I essentially saw Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi at the Egyptian, because it was listed with the full running time, and didn't want to wait until a certain "indie darling"(blatant sarcasm) chopped it up for non-festival release, even though that fortunately didn't happen. (This time.) Tadanobu Asano being there for a Q+A became an added bonus.
Anyway, having only been familiar with his previous work through Ichi, I assumed he'd be some wild and crazy j-rocker based on that role. But he actually turned out to be neatly dressed and quiet for the most part. Asano said that he was always interested in working with Kitano, and that he was a fan of the original series, so it felt satisfying to be included in the film. He joked that Japanese kids like to pretend fight with swords made of newspaper, so he felt more than ready for the role. In fact, there are many directors-such as Takashi Miike-in Japan who want to do something related to Zatoichi. (When I asked him if he'd ever do a Baby Cart(Lone Wolf and Cub) remake, he said if anyone suggested it, he'd be game.)
In addition, I found out that Kitano fully intended the film to be different from the rest of the series, hence the bleached hair, and the minimal(ist?) interaction with the villagers. Asano added that he generally feels more comfortable with Japanese directors who do long takes, but the reason they're infamous for shooting on the spot is because they know exactly how they want their scenes. Speaking of scenes, the fights were inspired by Chinese swordplay. (I also remember an interview in Video Watchdog where Kitano said the tap-dance scenes near the end of the film were influenced by dancers he'd seen in Harlem or possibly from Stomp. )
Eventually, some naive audience member complained that the climactic fight between Kitano and Asano was too short, and said Hollywood would make it longer, evidently not having seen Cradle 2 The Grave and Kill Bill 2. And Asano responded by saying that when he went to a karate tournament when he was younger, he could tell his opponent was his superior by looking at him, and that's the same feeling you can get from this film. It added to the realism.
Unlike other Japanese actors, Asano's aware of his films getting theatrical and dvd releases outside of Japan, because people mail him at his site at http://www.anore.co.jp/asano/ . (In fact, I remember at least one female American fan in the audience who talked about how she admired him, and wondered if he'd work in the U.S., to which he responded that he'd be ok with the idea, if he got the opportunity.) When asked, he mentioned that it was a crazy experience working on Ichi the Killer, because it was filmed in Shinjuku, where many yakuza hang out, and one tried to start a fight with him, and that he was scared. (On a side note, the Zatoichi remake was shot on an old remodeled set in Hiroshima.) Asano likes his music and acting career-even though he hated his first acting gig when he was a teen-and feels they each balance out the negatives of both jobs. His favorite current American band is "Hella". Among upcoming films of his to look for are Last Life in the Universe, Coffee, and Taste of Tea(which was at Directors' Fortnight at Cannes).
Zatoichi itself was fun, although it had the usual pacing issues from Kitano. Having only recently seen one of the originals, I kind of like Kitano's version in some ways, because it's less sappy, but Katsu seemed more professional. Still, I think the former film works on its own.
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