Ikehiro feels a little pared back in this film compared to the previous one. However, that does not mean that there is any less flair for the visual. Rather than flash black voids of intro during the opening credits, the film opens on a top-down shot of Zatoichi in one corner of a room while a bunch of men are on the opposite side, avoiding him. It’s such a strong composition but sets the film up as something a bit more serious than the previous film, less of a romp for a hunt for a macguffin and leaning even heavier on the inter-politics of yakuza territorial disputes. The lush scenery is so beautiful throughout the film and is largely invisible despite that. The idea is to be immersed as much as possible without noticing it. Simple scenes like Zatoichi being carried across a fjord establish so much about the area and the politics of those in charge incredibly quickly and effectively, even if Zatoichi still feels largely disconnected from the story, at least in a motivational sense
Ikehiro feels a little pared back in this film compared to the previous one. However, that does not mean that there is any less flair for the visual. Rather than flash black voids of intro during the opening credits, the film opens on a top-down shot of Zatoichi in one corner of a room while a bunch of men are on the opposite side, avoiding him. It’s such a strong composition but sets the film up as something a bit more serious than the previous film, less of a romp for a hunt for a macguffin and leaning even heavier on the inter-politics of yakuza territorial disputes. The lush scenery is so beautiful throughout the film and is largely invisible despite that. The idea is to be immersed as much as possible without noticing it. Simple scenes like Zatoichi being carried across a fjord establish so much about the area and the politics of those in charge incredibly quickly and effectively, even if Zatoichi still feels largely disconnected from the story, at least in a motivational sense
