Lonewolf Movies
Opinions on the #6 original films by John Robert Dodd
Sword of Vengeance
Ogami in dispute with Lord Retsudo Yagyu
The BABY CART/SWORD OF VENGEANCE/LONE WOLF WITH CHILD/LONE WOLF AND CUB
(and all other aka's) film series is one of the greatest achievements of
cinema.
There were six original films produced between the years of 1972 and 1974.
The movies were based on the great Japanese comic book series created by
Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima.
Koike, the writer of the series, scripted the original six films. It is in
part because of his involvement that the quality of the films are equal to
the comic books. The original six films seem like longer versions of the
comic book stories. The six films are as follows:
1972
- BABY CART/SWORD OF VENGEANCE/LONE WOLF WITH CHILD/LONE WOLF AND CUB #1:
LEND A HAND, LEND A ARM/SWORD OF VENGEANCE
* Tomisaburo Wakayama, Akihiro Tomikawa, Yunosuke Ito. [Actors]
* director: Kenji Misumi. [Production Staff]
Itto Ogami (Wakayama) is hired by a clan to kill a group planning an
assassination. Ogami is to wait in a small village for the potential hit to
arrive. During the trip we get a flashback that explains the story of Ogami
and Daigoro (ie: the Yagyu's treachery causing Ogami to leave Ito
disgraced).
After a half hour of background, Father and son arrive at the village to
find that it has been taken over by a gang of criminals (in a very
Spaghetti Western fashion). Awaiting his hit, Ogami can't reveal who he is.
The gang humiliates Ogami, but still he doesn't fight back.
There is an interesting bond with a prostitute that is formed and a clear
portrait of the hellishness of the times. The finale action sequences are
exhilarating and breath taking (even if the make up isn't always the best).
The duel between Ogami and the Yagyu man at dawn is stunning. The use of
light and shadow is perfect. This scene has been remade (It can be seen in
FUGITIVE SAMURAI and HANDFUL OF SAND) but never was it better realized than
here.
My personal favorite scene is right before the finale. The leader of the
criminals knows he has seen Ogami somewhere before but can't remember
where. As the criminals prepare to leave, the leader orders the trouble
makers executed. An ill samurai prepares to commit seppuku. He says "I need
a decapitator." The leader pauses a moment and mutters, "Decapitator?
Decapitator? Decap?...." Then stares in horror at Ogami's sword which the
leader took away from Ogami in the film's beginning. He realizes now, too
late, who Ogami is.
Criticism of the feudal system is also present here in the very first scene
(pre-credit) as Ogami prepares to assist a young boy who the shogun has
ordered to die. Stunning.
1972
- BABY CART/SWORD OF VENGEANCE/LONE WOLF WITH CHILD/LONE WOLF AND CUB #2:
BABY CART AT RIVER STYX
* Tomisaburo Wakayama, Akihiro Tomikawa, Kashiro Matsuo.
* dir: Kenji Misumi.
Ogami is hired by a clan that specializes in dyes for clothes. Their secret
of the dye is in jeopardy because an informer plans to tell Lord Retsudo
Yagyu (Ogami's nemesis). Meanwhile, Lord Yagyu sends out a gang of female
ninja's to kill Ogami. One female ninja ends up betraying her orders when
she sees the relationship that exists between father and son. Also the
three Hidari brothers, experts in fighting and killing, have been sent to
escort the informer.
More action than the first film (which reminds me of YOJIMBO). By far the
most expressionistic fight is Ogami's showdown with the three brothers in
the desert. Very much like a Spaghetti Western: Daigoro standing in the
middle of the desert and points to his father standing on a dune in the
distance, waiting. There is a highly memorable bit where Ogami kills an
unseen, hidden listener during the hiring scene. The female assassins who
attack while disguised as performers are also a memorable encounter.
Besides action, this film also offers an interesting personal conflict as
the female ninja has to come to terms with her would be vicitim. Great
stuff!
1972
- BABY CART/SWORD OF VENGEANCE/LONE WOLF WITH CHILD/LONE WOLF AND CUB #3:
BABY CART TO HADES / FLYING ON THE WINDS OF DEATH IN A BABY CART
* Tomisaburo Wakayama, Akirhiro Tomikawa, Go Kato, Ichiro Nakatani.
* dir: Kenji Misumi.
Possibly my favorite of the entire series. There is a lot going on in this
film. But instead of seeming fragmented every encounter makes the film that
much tighter. Three brutes and Kanbei, a former samurai, are to become
mercenaries for a lord. In the meantime they wait. The ruffians are looking
for fun. They attack a family on the road, beating the man and raping the
two women. The three bungle the job badly and end up being beaten by the
man. In the confusion, the three spill the name of the lord that hired
them. Kanbei shows up and kills the man and the two women. Kanbei then
takes three branches and forces each ruffian to draw one. Whoever has the
smallest branch will be held entirely responsible for the act and executed.
This way there will be no official investigation and their lord spared
embarrassment. Ogami and Daigoro stumble onto the scene just as the samurai
is performing the execution. The other two ruffians try to attack Ogami and
die. Kanbei isn't sure if Ogami heard the lord's name and challenges Ogami
to a duel. Kanbei says he will look after Daigoro if Ogami looses. Ogami
stops the duel saying he would like there to be one samurai left in the
world. Ogami and Daigoro exit. This is just the begining.
There is a remarkable sequence where Ogami saves a prostitute. This is one
of the best scenes of any of the BABY CART films, revealing Ogami's
humanity and perhaps a sentimental nature underneath the stoicism.
The main plot has Ogami hired by Toizo, a female yakuza (crime boss).
Toizo's father was a member of a clan destroyed by an informant named Gamba
who told of the mental illness of the clan's leader. Gamba is now wealthy
and powerful. Ironically, Gamba soon seeks Ogami out to have him kill the
person he informed about the clan to. Ogami refuses and Gamba concludes
that Ogami is hired to kill him. What follows is an interesting collection
of cat and mouse games between Ogami and Gamba's men. Of these the most
memorable being an ecounter with a pistol toting shootist.
Everything builds to a giant final battle as Ogami takes on what appears to
be an army. Then afterwards faces Kanbei in a private duel on the blood
drenched battlefield. This finale is one of the most emotionally intense
and cathartic of action sequences. Very much like the best of John Woo.
There are even some of Woo's themes present. Even though Ogami and Kanbei
fight on oppossite sides they are very much alike. Emotionally draining and
heartening the conclusion to this film is the perfect finish to a perfect
film.
1972
- BABY CART/SWORD OF VENGEANCE/LONE WOLF WITH CHILD/LONE WOLF AND CUB #4:
HEART OF A PARENT, HEART OF A CHILD/BABY CART IN PERIL
* Tomisaburo Wakayama, Akihiro Tomikawa, Yoichi Hayashi.
* Dir: Buichi Saito.
Itto Ogami is hired by a group of widows to kill their husband's murderer.
They were killed by a female assassin with tatoo's scarring her breasts.
The best sequence in the film occurs before Ogami meets up with the female
asassin. Daigoro gets seperated from his father and lost. He encounters a
wandering swordsman with a grudge against Ogami. Phenomenal scene! The rest
of the film is very good as Ogami tracks down his hit by going to her
father (the leader of a troupe of performers). The father views his
daughter as a disgrace and is more than willing to help Ogami with his
hunt.
What is interesting is the moral ambiguance here. The female assassin is
revealed to have been wronged and is far from evil. The thin line of good
and evil presented here reminds one a little of Clint Eastwood's
UNFORGIVEN, with it's view of Western assassins (Eastwood's a fan of the
BABY CART films). Even though not by the visual stylist Kenji Misumi this
is another solid entry in the series.
There is a final battle with some Yagyu men. The battle is decent though
anti-climatic after the finale of movie #3. But the duel between Ogami and
Lord Yagyu is excellently coreographed. This duel is the only time in the
original six films that Ogami and Lord Yagyu ever crossed swords. And it's
certainly memorable.
1973
- BABY CART/SWORD OF VENGEANCE/LONE WOLF WITH CHILD/LONE WOLF AND CUB #5:
BABY CART IN THE LAND OF DEMONS/PATH BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL
* Tomisaburo Wakayama, Akihiro Tomikawa, Minoru Oki, Michiyo Yasuda.
* Dir: Kenji Misumi.
The most mystical of all of the series openings. Ogami stops at a waterfall
and is approached by a mysterious, face covered, swordsman who challenges
him. Ogami accepts and wins. As he is dying the swordsman explains that
four other challengers await on the road. Each has part of the 500 ryo
payment Ogami requires. Ogami must first prove he is capable of fullfilling
the job, hence the tests. Each, brilliantly filmed, test is presented with
an emphasis on a natural element (water and fire). With each challenger
Ogami learns a little more about his mission.
Later, Ogami gets yet another job involving the same mission. The film
reveals itself to be a bitter condemnation against feudal codes. This is
the darkest entry in the series and the most complex in terms of story. The
twists in the story are definitely part of the film's greatness and have
only been highlighted here. This is one of the very best in the series. The
action set pieces are excellent as always with the standout being an
execution/battle by (and in) a water body to be crossed.
Also, the structure is fascinating. After the challengers, there is a
simple little scene in which Daigoro is again seperated from his father.
This is a quiet scene that reveals much about the relationship between
father and son. It's a delicate scene. One that is in direct contrast to
the brutal violence of the film's finale. Brilliant in every way.
1974
- BABY CART/SWORD OF VENGEANCE/LONE WOLF WITH CHILD/LONE WOLF AND CUB #6:
WHITE HEAVEN IN HELL/DAIGORO, WE'RE GOING TO HELL
* Tomisaburo Wakayama, Akihiro Tomikawa, Isao Kimura, Minoru Oki.
* Dir: Yoshiyuki Kuroda.
The last of the original six is a good film but not up there with the
others in the series. This film starts promising. Retsudo Yagyu has had
enough of Ogami and wants him dead at all costs. But most of the Yagyu
immediate family are already dead (killed by Ogami). There only remains
two: a granddaughter who is an expert in the lethal art of knives, and an
illegitamate, rejected son who practices the black arts. Ogami's encounter
with each assassin are memorable and there is a dark, supernatural mood
that gives the film a creepy ambiance.
The problem comes after Ogami defeats the two challengers (about the
halfway mark). There are a trio of left over zombies that don't do much.
And finally just seem rather silly. The final battle is also problematic.
Don't get me wrong, the action scenes are as breathtaking as always and the
violence extreme. In fact this may be the goriest fight in the BABY CART
series (it takes place on the pure white snow). But there isn't much
emotional impact: samurai assassin's on ski's; Lord Yagyu's final "we will
get you one day Ogami" ending; etc. Not a bad film and well worth watching.
If your and action fan the final battle will be a delight. But the film's
sort of an unfulfilled promise.
1992
- LONE WOLF WITH CHILD: THE FINAL CONFLICT
* Masakazu Tamura, Yushi Shibata, Tatsuya Nakadai.
* Dir: Shou Inoue.
This review appeared in Asian Trash Cinema #5
Lone Wolf with Child: The Final Conflict is a 1992 big-budget production
that not only rivals the original Swords of Vengeance series, but in many
respects surpasses it. Exploitation fans may be disappointed, as the
geysers of blood typical of Shogun Assassin are nowhere in sight; in fact
the beautifully staged action sequences are purposely undermined by a
somber, lyrical score that indicates that the path widower swordsman Itto
Ogami has taken is not one of glory, but of tragedy.
More than anything, Final Conflict is a re-examination of the
source material; for the viewer familiar with the original Lone
Wolf films and comics, this film consistently surprises with new approaches
to situations and characters. The lean, handsome Itto Ogami played by
Masakuza Tamura does not stoically hide his love for his son, Daigoro
(Yushi Shibata); his emotions are worn as openly as the previous Ogamis
have hidden theirs. The famous choose-the-ball-or-the-sword sequence is set
up, then played out in a different, yet entirely satisfying manner. Retsudo
Yagyuu (Tatsuya Nakaya) is no longer the white bearded, white-maned human
devil, but a tortured soul.
Perhaps most shockingly, this is a "Baby Cart" movie without a baby
cart! Possibly abandoning this famous aspect of the tale because it
was too gimmicky or comic-booky, director Shou Inoue may also be focusing
on the post-baby cart years of father and son. While the entire saga is
compressed into a two-hour epic, a passage of time between the "origin" of
Lone Wolf and Child, and when we join father and son as they walk their
tragic, lonely path, might well have been filled by those other baby cart
adventures chronicled in Swords of Vengeance.
More likely, the director is re-thinking the entire saga, paying more
attention to the spirit than to the letter. He fills the screen with lovely
images of nature as observed by young Daigoro, and even the scenes of
brutality bear their own sad, bittersweet poetry. The episodic nature of
the film suggests the original source material, and that we are seeing only
portions of Ogami's and Daigoro's much longer journey.
The conclusion on Lone Wolf's quest for vengeance -- and Yagyuu's
parallel quest -- finally reaches the motion picture screen, albeit
in a manner that departs from the specifics from the comics source
material, even while paying it tribute. To say any more would be to spoil
one of the most rewarding sequences in recent cinema. But I will say that
the final image of Daigoro, alone on the sandy beach where his father
recently fought a duel, is the single most beautiful and haunting image in
any one of the Lone Wolf films, surpassing even the comic book series.
Production Staff
"Lone Wolf and Cub -- Sword of Vengeance"
Produced by Katsu Shintaro & Matsubara Hisaharu
Screenplay by Koike Kazuo
Original Story by Koike Kazuo & Kojima Goseki
Director of Photography: Makiura Chishi
Sound Recording: Hayashi Tsuchitaro
Lighting: Mimon Hiroshi
Art Director: Naito Akira
Music: Sakurai Hideaki
Editing: Taniguchi Toshio
Fight Choreography: Kusumoto Eiichi
Sound Effects: Kurajima Yoo
Assistant Director: Tsuji Mitsuaki
Production Manager: Inagaki Masahiko
Narration: Kobayashi Shooji
Film Developing: Tokyo Developing Labs
Directed by Misumi Kenji
[Go Back]
Japanese Cast
Starring Wakayama Tomisaburo as Ogami Itto
Featuring: Watanabe Fumio, Tsuyuguchi Shigeru, Mayama Tomoko, Uchida Tomoo, Naito Taketoshi, Fujita Yoshiko, Katoo Yoshi, Kasahara Reiko, Tomikawa Akihiro (child), Sekiyama Kouji, Otabe Michimaro, Matsuyama Teruo, Date Saburo, Wazaki Toshiya, Gomi Ryuutaro, Sato Kyoichi, Hasegawa Hiroshi, Horikita Yukio, Fujiyama Kooji, Oki Tokio, Takigawa Jun, Iwata Tadashi, Namita Hisao, Terajima Yuusaku, Morita Manabu, Hamada Yuuji, Ishihara Sumao, Etsukawa Hajime, Uehara Kooji, Fujikawa Jun, Fujiharu Tamotsu, Kudan Goroo, Satomi Jun, Mori Shooji, Kobayashi Kanae, Nunome Shinji, Shimomura Yoshimitsu, Kasumi Iwao, Yamaoka Kazuyo, Moriuchi Kazuo, Koshiromon Masami, Naito Jinichiroo, Kobayashi Chieko, Obayashi Kazuo & Nakamura Yutaka (Child)
and Itoo Yunosuke as Ogami Daigoro
[Go Back]
