Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell (AKA Shogun Assassin 5: Cold Road to Hell)
Dir: Yoshiyuki Kuroda
1974
****
The Lone Wolf and Cub series (known as ‘Wolf taking along his child’ in Japan) started out as a manga comic created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima. First published in 1970, the story was later adapted into six films starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, four plays, a television series starring Kinnosuke Yorozuya and is widely recognized as an important and influential work. Lone Wolf and Cub chronicles the story of Ogami Ittō, the shōgun's executioner who uses a dōtanuki battle sword. Disgraced by false accusations from the Yagyū clan, he is forced to take the path of the assassin. Along with his three-year-old son, Daigorō, they seek revenge on the Yagyū clan and are known as "Lone Wolf and Cub". A total of six Lone Wolf and Cub films starring Tomisaburo Wakayama as Ogami Ittō and Tomikawa Akihiro as Daigoro have been produced based on the manga. They are also known as the Sword of Vengeance series, based on the English-language title of the first film, and later as the Baby Cart series, because young Daigoro travels in a baby carriage pushed by his father. The first three films, directed by Kenji Misumi, were released in 1972 and produced by Shintaro Katsu, Tomisaburo Wakayama's brother and the star of the 26 part Zatoichi film series. The next three films were produced by Wakayama himself and directed by Buichi Saito, Kenji Misumi and Yoshiyuki Kuroda, released in 1972, 1973, and 1974 respectively. The more famous Shogun Assassin (1980) was an English language compilation for the American audience, edited mainly from the second film, with 11 minutes of footage from the first. Also, the third film, Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades was re-released on DVD in the US under the name Shogun Assassin 2: Lightning Swords of Death. While I love Shogun Assassin and the weird American child narration, you can’t beat the originals and they should be watched over the edited remake. The sixth and final film of the series, Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell (released in the USA as Shogun Assassin 5: Cold Road to Hell), was directed by Yoshiyuki Kuroda and is the only Lone Wolf and Cub film not to be directed by either Kenji Misumi or Buichi Saito. It’s a very different film to the others but a fine way to end the series. Yoshiyuki Kuroda brings an updated feel to the film, dating it very much in the mid-70s. The music is ace and out of the six film this one feels the most of its time. It actually reminded me of a Roger Moore era James Bond film in several scenes and the appearance of skiing samurai was something I didn’t realise I would love until I saw it. While still on his travels, this time in the snowy mountains of Japan, the swordsman Ogami Ittō and his young son Daigoro are confronted by a secretive branch of the Yagyū clan that practices black magic, including the ability to burrow through the earth. Retsudo is back and this time he wants to finish the job. Ittō has killed all but one of his children so far, so instead of getting someone else to kill him, he orders his daughter to go after him. No need to call social services just yet though, as his daughter Kaori is an expert with knives and has a nifty little trick where she throws a knife in the air and always manages to get it to land on the head of her enemy. Ittō however is now fool and he sees past her little trick. Retsudo does have an illegitimate son though, his method of attack is psychological though, and instead of going after Ittō, he just kills all the innocent people he comes in contact with – including the candy seller – which clearly upsets little Daigoro. There is a lot of weird magic in this episode which makes for entertaining but puzzling viewing. The gore is good though and the snowy background makes for a nice change of scene. The final battle between Ittō and the combined clan groups under Retsudo on a snow-capped mountain is brilliant and a great way to end the series. The baby cart becomes a sled and Ittō defeats the entire army, shooting, stabbing, slashing, dismembering and beheading the entire army. Somehow the one-eyed Retsudo again gets away, vowing to kill Ittō another time but alas, he never does. It was time to call it a day and end on a high. Daigoro was getting older and it was becoming inappropriate to see him naked and bathing with his father. He overreacted quite a few times in this episode which was out of character but apart from that it was classic Baby cart. The epic climatic fight sequence in the snow took a month and a half to shoot. The shoot was grueling and Tomisaburô Wakayama almost collapsed several times. It was so cold on the day that the opening sequence with Ogami Itto and Daigoro walking across a desolate wintry landscape that child actor Akihiro Tomikawa started crying and refused to do the scene. The situation was rectified by substituting a dummy for Tomikawa as Daigoro in the long shots. It was all worth it though and the film is brilliant. A fine ending to a fine series.