi series. The narrative is kept simple and the weight falls on the fight choreography; Ichi's blindness is used not as a disadvantage but as an advantage in the dark and in a crowd. Shintarō Katsu plays Ichi, a role he carried through more than twenty-five films, making the character one of the lasting figures of Japanese popular cinema. Who it's for: Viewers who like Japanese period films, swordplay, and serial-hero narratives. Who it's not for: The plot is largely the same as the other films in the series. The women also remain instruments of the narrative.