Zatoichi the Outlaw

1967 1h 36m JA

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 43

AdventureActionDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When a local gambling house kidnaps some peasants because they failed to pay their debts, a rival gambling house pays their debts and sets them free.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Shintarō Katsu
Zatoichi
Rentaro Mikuni
Asagoro
Kō Nishimura
Uneshiro Suga
Yūko Hamada
Oshino
Toshiyuki Hosokawa
Nisaburo
Takuya Fujioka
Zatosanji
Kenjirō Ishiyama
Tatsugoro
Mizuho Suzuki
Shusui Ohara

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Satsuo Yamamoto
Writers: Kiyokata Saruwaka, Kan Shimozawa, Koji Matsumoto
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

ERA

Did you know

59 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Satsuo Yamamoto, shot by Kazuo Miyagawa. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Shintarō Katsu and Rentaro Mikuni and Kō Nishimura carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0062518 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 43 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Satsuo Yamamoto directs. Kazuo Miyagawa behind the camera. Sei Ikeno scores. Kanji Suganuma cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

159 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Part of the "Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Satsuo Yamamoto, shot by Kazuo Miyagawa. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Sei Ikeno. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Kanji Suganuma shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Shintarō Katsu and Rentaro Mikuni and Kō Nishimura carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0062518 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 43 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Kazuo Miyagawa
Original score: Sei Ikeno
Editing: Kanji Suganuma
Runtime: 96 min · 1h 36m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: Zatoichi the Outlaw (1967)

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.