THE BLIND SWORDSMAN: ZATOICHI Review
My number one pet peeve with Blu-ray is the over-produced discs that flush out the filmic qualities of the movie. This rendition of Beat Kitano's samurai film is hit or miss. While it's much better than the previous DVD incarnations, it doesn't retain the intention of the director and cinematographer Katsumi Yanagishima. The colors are lush, but the depth of field is patchy and the grain is washed away. As for the audio, the English dub gets a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 treatment, while the Japanese track gets a less than perfect Dolby Digital 5.1 track. While, the original Japanese track relies on the front speakers, the 5.1 comes to life during the lightning fast fight sequences. In a strange way it serves the film well by emphasizing the skills of Zatoichi.
If the picture and sound are a B+, the special features get an A. The making of doc shows why so many other making ofs just fall short. The doc goes through week by week of the production, telling the challenges and techniques. It really captures the story behind the production. The doc ends with the triumphant reception at the Venice Film Festival, which actually delivers an emotional punch. Getting that out of a bonus feature is truly rare. Adding more depth, the disc features interviews with Yanagishima, production designer Norihiro Isoda, costume supervisor Kazuko Kurosawa, and master swordsman Tatsumi Nikamoto. They add the thought process that went into their decisions on the film. The interviews bring out even more depth into the corners of the film.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
