15 Most Underrated Samurai Films Of All Time
6. Zatōichi (2003)
Winning numerous awards on its festival circuit, Zatōichi (also known as The Blind Swordsman: Zatōichi in the US) comes to us courtesy of famed Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kitano (aka Beat Takeshi), with Kitano playing the titular role.
Although this character may not be well-known in the west, he's a huge part of Japanese pop-culture. The anti-hero featured in a staggering 26 movies in addition to a myriad of TV series between 1962 to 1989. And in this modern outing for the sightless fighter, Kitano delivers a menacing performance combined with more bloody action than you can swing a katana at.
In the same vein as other genre films of this nature, the plot sees the titular Zatōichi aid a town terrorised by local yakuza. Along his way, he befriends a gambler and two geisha siblings and agrees to help them with their own quest for vengeance.
In stark contrast to Kitano’s sublime cinematography, the beauty of the setting is juxtaposed with gallons of bloody violence. Highly stylized and darkly comedic in its execution, Zatōichi offers some of the best action of any modern samurai film.