Review of Zatoichi's Cane Sword (1967) by Luke B — 26 Aug 2009

Zatoichi continues on his quest to give up his life of killing. This time he gets a helping hand when a blacksmith tells him that his sword is on it's last legs, and good for only one more kill. This inspires Zatoichi to give up his sword and work exclusively as a masseuse.

Zatoichi without a sword may not sound appealing, but it forces the director to find tension in other aspects, such as the gambling scenes. You can probably guess (with 11 more films in his series to come) that Zatoichi hasn't quite quit just yet, but it's the journey that leads him back to the sword that is enthralling.

Yet another fantastic film that hits all the right Zatoichi notes.