Even before seeing the "Kozure Ôkami" (aka. "Lone Wolf And Cub") films, I was already a fan of director Kenji Misumi, for entries to the popular "Zatoichi" series, and even more so, for his sleazy and brilliant 1972 Samurai-Exploitation masterpiece "Goyôkiba" (aka. "Hanzo The Razor - Sword Of Justice") starring the great Shintaro Katsu. At the latest when I first saw this first part to the "Kozure Okami" cycle, Misumi irrevocably became one of my favorite directors of all-times. He directed the first, second, third and fifth film of what is arguably the most brilliant Samurai-saga ever brought to screen, and this "Kozure Ôkami: Kowokashi udekashi tsukamatsuru" aka. "Lone Wolf And Cub: Sword Of Vengeance" of 1972 is the first of these incomparably brilliant films. Tomisaburo Wakayama, elder brother of the more famous and equally great Shintaro Katsu ("Zatôichi", "Hanzo The Razor"), is brilliant in the role of his life as Ogami Itto, my personal favorite (anti-)hero character in the history of motion pictures.
Ogami Itto, the 'Kaishakunin' (highest executioner) of the Shogunate, falls victim to a conspiracy by the powerful Yagyu-clan. After his wife is murdered, Itto is supposed to commit seppuku with his infant son Daigoro. He waits for his accusers in mourning dress. Not in order to kill himself, however, but to announce that he and his son will henceforth walk the 'path of hell' as an assassin, killing for 500 ryu as the 'Lone Wolf with his child', in order to clear his name and avenge his wife's death...
Tomisaburo Wakayama as Itto Ogami is, as mentioned above, in my opinion one of the greatest (and most bad-ass) characters in motion picture history. Even though the 'Ôkami' films are based on a comic book series, it seems like the role of Ogami Itto was written especially for Tomisaburo Wakayama, and as if Wakayama was born to play this particular role. Sheer brilliance also comes from Akihiro Tomikawa, who plays Ogami Itto's infant son Daigoro, and who never played another role after the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series. Never have I seen a greater child-character nor a greater child-performance in a film. In this first film, Daigoro is still a toddler who doesn't speak a word, and yet it is him who is responsible for some of the most ingenious and witty moments in the film. The film is blood-soaked throughout (and the successors become even more violent) and yet the father-son relationship of Ogami Itto and Daigoro gives these ultra-violent Chambara-highlights a sort of heart-warming touch at times. The ingenious score by Hideaki Sakudai is equally impressive as the brilliant editing and prefect cinematography. Hardly have sequences made an impact on me as in the 'Ôkami' films when the music suddenly stops and hardly a sound is heard. Simply everything about "Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance" is perfection in my eyes: the unique atmosphere, the feeling, the brilliant performance and characters (above all Ogami Itto and Daigoro), the impressive locations, the swordplay sequences and incomparably stylish gore, the score... I could keep on praising this film for a long time, but I'll simply conclude with an advice: Get this film now! The entire "Kozure Okami" cycle ranks high on my personal all-time favorite list, and this first film is particularly essential! The American director Robert Houston edited the first two 'Okami' films together as "Shogun Assassin" in 1980 (I haven't seen it yet), but, as far as I am considered the Japanese Language is an absolutely essential factor here, and I strongly advise everybody to go for the (subtiteled) Japanese version. I first saw this film when I got all six 'Okami' films on DVD about a month ago, and I have seen the entire cycle three times by now, so you can imagine how deep an impact this has made on me. In short: "Kozure Ôkami: Kowokashi udekashi tsukamatsuru" is a masterpiece that is absolutely essential for any lover of film to see! 10/10!
Ogami Itto, the 'Kaishakunin' (highest executioner) of the Shogunate, falls victim to a conspiracy by the powerful Yagyu-clan. After his wife is murdered, Itto is supposed to commit seppuku with his infant son Daigoro. He waits for his accusers in mourning dress. Not in order to kill himself, however, but to announce that he and his son will henceforth walk the 'path of hell' as an assassin, killing for 500 ryu as the 'Lone Wolf with his child', in order to clear his name and avenge his wife's death...
Tomisaburo Wakayama as Itto Ogami is, as mentioned above, in my opinion one of the greatest (and most bad-ass) characters in motion picture history. Even though the 'Ôkami' films are based on a comic book series, it seems like the role of Ogami Itto was written especially for Tomisaburo Wakayama, and as if Wakayama was born to play this particular role. Sheer brilliance also comes from Akihiro Tomikawa, who plays Ogami Itto's infant son Daigoro, and who never played another role after the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series. Never have I seen a greater child-character nor a greater child-performance in a film. In this first film, Daigoro is still a toddler who doesn't speak a word, and yet it is him who is responsible for some of the most ingenious and witty moments in the film. The film is blood-soaked throughout (and the successors become even more violent) and yet the father-son relationship of Ogami Itto and Daigoro gives these ultra-violent Chambara-highlights a sort of heart-warming touch at times. The ingenious score by Hideaki Sakudai is equally impressive as the brilliant editing and prefect cinematography. Hardly have sequences made an impact on me as in the 'Ôkami' films when the music suddenly stops and hardly a sound is heard. Simply everything about "Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance" is perfection in my eyes: the unique atmosphere, the feeling, the brilliant performance and characters (above all Ogami Itto and Daigoro), the impressive locations, the swordplay sequences and incomparably stylish gore, the score... I could keep on praising this film for a long time, but I'll simply conclude with an advice: Get this film now! The entire "Kozure Okami" cycle ranks high on my personal all-time favorite list, and this first film is particularly essential! The American director Robert Houston edited the first two 'Okami' films together as "Shogun Assassin" in 1980 (I haven't seen it yet), but, as far as I am considered the Japanese Language is an absolutely essential factor here, and I strongly advise everybody to go for the (subtiteled) Japanese version. I first saw this film when I got all six 'Okami' films on DVD about a month ago, and I have seen the entire cycle three times by now, so you can imagine how deep an impact this has made on me. In short: "Kozure Ôkami: Kowokashi udekashi tsukamatsuru" is a masterpiece that is absolutely essential for any lover of film to see! 10/10!