There are lots of very positive reviews of this film, but I couldn't feel quite as positive when it began because it really was a remake, or at least a re-tooling of the Zatôichi films from Japan. This very long and successful series of samurai films began in 1962 and resulted in 28 films (if you count the newest remake). They were very popular because although the central idea of a blind swordsman was impossible to believe, the stories were so well written and compelling that the audience soon bought into the idea that a blind guy can be THAT amazing with the sword. Here, what is essentially the same formula is used by Italian film makers to transport the franchise to the American Old West to fight evil gangs and injustice. In addition, making the central character a master gunman instead of a swordsman is...interesting to say the least. Now understand that it was hard enough to believe a sword fight with a blind guy, but now they were using guns!! This DEFINITELY needs the viewer to suspend disbelief because I don't care how much experience and practice this guy has--he's STILL blind and hasn't a prayer of being a master gunfighter. At least with Zatôichi he could sometimes have his battles at night--helping to minimize his disability. It's even sillier when Blindman asks passers by to tell him in which direction to shoot--and he unerringly makes his shots!! Fortunately, however, Blindman has an amazing horse to make things a little easier.
There is one major way, however, that BLINDMAN and the other films differ. BLINDMAN is much dirtier and sweatier looking--and is among the dirtiest looking Spaghetti Westerns I have seen. In addition, it has lots of nudity, more violence and is less a film about a blind do-gooder. Zatôichi was just so kind and good--you knew he would always do the right thing. Blindman, on the other hand, is much more morally ambiguous. He turns out to be kind of good, but throughout much of the film you just can't tell. He seems like a pimp just looking for his "possessions" for much of the time and doesn't do a whole lot to save many, many innocent women from being killed. And, sadly, he didn't seem to care all that much, either, when this happened.
In fact, this brings me to the biggest complaint I have about the film. It is one of the most callous films I have ever seen in its treatment of women. It isn't the nudity I am talking about but how many times you see women being punched in the face, slapped, violently killed and even raped. In one memorable scene, Blindman has to fight a crazed woman to the death and snaps her neck! It's all very disturbing when you realize these women are being brutalized for your entertainment! This is NOT a film for a feminist to watch--unless you are deliberately trying to make them very angry. Even as a guy, I felt rather uneasy about all this decidedly misogynistic material.
The fun begins with Blindman comes into town demanding the fifty women that some guy named The Skunk promised him (apparently these women were kidnapped and are now being forced into prostitution). Unfortunately, Skunk doesn't have them--he's given them to a sadistic gang leader (Domingo) much like Pancho Villa. Interestingly, though, this guy and his gang look much more like extras from a Hells Angels type movie than a Spaghetti Western. And it turns out they act pretty much like them as well, as they are 100% untrustworthy and evil--as you soon see when they offer the General and his men these 50 women (you have to see it to know what I am talking about). When Blindman comes demanding these same 50 women, not surprisingly, Blindman gets the crap kicked out of him by the gang. So far, he isn't looking too much like a super-hero or Zatôichi--just some dumb guy getting his butt kicked repeatedly.
Not surprisingly, Blindman escapes and seems ready to fight the baddies. However, then he seems to set up the women to be killed--at least that's how I saw it. Only then, after many are slaughtered, does he react...eventually. Ultimately, naturally, it ends in a battle between Domingo and Blindman...and it's not super surprising to see who wins. Oddly, however, there is a lot more to the ending than this and it really looked as if they were planning a sequel to tie up loose bits from this film. Alas, the sequel never materialized.
Overall, the film is exciting but too dark and bleak for me to enjoy. Others obviously could look past all this, but I just can't see this as anything but a second-rate knock off of Zatôichi.
By the way, Ringo Starr is also in this film. Based on how things went for him, it would seem like Blindman, not Yoko or Linda, broke up the Beatles.
There is one major way, however, that BLINDMAN and the other films differ. BLINDMAN is much dirtier and sweatier looking--and is among the dirtiest looking Spaghetti Westerns I have seen. In addition, it has lots of nudity, more violence and is less a film about a blind do-gooder. Zatôichi was just so kind and good--you knew he would always do the right thing. Blindman, on the other hand, is much more morally ambiguous. He turns out to be kind of good, but throughout much of the film you just can't tell. He seems like a pimp just looking for his "possessions" for much of the time and doesn't do a whole lot to save many, many innocent women from being killed. And, sadly, he didn't seem to care all that much, either, when this happened.
In fact, this brings me to the biggest complaint I have about the film. It is one of the most callous films I have ever seen in its treatment of women. It isn't the nudity I am talking about but how many times you see women being punched in the face, slapped, violently killed and even raped. In one memorable scene, Blindman has to fight a crazed woman to the death and snaps her neck! It's all very disturbing when you realize these women are being brutalized for your entertainment! This is NOT a film for a feminist to watch--unless you are deliberately trying to make them very angry. Even as a guy, I felt rather uneasy about all this decidedly misogynistic material.
The fun begins with Blindman comes into town demanding the fifty women that some guy named The Skunk promised him (apparently these women were kidnapped and are now being forced into prostitution). Unfortunately, Skunk doesn't have them--he's given them to a sadistic gang leader (Domingo) much like Pancho Villa. Interestingly, though, this guy and his gang look much more like extras from a Hells Angels type movie than a Spaghetti Western. And it turns out they act pretty much like them as well, as they are 100% untrustworthy and evil--as you soon see when they offer the General and his men these 50 women (you have to see it to know what I am talking about). When Blindman comes demanding these same 50 women, not surprisingly, Blindman gets the crap kicked out of him by the gang. So far, he isn't looking too much like a super-hero or Zatôichi--just some dumb guy getting his butt kicked repeatedly.
Not surprisingly, Blindman escapes and seems ready to fight the baddies. However, then he seems to set up the women to be killed--at least that's how I saw it. Only then, after many are slaughtered, does he react...eventually. Ultimately, naturally, it ends in a battle between Domingo and Blindman...and it's not super surprising to see who wins. Oddly, however, there is a lot more to the ending than this and it really looked as if they were planning a sequel to tie up loose bits from this film. Alas, the sequel never materialized.
Overall, the film is exciting but too dark and bleak for me to enjoy. Others obviously could look past all this, but I just can't see this as anything but a second-rate knock off of Zatôichi.
By the way, Ringo Starr is also in this film. Based on how things went for him, it would seem like Blindman, not Yoko or Linda, broke up the Beatles.