Project-Blu Ichi: The Movie, by M. Enois Duarte

Ichi: The Movie

By: M. Enois Duarte, 1.27.2010

The Movie Itself:
The legendary film character Zatoichi, with nearly thirty different feature films to his name, has proven himself an influential figure in the martial arts genre. Not only is the name mentioned in such current movies as 'Death Proof' or parodied in animated shows such as 'The Boondocks', but there are also a few contemporary variations based entirely on the character. One notable film is the American take of the blind swordsman with Rutger Hauer entitled 'Blind Fury', and his most recent adventure as a gambling masseuse is somewhat of a remake by Takeshi Kitano simply called 'Zatoichi (2003)'. In the latest adaptation, the celebrated samurai hero is not the main protagonist; he doesn't even play a prominent role. Instead, we have a blind female musician.

Ichi (Haruka Ayase) is a sightless woman in search of the man who taught her all she knows about the backhanded sword-fighting technique. As a goze, she travels from village to village and makes a living as a musician until she locates the unnamed man. Due to her perceived disability and beauty, men tend to make the fatal judgment call of thinking her weak and easy to take advantage of. Of course, it only takes a few minutes to discover there is more to her tattered appearance than mere looks. Arriving at her next village stop, Ichi meets Toma (Takao Ôsawa), a ronin with an unfortunate past, and they get along okay. But when Toma takes credit for killing some local gang members, the two become involved in a clan war.

Fans of the blind swordsman series will find this storyline very intriguing if not one of the boldest additions to the mythos. Unlike previous entries, there is an air of mystery to Ichi - who is she? Her background and origins are revealed ever so slowly and patiently, giving the narrative some real dramatic meat and fascination. And the connection between her and the original Zatoichi character makes for a nicely added touch to the saga. One can only wonder where they will take it next. Working overtime as both emotional foil to our heroine and comic relief is the insecure and second-guessing samurai. There are times when he's a bit of a nuisance, but it's put to good use in the end as he overcomes his fears and rises to a heroic last stand.

Sadly, the film is far from the best installments in the series, with several hiccups spread throughout. Direction is very workmanlike and takes far too many pages from Kitano's style, namely the slow-motion fight sequences that often become a blur and the use of CGI blood being a distraction. The overall story is also rather generic and played-out, which in all honesty is only saved by Ichi and Toma's subplot. Probably the biggest misfire in this Japanese flick is the excessiveness of the villain, Banki (Shido Nakamura). It wouldn't be such a problem if the filmmakers and Nakamura showed at least a bit of restrain. It's clear the dude is the bad guy by the ridiculous outfit and eye patch. There is no need to overact and include a sinister laugh, which only induces more laughter than it does fear.

In the end, 'Ichi' is pretty entertaining and makes for a pleasant addition to the Zatoichi mythos. With decent enough direction and above average performances by Ayase and Ôsawa, this latest variation on the legendary blind swordsman is a good samurai flick, but it may be -unsurprisingly - scrutinized by fans of the samurai hero.
Rating: 7/10

The Presentation:
'Ichi' debuts unto Blu-ray with a very nice AVC MPEG-4 encode and presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Unfortunately, the transfer does suffer some significant shortcomings which bring the overall quality down a few notches.

While blacks are for the most part attractive and cleanly rendered, they are not as deep and inky as they can be. Dark shadows also tend to swallow up some of the minor fine points in the background and look fairly murky. Even worse, contrast levels are quite weak, dull and a bit inconsistent. Sometimes the image looks bland, somewhat flat, and poorly resolved. Other times, namely nighttime sequences, the film appears beautiful with a good deal of depth. Thankfully, these drawbacks don't completely detract from the picture's much better aspects. Colors are quite bold and lush, showing particularly good saturation in the primaries. Fine object and textural details are surprisingly strong and resolute, considering the transfer's other weaknesses. This is especially nice when looking at the various costumes. Facial features are not always revealing, but at least, flesh tones appear natural. This latest telling of the legendary blind swordsman looks nice in HD, but I can't help feeling it could've been better.
Rating: 6.8/10

With two options two choose from, the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack in the film's native language should always be the choice of purists. And this track sounds great on Blu-ray.

In the opening shots, the sound of a wintery wind blowing everywhere fills the entire soundfield and surrounds the listener. Several exterior scenes display clear ambient effects of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the distance, creating a decently immersive atmosphere. It's not always convincing as they are sometimes too precise and easily located, but they are appreciated and add to the film's enjoyment. Vocals are also cleanly delivered and nicely maintained in the center of the screen. Imaging in the soundstage is the lossless mix's most impressive aspect with a wall of discrete sounds that is nearly consistent throughout. Dynamic range is broad, stable and well-balanced while supported adequately by a low bass that is at times persuasive and weighty. The original sound design of 'Ichi' allows for much to enjoy in this hi-rez soundtrack.
Rating: 8.0/10

Overall Presentation: 7/10

** 9 - 10 = Reference / 8 = Excellent / 7 = Good /
6 = Satisfactory / 5 = Average / 4 & under = Below Average **

The Extras:
'Ichi' makes its way onto Blu-ray with a healthy package of supplements, but they are also somewhat uneventful and only mildly interesting.

Making Of (SD, 75 min)
VFX Making Of (SD, 15 min)
Deleted Scenes (SD, 17 min)
Press Interview in Theaters (SD, 31 min)
Trailers (SD)

Rating: 5/10

Final Thoughts:
'Ichi' is the latest installment in the Zatoichi mythos and provides one the boldest takes of the legendary blind samurai. With good performances by its two leads and an interesting reimaging, the film makes for a nice addition to the series, but it's far from one of the best entries. The Blu-ray edition of the blind female swordfighter debuts with a good A/V presentation and a healthy set of bonus features. Fans of the series will be happy with the purchase while others are recommended to give it a rent.
Rating: 6/10