I've been working my way through the Zatoichi films and reviewing as I go, and I've noticed I have a habit of claiming many to be the best in the series as soon as I've watched them, knowing full well I'll probably watch one soon I like even more. Having said that, so far this film is far and away my favourite, and I'm only a little over halfway through. Despite the title (fight Zatoichi fight) that would lead you to believe it is more of an action entry, this is the most humanising film for Zatoichi so far.
Zatoichi finds himself responsible for a mothers death, so he takes the woman's baby to deliver it to her husband some 60 miles away. Along the way he grows attached to the child, and turns into a bit of a mother hen, all the while being pursued by a group of hired killers. The bulk of the film (so far) is made up of scenes of Zatoichi with the child - my favourite of which (and possibly my favourite scene in the series so far) has Zatoichi buy the services of a whore to care for the child for a night, so he can finally get some much needed sleep. But he can't stop worrying about the child. Time and time again he rises, irritating the whore to no end, and the scene finally cross fades to the next morning, and the whore is out cold while Ichi nurses the baby. It also has a great gambling scene.
All the films have had something to offer so far. The third (new tale of Zatoichi) was the most visually pleasing; every shot was masterful. The film directly following it topped the third film in most other regards (such a great ending, with Zatoichi dancing off down a road with a grin on his face, which soured as soon as it was out of sight of the people the grin was intended for). But "Fight Zatoichi Fight" is the most satisfying film in the series so far. I love heartfelt sh-t like this.
