Tange Sazen was at first, the character in Fubo Hayashi’s novel. Director Ito Daisuke made this one-armed, one-eyed man an nihilistic, alienated hero, representing the anarchic energy and rebellious spirit of the time. Then Yamanaka Sadao came in and made a parodic retelling of the story and completely rewrote this image of Sazen by changing him into a child-loving, openhearted, and good-natured ronin living in a tenement house with his lover. Now, as Yamanaka’s nephew, Tai Kato rewrote Sazen’s image too, and the film is imbued with satire and humor, albeit different from his uncle’s.Read More »
