Zatoichi's Vengeance

Tokuzō Tanaka's 1966 Japanese film is among the morally weightiest entries in the Zatoichi series. Ichi takes on the task of delivering a purse from a dying man to his son; a blind monk he meets on the road asks him directly what he thinks he is doing by killing so many people. The series' usual fighting template is cut here by an examination of conscience, and for the first time Ichi cannot answer. Tanaka uses a child's gaze to take violence out of the realm of spectacle. The seizure of the town through gambling and prostitution forms the story's political ground. The action is at the series' usual level; the difference comes from the tone. Who it's for: viewers who like the Zatoichi series and Japanese swordplay cinema. Who it's not for: anyone wanting only action, or who would rather not watch a section unaware it implies sexual violence.