Question 1

Why does the blood in 'The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi' look so stylized?

Accepted Answer

Director Takeshi Kitano intentionally used CGI blood to 'soften the shock to the audience' due to the high body count, wanting it to 'look like flowers blossoming across the screen.'

Question 2

What is unique about the end dance sequence in the film?

Accepted Answer

The dance sequence combines traditional Kabuki theatre clog-dancing with 'the latest African-American tap style' as a tribute to Japanese films with sudden musical endings.

Question 3

Why is Zatoichi not included in the final dance sequence?

Accepted Answer

Writer/director Takeshi Kitano felt that Zatoichi was more of a villain, so he excluded him from the dance featuring all the villagers.

Question 4

Which major film festivals featured 'The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi'?

Accepted Answer

The film was part of the Venice Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival in 2003-2004, and also screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Question 5

What does 'Zatô' refer to in the context of the film's title character?

Accepted Answer

'Zatô' was the lowest of four official ranks in the Tôdô-za, a Kyoto-based guild for the blind established during the Muromachi Period and abolished in 1871.

Question 6

Why does the blood in Zatoichi look so stylized and CGI-like?

Accepted Answer

Director Takeshi Kitano intentionally made the blood look exaggerated and "like flowers blossoming across the screen" to soften the shock from the high body count.

Question 7

What makes the end dance sequence in Zatoichi unique?

Accepted Answer

It combines traditional Kabuki theatre clog-dancing with African-American tap style as a tribute to Japanese films' sudden musical endings.

Question 8

Why isn't Zatoichi included in the final dance sequence with the villagers?

Accepted Answer

Writer/director Takeshi Kitano felt Zatoichi was more of a villain, so he excluded him from the celebratory dance.

Question 9

Which major film festivals featured The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi?

Accepted Answer

It was shown at the Venice Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, and Tribeca Film Festival, and won a European Film Award.

Question 10

What historical meaning does "Zatô" have in the film's context?

Accepted Answer

"Zatô" was the lowest of four official ranks in the Tôdô-za, a Kyoto-based guild for the blind during the Muromachi Period.

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The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi

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