Hey folks, Harry here... I told you folks the second the film was announced it would be a masterpiece... BEHOLD....
Hey, Harry. I figured you might want a short report from the Toronto International Film Festival 2003. Several hours ago, a few friends and I got to see ZATOICHI (at the Elgin Theatre) a film written, directed and starring Takeshi 'Beat' Kitano
The film centers on three sets of lives that come together in a small town in rural Japan dominated by crime lords. Zatoichi is a seemingly frail and blind old man who loves to gamble. He meets two geishas, Okinu and Osei who have vowed to avenge the deaths of their parents. And, finally, there is Hattori a ronin who becomes an assassin for one of the crime lords.
During the course of the film we discover tht Zatoichi is not as frail as he appears. His master swordmanship makes quick work of the local gangs which ultimately leads to the final showdown against Hattori. In a series of poignant flashbacks we are also told of the very unfortunate childhood of Okinu and Osei. Intermixed are the lives of the townfolk which include produce vendor Oume and her unlucky nephew, Shinkichi.
The combat scenes are shot with brutal precision and deft execution as sounds of tempered metal rip through their targets. In true Takeshi fashion there are lengthy sequences that communicate not through the spoken word but through imagery, music and ambient sounds. Humour, some of which is subtle, dots the film inbetween moments of tension and drama. The final sequence of the film is rousing town festival that delights in both sight, sound and rhythm.
The crowd absolutely LOVED the film; their reactions to almost everything on screen was conveyed through thunderous applauses, howls of laughter and gasps of surprise. The few of moments of melancholy were met, respectfully, with dead silence in a theatre that seated 1400 audience members.
In summary, ZATOICHI is a masterwork of a film.
In about an hour I'm heading down to the gala premiere the THE HUMAN STAIN that stars Nicole Kidman and Anthony Hopkins. After that its a quick trip several blocks north to see ONG-BAK MUAY: THAI WARRIOR.
