Zatoichi and the Doomed Man

1965 1h 17m JA

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 49

AdventureActionDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Blind swordsman Zatoichi, jailed briefly, is implored by another prisoner to aid him in proving his innocence of a crime for which he is sentenced to death. Zatoichi is reluctant to get involved, because he knows how often such involvement has led to trouble in the past. But events conspire to thrust him repeatedly into involvement, and gradually he comes to believe in the man's innocence and determines to free him.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Shintarō Katsu
Zatoichi
Kanbi Fujiyama
Monk Hyakutaro
Eiko Taki
Oyone
Kenjirō Ishiyama
Boss Jubei Araiso
Yukio Horikita
Hajime Koshikawa
Sachiko Murase
Shimazo’s wife
Tokio Oki

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kazuo Mori
Writers: Shozaburo Asai, 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

Tight 77-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

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 Kazuo Mori, shot by Hiroshi Imai. 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 Seitaro Omori. 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 Toshio Taniguchi 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 Kanbi Fujiyama and Eiko Taki carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kazuo Mori directs. Hiroshi Imai behind the camera. Seitaro Omori scores. Toshio Taniguchi cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 77-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
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 Kazuo Mori, shot by Hiroshi Imai. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Seitaro Omori. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Toshio Taniguchi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Shintarō Katsu and Kanbi Fujiyama and Eiko Taki carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0202154 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 49 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Hiroshi Imai
Original score: Seitaro Omori
Editing: Toshio Taniguchi
Runtime: 77 min · 1h 17m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: Zatoichi and the Doomed Man (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.