Zatoichi's Revenge

1965 1h 24m JA

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 52

AdventureActionDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Itinerant masseur and master swordsman, the blind Zatoichi, is near the village of his teacher, Hikonoichi, so he decides to visit. He learns of Hikonoichi's recent robbery and murder and the imprisonment of his virginal daughter, Osayo, in a brothel. Through friendship with Denroku, a local dice thrower and devoted father, Ichi uncovers an unholy alliance between the governor and the area strongman: among their scams is falsifying tax records to put farmers in debt, then forcing their daughters into prostitution at the boss's brothel. With help from Denroku's daughter, Otsuru, Ichi comforts Osayo until he can provoke showdowns with the villains and their henchmen.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Shintarō Katsu
Zatoichi
Norihei Miki
Denroku the Weasel
Mikiko Tsubouchi
Osayo
Takeshi Katō
Koheita Kadokura
Fujio Harumoto
Intendant Isoda
San'emon Arashi
Hikonoichi
Saburo Date
Jun Katsumura
Tatsugoro yakuza

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Akira Inoue
Writers: Minoru Inuzuka, Kan Shimozawa
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

84 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

61 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Akira Inoue, shot by Fujio Morita. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Akira Ifukube. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Hiroshi Yamada shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Shintarō Katsu and Norihei Miki and Mikiko Tsubouchi carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Akira Inoue directs. Fujio Morita behind the camera. Akira Ifukube scores. Hiroshi Yamada cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
261 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Akira Inoue, shot by Fujio Morita. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Akira Ifukube. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Hiroshi Yamada shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Shintarō Katsu and Norihei Miki and Mikiko Tsubouchi carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0123335 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 52 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Fujio Morita
Original score: Akira Ifukube
Editing: Hiroshi Yamada
Runtime: 84 min · 1h 24m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: Zatoichi's Revenge (1965)

Part of

Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Collection

The colossally popular Zatoichi films make up the longest-running action series in Japanese history and created one of the screen’s great heroes: an itinerant blind masseur who also happens to be a lightning-fast swordsman. As this iconic figure, the charismatic and earthy Shintaro Katsu became an instant superstar, lending a larger-than-life presence to the thrilling adventures of a man who lives staunchly by a code of honor and delivers justice in every town and village he enters.