Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- bleak
- psychedelic
- visceral
- cult movie night
- samurai film marathon
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The plot is explicitly framed as innocence being corrupted by sadistic and sleazy criminality surrounding Zatoichi.
The film is described as psychedelic, grindhouse-grim, and driven by Easy Rider-esque editing and a trippy funk score.
The title and bleak premise place the usually formidable Zatoichi in an unusually desperate and unremittingly harsh situation.
The film combines the Zatoichi samurai tradition with the yakuza-film mode identified in its encyclopedic genre facts.
Films like Zatoichi in Desperation, and why
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx
bleak samurai drama, moral corruption, and stylized violence within a Japanese period setting
The Sword of Doom
revisionist swordplay, grim criminality, and psychologically harsh period drama
Battles Without Honor and Humanity
yakuza criminality, nihilistic atmosphere, and aggressively stylized 1970s filmmaking
Shogun Assassin
dark samurai action, corrupted innocence, and psychedelic visual and musical energy
Movie Details
- Director
- Shintarō Katsu
- Release Date
- 1972-09-02
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (38)
Cast
- Shintarō Katsu
- Kiwako Taichi
- Katsuo Nakamura
- Asao Koike
- Kyoko Yoshizawa
- Yasuhiro Koume
- Joji Takagi
- Masumi Harukawa
- Naoe Fushimi
- Yoshihiko Aoyama
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Zatoichi in Desperation about?
- Zatoichi confronts a vicious criminal underworld in one of the series’ most psychedelic, despairing, and violently revisionist adventures.
- What is Zatoichi in Desperation like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Zatoichi in Desperation as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Zatoichi in Desperation violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Zatoichi in Desperation as graphic.
- Which films are like Zatoichi in Desperation?
- Films with a similar feel include Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx, The Sword of Doom, Battles Without Honor and Humanity, and Shogun Assassin.
- How long is Zatoichi in Desperation?
- Zatoichi in Desperation runs 92 minutes.
- Where can I watch Zatoichi in Desperation?
- In United States, Zatoichi in Desperation streams on Criterion Channel.
