The Criterion Collection

Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman

Edition no. 679

Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman - The Criterion Collection 2013 Dual-Format Edition ( USA) Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman - The Criterion Collection 2016 Blu-ray ( USA)
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  • Release Date: Tuesday, 13 September 2016
  • Country of Release: USA
  • MSRP: $199.95
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The Tale of Zatoichi | The Tale of Zatoichi Continues | New Tale of Zatoichi | Zatoichi the Fugitive | Zatoichi on the Road | Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold | Zatoichi's Flashing Sword | Fight, Zatoichi, Fight | Adventures of Zatoichi | Zatoichi's Revenge | Zatoichi and the Doomed Man | Zatoichi and the Chess Expert | Zatoichi's Vengeance | Zatoichi's Pilgrimage | Zatoichi's Cane Sword | Zatoichi the Outlaw | Zatoichi Challenged | Zatoichi and the Fugitives | Samaritan Zatoichi | Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo | Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival | Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman | Zatoichi at Large | Zatoichi in Depseration | Zatoichi’s Conspiracy
Licensor Information
Kadokawa Herald Pictures, Toho Co.
Featuring: Shintaro Katsu, Masayo Banri, Tomisaburo Wakayama, Mikiko Tsubouchi, Miwa Takada, Shiho Fujimara, Shogo Shimada, Naoko Kubo, Nobuo Kaneko, Eiko Taki, Norihei Miki, Kanbi Fujiyama, Mikio Narita, Shigeru Amachi, Michiyo Okusu, Rentaro Mikuni, Jushiro Konoe, Takashi Shimura, Yoshiko Mita, Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Jimmy Wang Yu, Kiwako Taichi, Yukiyo Toake, Ryuzo Shimada, Yoshie Mizutani, Seizaburo Kawazu, Machiko Hasegawa, Mayumi Nagisa, Gen Kimura, Kenjiro Ishiyama, Chizuru Hayashi, Jun Hamamura, Isao Yamagata, Eijiro Tono, Ko Nishimura, Makoto Sato, Katsuo Nakamura, Fujio Suga, Koichi Mizuhara, Reiko Fujiwara, Mikijiro Hira, Takeshi Kato, Masako Akeboshi, Kaneko Iwasaki, Hisashi Igawa, Yoshihiko Aoyama, Yuko Hamada, Eiji Okada, Tatsuo Endo, Toru Abe, Kichijiro Ueda, Fujio Harumoto, Gaku Yamamoto, Masao Mishima, Toshiyuki Hosokawa, Kei Sato, Sachiko Kobayashi, Mayumi Ogawa, Kunie Tanaka, Masumi Harukawa, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Sonosuke Sawamura, Makota Fujita, Rie Yokoyama, Sachiko Murase
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. The films that feature him are variously pulse-pounding, hilarious, stirring, and completely off-the-wall. This deluxe set features the string of twenty-five Zatoichi films made between 1962 and 1973, collected in one package for the first time.
  • Year: 1962-1973
  • Time: 2197 total min.

Details by Film

Release Information:

Technical Specifications

Format:
Blu-ray
Discs:
BD-50 (9 Discs)
Total: 9 Discs
Regions:
A (Blu-ray)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35:1
Audio Options:
Japanese PCM Mono 1.0
Subtitles:
English

Supplements

Types of Supplements Included: Documentary, Interview, Theatrical Trailer, Book
  • The Blind Swordsman, a 1978 documentary about Zatoichi portrayer and filmmaker Shintaro Katsu, along with a new interview with its director, John Nathan
  • New interview with Asian-film critic Tony Rayns
  • Trailers
  • A book featuring an essay by critic Geoffrey O'Brien; synopses of the films by critic, novelist, and musician Chris D.; “The Tale of Zatoichi,” the original short story by Kan Shimozawa; and twenty-five new illustrations inspired by the films, by twenty-five different artists

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The Tale of Zatoichi
7.5000/10
The Tale of Zatoichi Continues
7.0000/10
New Tale of Zatoichi
7.5000/10
Zatoichi the Fugitive
7.0000/10
Zatoichi on the Road
7.5000/10
Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold
8.0000/10
Zatoichi's Flashing Sword
7.0000/10
Fight, Zatoichi, Fight
7.5000/10
Adventures of Zatoichi
7.0000/10
Zatoichi's Revenge
7.5000/10
Zatoichi and the Doomed Man
7.0000/10
Zatoichi and the Chess Expert
7.5000/10
Zatoichi's Vengeance
7.5000/10
Zatoichi's Pilgrimage
7.0000/10
Zatoichi's Cane Sword
7.5000/10
Zatoichi the Outlaw
7.5000/10
Zatoichi Challenged
7.5000/10
Zatoichi and the Fugitives
7.5000/10
Samaritan Zatoichi
7.0000/10
Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo
7.0000/10
Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival
8.0000/10
Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman
7.5000/10
Zatoichi at Large
6.0000/10
Zatoichi in Depseration
8.0000/10
Zatoichi’s Conspiracy
8.0000/10
Picture
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Supplements
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