Samaritan Zatoichi

1968 1h 24m JA

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 44

AdventureActionDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Zatoichi is forced to kill a young man who owes a debt to a yakuza boss. Moments later, his sister Osode arrives with the money she earned (prostituting herself) to pay his debts. The bosses true motives are revealed and he attempts to steal Osode even though the debt is paid. Zatoichi realizes his grievous error and protects the girl from the gang. Osode and Zatoichi are caught in a dilemma as she must rely on her brother's killer for protection and Zatoichi wrestles with the injustice he has caused.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Shintarō Katsu
Zatoichi
Yoshiko Mita
Osode
Makoto Satō
Yasaburo Kashiwazaki
Kō Nishimura
Sosuke Saruya
Takuya Fujioka
Shinkichi
Chōchō Miyako
Ohaya
Akira Shimizu
Kumakichi
Ryoichi Tamagawa
Chohachi

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kenji Misumi
Writers: Kan Shimozawa, Kiyokata Saruwaka, Hisashi Sugiura
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

58 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

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 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#05

6 / 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#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Shintarō Katsu and Yoshiko Mita and Makoto Satō carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0164983 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kenji Misumi directs. Fujio Morita behind the camera. Sei Ikeno scores. Toshio Taniguchi 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.
258 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Kenji Misumi, shot by Fujio Morita. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Sei Ikeno. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Toshio Taniguchi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Shintarō Katsu and Yoshiko Mita and Makoto Satō carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0164983 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 44 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Fujio Morita
Original score: Sei Ikeno
Editing: Toshio Taniguchi
Runtime: 84 min · 1h 24m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: Samaritan Zatoichi (1968)

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.