Zatoichi and the Fugitives sticks out from the 26-episode serial by allowing Ichi to get chewed up the same way that Toshiro Mifune did in Yojimbo. This is without a doubt one of the darkest Zatoichi films as it puts Ichi up against hideous villains with absolutely no moral code. After the routine martial foreplay, Ichi finally responds in kind with a hellish fury.
On the road, Ichi (Shintaro Katsu) has a run-in with members of a band of fugitives on the run from the law. He kills two outright after being attacked and leaves an impression with Ogano Genpachiro (Kyosuke Mashida), their leader by slicing a falling snake in two. In a small village, Ichi has another tense meeting with the fugitives and Ogano arrives just in time to warn his impulsive crew to back down. Ichi hooks up with Junan, a local doctor played by the great dramatic actor Takashi Shimura, best known for many standout performances in Akira Kurosawa’s films. In the meantime, the fugitives force themselves onto the village’s local yakuza boss who agrees to hide them from authorities in exchange for killing a representative of the local merchants. The fugitives turn the killing of one man into a massacre as they wipe out the entire household. Things get worse when Ichi is ambushed by the fugitives and takes a bullet. Seriously wounded, he makes a narrow escape and begins to recover with the aid of the doctor and his daughter. But when the yakuza boss fails to find Ichi in order to finish him off, he kidnaps Junan and his daughter. Although still wounded, Ichi strikes back at the yakuza boss and the fugitives with an unearthly vengeance.
Chambara fans are in for a treat with this one. Blood geysers and dismemberment return to what was a relatively blood-free last couple of episodes. It’s not that Zatoichi ever distinguished itself in this regard the way Katsu’s ultra-violent Lone Wolf and Cub series had, but a little gratuitous bloodletting never hurt anybody….in the movies. The arterial and limb-cleaving damage Ichi doles out in the final bloodbath is well deserved as his opponents are of the most ruthless and despicable sort. Without a second thought, they toss money out in payment for a massage and taunt Ichi with their blades. They wantonly massacre innocent victims, even a couple who simply happen across their path. In addition to a complete disregard for human life these wretches also resort to using throwing knifes and guns against Ichi. Though nearly overcome by these unsporting methods, Ichi again proves that his lightning sword stroke and heightened senses are superior. In a memorable scene where a bloodied and pale Ichi confronts the yakuza for the last time and utters the words, “The Lord of Hell is waiting for you,” you better believe he’s about to unleash a serious amount of hurt.
There is very little humor this time around, although Katsu’s ongoing interplay with Yumiko Nogawa who plays a female traveling with the fugitives reaches a zesty climax when he puts the fear of his sword into her with a kimono-slicing maneuver that carries vague sexual overtones. It’s the continuing subtle development of Ichi’s character through several dramatic moments that provides some depth. His relationship with Junan is the film’s most potent. When first discovering that Ichi is a gangster, he insults him. He later apologizes, but the words from Junan, a man he comes to respect, clearly have their affect. Once again, Ichi is reminded that not only is he separated from common folk by his blindness, but also by his notoriety. This doesn’t stop him from trying to set things right, but in the film’s dramatic conclusion he’s forced to commit a tragic act that further ostracizes him from Junan. Takashi Shimura, who plays Junan, is a fantastic actor who I recall delivering a wonderful performance in Kurosawa’s Record of a Living Being. He’s aged here and is honestly working with dramatic material that is below his abilities, but it’s a testament to his skill that he gives Junan as much humanity as we are allowed to see.
Zatoichi and the Fugitives is lensed by Kazuo Miyagawa, a veteran DP who ultimately shot six Zatoichi films and notably Yojimbo. His work lacks the eye-popping clarity of Chishi Makiura (Zatoichi Challenged), but the film is competently shot with some darkly-lit and claustrophobic interior shots that enhance the grim tone, particularly near the end.
This is another excellent Zatoichi feature that doesn’t bother much with the series’ usual gimmicks like gambling or parlor tricks, although Ichi does do a rather inconceivable quartering of a clay saki bottle. Rather, it’s short, brutal and loaded with quality swordplay.
by Mark Pollard
