Zatoichi the Fugitive DVD

ZATOICHI THE FUGITIVE (1963)
Home Vision
86 Minutes
Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka
Produced by Masachi Nagata
Written by Seiji Hoshikawa, Kan Shimozowa
Cinematography by Chikashi Makiura
Music by Akira Ifukube
Cast: Shintaro Katsu, Miwa Takada, Masayo Banri, Junichiro Narita, Katsuhiko Kobayashi, Toru Abe
Video: 16x9 Enhanced Widescreen (2.35.1)
Audio: Dolby Digital Mono 2.0
Subtitles: English
Packaging: Keepcase
Chapter Stops: 19
Photo Gallery

ZATOICHI THE FUGITIVE is directed by Tokuzo Tanaka, one of the pioneers of Japanese Chambara cinema. Nearly every film he made was set in feudal Japan. Because of his shrewd sense of cinematic conventions and keen eye for detail, Tanaka had a talent for successfully transporting the audience back in time over the centuries. From his debut production in THE OGRE OF MOUNT OE (1961), to Zatoichi features such as BLIND SWORDMAN’S VENGENACE (1966), and other Samurai/Ninja fare like SLEEPY EYES OF DEATH: THE CHINESE JADE (1963), SHINOBI NO MONO (1964), and RED SHURIKEN (1965), no other Japanese director can transcend time and international barriers quite like Tanaka. The lovely Miwa Takada plays Zatoichi’s friend Nobu. She starred in such Japanese historical epics as SLEEPY EYES OF DEATH: HELL IS A WOMAN (1968), MAJIN, MONSTER OF TERROR (1966), and 100 MONSTERS (1968). Playing opposite Shintaro Katsu is Junichiro Narita who appeared in the Samurai flicks SHINOBI NO MONO (1964), SLEEPY EYES OF DEATH: SWORD OF ADVENTURE (1964), and GOEMON WILL NEVER DIE (1963). HomeVision, who have licensed 17 Zatoichi films from Daiei pictures, presents ZATOICHI THE FUGITIVE on DVD together with two other Zatoichi films in the series, ZATOICHI ON THE ROAD and NEW TALE OF ZATOICHI.

After he defeated several of its members in a wrestling contest, a local gang has taken offense to the presence of Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu). Of course, the blind swordsman and masseuse has no fears about the bounty the gang has placed on his head, especially since he has more pressing matters to tend to. It seems an old flame of his has become involved with one of the gang's leaders, so he chooses to remain close to the village, even though he is a wanted man and sure to be hassled. When a hired assassin comes after him, Zatoichi tries to stay calm and in control, but then a tragic turn sends him over the edge. As he battles the ronin, an innocent woman is slain by the rogue's sword, which enrages Zatoichi. This event sends him on a spiral of violence and after the dust has settled, almost the entire gang has been eliminated. Soon enough, it is time for Zatoichi to face off with the gang's leader, a gifted, but somewhat rattled warrior. Will Zatoichi's temper prove to be his edge in the fight, or will it simply cost him his focus?

This is the fourth installment in the Zatoichi series and while it takes a more methodical approach, it still delivers on all fronts. ZATOICHI THE FUGITIVE does have a well crafted sword battle, but this volume is less about action and more about characters, so the story is enhanced and we're shown more of Zatoichi's depth. And that involves a more human rendition of Zatoichi, as opposed to the almost unstoppable machine as seen in previous installments, though Shintaro Katsu's performance remains true to the character's established tone. Those interested in just the action element of the series might be let down by the slower pace and lack of frequent swordplay, yet ZATOICHI THE FUGITIVE is a very effective production on all other levels. The film has a solid premise and as it unfolds, it becomes more complex and really expands into a terrific storyline, complete with a dynamic sword battle toward the movie's closing moments. I think this fourth Zatoichi adventure is more than worth a look, as it continues the high standard for this excellent series.

ZATOICHI THE FUGITIVE is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is an impressive visual presentation, thanks in no small part to Home Vision's restoration efforts. As a result, we're presented with a clean source print that has only minor defects, as well as a sharp, clean overall image to experience. The colors have a little flatness in a few scenes, but seem bright enough in most, so no complaints there. As far as contrast, I found detail to be high and black levels look great, leaving me to score this one rather well. I commend Home Vision for their work here and of course, hope to see this kind of transfer on all their Zatoichi releases.

A mono soundtrack is present here, which preserves the original Japanese language and while not too memorable, this is a solid track. I heard little in terms of distortion, while hiss is absent and that's great news, without a doubt. The musical contributions of master composer Akira Ifukube are quite good (though used sparingly), but of course, it isn't too expansive, thanks to mono's limitations. The sound effects follow the same order, as they sound good, but also restrained to some extent. But this isn't exactly new showroom material, so I think we can cut it some slack. The dialogue is sharp and never gets muffled much, so even if you can't understand what they're saying, at least it sounds clean. This disc also includes English subtitles, should you need those.

The only extras on the disc is a Photo Gallery showcasing about a dozen production stills.

What more can we say? ZATOICHI THE FUGITIVE is one of the classiest Samurai films ever to emerge from Japan. And HomeVision takes this franchise seriously by producing a beautiful, remastered 16x9 enhanced transfer that makes this 40+ year old film look like new again. HomeVision’s treatment is commendable, and the only thing we can complain about is the lack of extras.

Movie:	4.5
Video:	4.5
Audio:	3.0
Extras:	0.5
Overall:	4.0