Lone Wolf and Cub: 'Sword of Vengeance' (1972) and 'Baby Cart at the River Styx' (1972)

My first introduction to the series of samurai movies known as 'Lone Wolf and Cub' was through the film 'Shogun Assassin', where parts of the first two movies were cut together. The story was changed, the voices were dubbed and they added a voice over. I did like it a lot, and when I found out there were acutally a six part series of movies, I was head over heels with joy. This review will be a double feature of the first two movies, 'Sword of Vengeance' and 'Baby Cart at the River Styx', both from 1972.

The first film introduces us to the premise of the series. Itto Ogami is a highly respected samurai and the shogun's chief executioner. One day his wife is killed and he gets framed as a traitor by the Yagya-clan. He's ordered to commit seppuku, but refuses and kills of the men who tries to force him. Accompanied by his three year old son, Daigoro, whom he pushes in a baby cart, he becomes a wandering assassin for hire. Each of the movies focuses both on his conflict with the Yagya-clan, who tries to kill him, and on the assignments he's hired to do.

Tomisaburo Wakayama is awesome as Ogami. He's not a very handsome man, but his wild hair, deep booming voice and effortless handling of the sword make me forget that he doesn't exactly look like the traditional action hero.

The fight scenes in both of these movies are beautiful, absurd and over the top with violence. We're literary talking fountains of blood. Ogami is first and foremost a master swordsman, but he also fights with knifes and spears hidden on the baby cart. Even the baby cart istelf can funtion as a weapon with the three year old Daigoro operating it. The movie does however have a buch of great non fighting scenes. The classic one is of course when Daigoro has to choose between a ball and a sword. If he chooses the ball Ogami will kill him so that he can get reunited with his mom, while if he chooses the sword he will accompany Ogami on his journey. There are also several small scenes which just show the everyday interaction between Ogami and Daigoro that i like.

Personally I love samurai movies. As with western movies there is just something about the mythology of the genre that appeals to me. The characters, the setting, the code of honor and the secret sword technics, it's all so good. I love for instance how people, after being cut, remain standing for a little while before falling to the ground, or the way a samurai puts the sword back in its sheet after use. It's so cinematic and so wonderful.

The 'Lone Wolf and Cub'-movies are very different from the more traditional samurai films directors such as Kurosawa made. They're dirtier, more violent, more absurd and not as epic, but they're so much fun. I think both of these 'Lone Wolf and Cub'-movies are mandatory for any fan of the genre.