Zatoichi's Conspiracy

1973 1h 28m JA

👍

7.0

SOLID

⭐

7.1

IMDB

★7.0TMDB · 37★7.1IMDB · 1,119

ActionDramaAdventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Zatoichi, the famed blind swordsman, returns to his home village for the first time in many years. He is befriended by Omiyo, who had the same wet-nurse as Zatoichi. He also encounters a boyhood friend, Shinbei, who is now wealthy and appears not to remember Zatoichi. Shinbei seems to be interested in repaying the villagers' debts, but is, in reality, manipulating the ownership of a now valuable rock quarry. Zatoichi learns of the subterfuge and confronts his old friend, who has a score of yakuza swordsmen backing his play.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Shintarō Katsu
Zatoichi
Yukiyo Toake
Omiyo
Takashi Shimura
Sakubei
Eiji Okada
Shinbei
Kei Satō
Magistrate
Yoshio Tsuchiya
Shobei
Rie Yokoyama
Yuri
Tatsuo Endō
Boss Iwagoro

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kimiyoshi Yasuda
Writers: Kei Hattori, 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

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

53 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 Kimiyoshi Yasuda, shot by Chikashi Makiura. 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 Akira Ifukube. 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 Yoshiharu Hayashi 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 Yukiyo Toake and Takashi Shimura carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0072439 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kimiyoshi Yasuda directs. Chikashi Makiura behind the camera. Akira Ifukube scores. Yoshiharu Hayashi cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
253 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 Kimiyoshi Yasuda, shot by Chikashi Makiura. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Akira Ifukube. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Yoshiharu Hayashi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Shintarō Katsu and Yukiyo Toake and Takashi Shimura carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0072439 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 37 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Chikashi Makiura
Original score: Akira Ifukube
Editing: Yoshiharu Hayashi
Runtime: 88 min · 1h 28m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: Zatoichi's Conspiracy (1973)
IMDB rating: 7.1/10 · 1,119 votes
MPAA: Not Rated

Awards

1 nomination

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.