Kozure Ôkami: Kowokashi udekashi tsukamatsuru (1972)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Kenji Misumi

Writers:

Kazuo Koike (screenplay)
Kazuo Koike (story)

Release Date:

23 August 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Plot:

The story of a Ronin (i.e. a masterless samurai) who wanders the countryside of Japan with his small child, having various adventures.

Plot Keywords:

Manga | Samurai | Executioner | Loss Of Wife | Based On Comic

Cast

Tomisaburo Wakayama	...	Ogami Itto
Fumio Watanabe	...	Sugito
Tomoko Mayama	...	Osen (whore)
Shigeru Tsuyuguchi	...	Matsuki Junai
Tomoo Uchida	...	Goto
Taketoshi Naitô	...	Inspector Yagyu Bizen-no-Kami
Yoshi Kato
Yoshiko Fujita
Reiko Kasahara	...	Azami
Akihiro Tomikawa	...	Daigoro
Kauji Sokiyamo
Teruo Matsuyama
Toshiya Wazaki
Michimaro Otabe
Saburo Date

Also Known As:

Lone Wolf and Cub: Child and Expertise for Rent (literal English title)
Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (USA)
Sword of Vengeance I

Runtime:

USA:83 min | Australia:80 min (DVD)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:18 | Australia:MA (cable rating) | UK:18 | USA:Unrated | Australia:R (DVD rating)

Company:

Katsu Production Co. Ltd.

Quotes:

Ogami Itto: You would've been happier if you'd chosen to join your mother in her world.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Shogun Assassin (1980)

Blazing Swords

This is one of those movies that met my high expectations. It's the first film in the popular "Baby Cart" series, based on an equally popular comic book of the same name. My first brush with the film came in the form of "Shogun Assassin (1980)," a feature-length film that consisted of scenes from some films in the series. I thought that movie was fantastic, so I have always wanted to see the entire series. This movie did not disappoint me. The story is about a Samurai named Ogami Itto (superbly played by Tomisaburo Wakayama) who is betrayed by his own clan (the treacherous Yagyu clan). He soon becomes a Ronin for hire, while still seeking to destroy the Yagyu. The movie has a great gimmick - Ogami fights his enemies while pushing the stroller that carries his infant son. The story is tightly constructed, the cinematography is breathtaking, and the editing is clever and effective. It has some of the most spectacular fight sequences I have ever seen (the climax is incredible!); the film contains many graphic and imaginative sequences. But the movie is not all action; it has one fascinating subplot about a prostitute. In actuality, director Kenji Misumi does a fantastic job in balancing all the film's elements; action, gore, politics, and sentiment get equal attention. It is a truly exciting, fast-paced and intelligent movie. Needles to say, this not for the squeamish. A must-see movie for fans of Samurai films.