Who was Shintaro Katsu?

Actor Shintaro Katsu was born Toshio Okumura on November 29, 1931. He seemed destined for an actor's life. His father was a renowned kabuki performer and master of the Japanese singing style known as nagauta, so it was only natural for Shintaro to follow in his father's footsteps along with his older brother, Wakayama Tomisaburo (of Lone Wolf fame.) His celebrity status was not limited to just one series of samurai films. He was also a popular singer, releasing a few music CD's during his career. The Zatoichi film series was produced in the sixties but he appeared in film as late as the eighties. Nicknamed Katsu-shin, he lived in the moment, and relied upon his feelings when acting. His portrayal of the blind master swordsman in a series of movies and on television brought him tremendous popularity throughout Southeast Asia and influenced similar action films in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Shintaro Katsu was the kind of star who could only emerge from "studios". He possessed all the dreams that studios could give him and then gave them to us, and in such splendid abundance that those outside the studio could not help but confuse the dreams with reality. 'Zato-ichi Monogatari' (1962), which firmly established his stardom, was his 94th film. In Zato-ichi Monogatari, the blind protagonist fatally wounds his friend and the man leans on Ichi's shoulder. The filmmakers wanted to present this sequence so that the man's dying heartbeat was audible, and Ichi listens to the final beat. Though they tried everything, the effect was not successful and was finally cut from the final version of the film. What remains, however, is the deeply sorrowful expression on Ichi's face at the death of his old friend. The actor's sensitivity and keen observation of human nature, created powerful, precise and altogether unique performances.

Katsu died of cancer June 21, 1997 at the age of 65.

Throughout his life of struggle and happiness, this great star never ceased pursuing his dreams. Other than his marriage to a Japanese actress, there is very little information readily available on his private life.


Source: Zatoichi∞

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