Kozure Ôkami: Sanzu no kawa no ubaguruma
Tags: good versus evil, violence

Plot synopsis:
In this second Lone Wolf and Cub movie, the disgraced former executioner, or Kogi Kaishakunin to the shogun, Ogami Itto is now living rough on the land with his three-year-old son Daigoro, travelling the countryside as a hired killer. Pushing his son in a baby cart, he stops at a bathhouse looking for a room and a bath, and is eagerly welcomed in by a young woman. However, the manager of the house sees Itto as a dirty vagabond and scolds the young woman for letting him in the house. Overhearing this, Itto goes to the baby cart and retrieves a bundle and hands it to the manager for safe keeping it is 500 gold pieces, earned from a recent job. The manager's tone quickly changes, but when he tries to wash Daigoro's feet, the boy kicks water at the old man and tromps across the floor, leaving wet footprints.Itto's activities are being watched by the Kurokawa spy clan of Shinobi-class ninja, which have fallen in with Itto's nemesis, the Shadow Yagyu. They report on his activities to Sayaka, head of Akari Yagyu clan of female assassins. But the Kurokawa are unsure that the women are up to the task of killing Itto. Sayaka laughs confidently and tells the Kurokawas' leader to send their best man into the room. She then orders the man to try and exit the room. He tries to do so by grappling onto the ceiling, but the female assassins set upon him and make short work of him, hacking off his ears, fingers, arms and legs, leaving the man a writhing heap of just a torso and head before he is finally finished off.Itto, meanwhile, is hired by a clan that specializes in making indigo dye and has a secret process. One of the clan plans to sell out the secret to the shogun. Itto must kill him. The turncoat will be escorted by the three Hidari brothers, each a master of a deadly weapon; the iron claw, the flying mace, and a pair of armored gloves.As he travels to his job, Itto encounters three groups of female assassins of the Akari clan. The first group is disguised as an acrobat troupe that turns deadly as their gymnastic moves are combined with blades and turned against Itto. He then encounters a pair of women who with blades on their straw hats that they throw at Itto as if they are Frisbees. Finally, some women washing vegetables by the river turn out to be assassins and the daikons they are washing are wielded as weapons. Itto kills them all.Then he meets Sayaka, who catches him, his son and the baby cart in a steel net. Itto cuts his way out of the net and engages in a sword duel with her. He delivers what should be a disabling blow to her ankles, but the woman fighter jumps straight up out of her kimono to reveal a fishnet body suit and then runs away, bizarrely jogging backwards.Next, the Kurokawa clan are waiting for Itto, who puts together his naginata (disguised as railing on the baby cart) and gives the baby cart a shove toward the waiting enemies. Daigoro, still in the baby cart then activates blades in the axles of the cart, which cut off the feet of several men. The battle that ensues between Itto and the Kurokawas is fierce and Itto is injured before he kills them all.Weary from the endless fighting, Itto struggles along the road and eventually finds shelter in a shack. Daigoro, seeing that his father needs his help, must do what he can. Unable to carry water in his tiny hands, Daigoro carries water from the river in the only vessel available his mouth. He spits the few drops he could carry between his father's parched lips. For food, Daigoro finds some rice cakes given as an offering to a Buddha statue and takes them for his father, leaving his vest in exchange. Itt recovers and finds that his son is missing. Daigoro has been taken by the Kurokawa and Sayaka, tied up and suspended over a water well. If Itto attacks, they will let go of the rope and Daigoro will plunge to his death. Daigoro lets his sandal drop into the well, giving Itt a gauge of how deep it is. He then makes his move as the rope unspools, stopping it just in time.Sayaka watches silently and makes no move to engage the swordsman, realising his technique far outstrips her own and perhaps also out of a sense of honor for the devotion of the father to his child.Itto then finds himself aboard a ship, carrying the three Hidari brothers. Itto is met by several other members of the indigo-dye clan, who try to kill the Hidaris but are bloodily rebuffed. The clan then sets the ship on fire in an attempt to kill the Hidaris, but the three killers escape. Itto tosses Daigoro and the baby cart into the water, the cart proves itself by floating.Sayaka has followed Itto onto the ship and in the water, she tries to kill him, but is disarmed. Itto, with Daigoro and Sayaka, find shelter, but they are cold. Itt disrobes himself and Daigoro, then turns on Sayaka, tearing off her clothes. But he does not mean to rape her. Instead, he is seeking to get her out of her cold, wet clothes and cling to her while nude. "Three people are warmer than two," he explains. She thinks about taking his sword and killing him, but the cozy scene, with Daigoro sitting between them, playfully fondling her breast, makes her abandon the plan.The final showdown takes place on a vast area of sand dunes. The three Hidari brothers are at the head of a caravan of men carrying a palanquin with the indigo expert inside. The brother with the iron claw runs forward and thrusts his claw into the sand, which boils up with blood. There are men hiding in the sand. He digs his claw into the sand several times, each time creating a pool of blood and pulling up a hiding warrior by his head. The rest of the hidden men in the sand emerge and fight, but the Hidari brothers dispatch them all.Itto awaits, alone, at the top of a large dune. Each brother is dispatched in a high-pressure spray of blood, with the last brother dispatched in a lethal stroke along the throat, a cut that sprays blood in a fine mist, while making a sound like the "howling of the wind". The final slain Hidari brother comments such a fabled finishing stroke is referred to as "Mogaribue", and wishes he had heard the sound just once from the many people he has killed, but is instead hearing it from his own neck as his life slowly drains away.Itto approaches the palanquin with the traitorous indigo expert inside, finishing him off before gathering Daigoro and again setting off. The end sees them out of the desert and on a coastal trail, followed by Sayaka. Aware of her presence Itto stops the cart, looking straight ahead whilst holding out his dotanuki blade, as Sayaka wielding a katana is revealed behind him. Itto stands ominously still until he hears the sound of Sayaka dropping her sword; knowing that she can never defeat the master swordsman.

Review: Kozure Okami:Sanzu no Kawa no Ubaguruma/Lone Wolf & Cub:Baby Cart at the River Styx(1972) is made up of a few episodes from graphic novel series.
Baby Cart at the River Styx(1972) is the best of the six film series because of complex character development, interesting story, and outstanding action sequences.
The Chimes heard by Ogami Itto and his son, Daigoro during early moments of film are a reminder for them of their painful past.
Humorous moment occurs when an owner of a hotel inn takes in Itto and son(Lone Wolf gave him gold pieces to watch over) after thinking of not taking them in moments earlier.
There is a brilliant 360 to 180 degree pan of the camera that features an effective tight close up to display expressions of intuition from faces of Ogami Itto and Daigoro.
Ogami Itto as the Lone Wolf lives by Meifumado as a way towards restoring his family name while at the same time take revenge on the Yagyu clan.
Ogami Itto intriques me as a character of graphic novels and for this instance film because of his strong paternal presence.
Introduces some tough female ninja assassins that Lone Wolf & Cub have to go up against.
Ogami Itto is one tough and determined opponent as the female ninja assassins find out when the majority of this group but one is killed off.
The face off between Ogami Itto and Sayaka, the leader of the female assassin group successfully played by Kayo Matsuo has a surreal feel to it.
Ogami Itto walking through a path of bodies with a baby cart that has a vegetable stuck in the middle front is a nice comic touch.
The confrontation between Lone Wolf & Cub and the Shogunate's Kurokuwa Ninja group is a combo of artful violent imagery and brilliantly smooth editing.
Although the scene does have it share of graphic violence, there is never a crude feel in the action as at moments in Sword of Vengeance(1972).
Fantastic use of cuts and dissolves to make this moment one of the best action scenes from the first two films.
Lone Wolf and Cub:Baby Cart at the River Styx(1972) really gets at the heart of the story with its complex father/son relationship.
The father/son relationship of Itto and Daigoro is what has made the Lone Wolf & Cub stories for so many people.
Maybe not as artisticly refined as in samurai films by Akira Kurosawa, but the violent battle scenes at least never feel bland or boring.
Ogami Itto and Daigoro follow a path of blood and corpses that is steeped in tragedy.
Only when they completely destroy the Yagyu Clan can the Lone Wolf and Cub return to a path of a hopeful future.
Daigoro represents the good, kind side of Ogami Itto whom without would just be cold blooded and ruthless.
One of the actresses(Michie Azuma) who plays a female ninja assassin would have a more substanical role as topless female assassin in Lone Wolf & Cub:Baby Cart in Peril(1972).
Lone Wolf & Cub:Baby Cart at the River Styx(1972) stays true emotionally to the graphic novel that the film is based on..
"Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx".
The "Kozure Ôkami" cycle is, simply put, THE greatest samurai saga ever brought to screen, and this second entry to the cycle is (along with the fifth) arguably the most brilliant of all six films.
Director Kenji Misumi outdoes himself once again with this masterpiece, and the great Tomisaburo Wakayama is again incomparably brilliant in the role of his life as Ogami Itto.
The lone Wolf Ogami Itto returns with his only son Daigoro, on their journey on the 'path to hell'.
His expertise is once again put to the touch, as he is both hired as an assassin, and has a whole group of assassins set on himself by the despised Yagyu clan...The entire "Kozure Ôkami" cycle ranks high among my personal all-time favorites, and "Baby Cart At The River Styx" is my personal favorite of them all, for a variety of reasons.
The Lone Wolf and his son have to stand up against a group of female ninjas lead by Yagyu Sayaka (Kayo Matsuo) as well as three assassin brothers called the 'Masters of Death'.
Ogami Itto's son Daigoro (Akihiro Tomikawa) has grown a bit, and learned to talk (but hardly ever does), since the first film.
Daigoro is, as far as I am considered, arguably the greatest child-character ever in a film.
The father-son relationship of Ogami Itto and Daigoro is one of the great aspects of the 'Ôkami' films, and makes these ultra-violent Chambara-highlights heart-warming at times.
Daigoro's role has become more active in this second entry to the series, and he even actively engages in some of the crafty tricks in his father's fights.
Tomisaburo Wakayama is again brilliant in the lead and the rest of the performances are also great, especially Kayo Matsuo is excellent as ninja-lady Sayaka, and so are the three 'Masters Of Death'."Lone Wolf And Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx" is pure perfection in every aspect.
I have seen too many films to come up with a list of all-time favorites, but if I ever was to make such a list, this second entry to the brilliant 'Okami' series would definitely be in the top 10!
An incomparably brilliant masterpiece of blood-soaked swordplay-cinema, "Kozure Ôkami: Sanzu no kawa no ubaguruma" is essential for every true lover of film!
Another winner in the BABY CART series (but honestly, I can't find too much fault in any of the films in this set of "classic" films...) and personally my favorite single entry...This one has the Lone Wolf and his Cub still enjoying the "misadventures" of samurai-for-hire, and of course their quest for vengeance against the Yagyu clan that initially betrayed them.
There is also the requisite side story of Itto's "hit of the day"...This one has some pretty fast-and-furious fight scenes and is probably the most action packed of the series.
Again, like the other entries, good acting, great sets and costumes, beautiful camera-work, and the almost magical but extremely unorthodox "chemistry" between father and son are not to be missed.
The use of silence in some of the fight scenes were great but at first I thought it was really strange and didn't have a clue what was going on and I was saying every swear word in the dictionary of swearing then my Fiancée brought me back down to earth and said that she once read that samurai attacks in completely silence so it's enemy isn't aware of his moves which was the reason the film was like this and my thought straight away was `Clever Buggers'.
Alas, Lone Wolf is one with void now, but his legend will live on forever in these films.
Trailed by a clan of female ninja, Ogami is paid to assassinate a clan traitor accompanied by three killers known as the Monks of Death.The English title refers to the River Styx, which strictly speaking is not accurate.
In Baby Cart at the River Styx, for the first time, we see vulnerability from the master swordsman and a little headstrong personality from his young child.
Some of the fighting is a little awkward, and the formula is threatening to wear thin, but overall this represents a wonderfully stylish, entertaining continuation of the journey that was so well-established in the first film.
In this, the second in the Lone Wolf and Cub series, ronin Ogami Itto (Tomisaburo Wakayama) and his son Daigoro (Akihiro Tomikawa) continue to wander the land as assassins for hire, all the while keeping an eye out for members of the nasty Ragyu clan, who want them dead.When the wealthy Awa clan approach Itto, offering him 500 gold pieces to kill a man who might be able to ruin them financially, he accepts; in order to complete his mission, he must face many dangers, including a team of vicious female warriors, and the highly skilled Hidari brothers, also known as the Gods of Death.Baby Cart at the River Styx sees director Kenji Misumi delivering a breathtaking sequel to his excellent Sword of Vengeance.
Like a Japanese Sergio Leone, he once again uses extreme close-ups, rapid zooms, sparing use of a haunting soundtrack, and superbly choreographed violence to continue his epic tale of a man and boy on a gore-spattered journey through 'hell'.From the opening scene in which Itto quickly dispatches of two Yagyu clansmen, through to the stunning climax which sees Lone Wolf and Cub battling the Hidaris in a desert, this film is a stunning and often beautiful display of carnage.
There are occasional moments of tenderness too, with the close bond between father and son displayed in a couple of notable scenes: Ogami gently bathes Daigoro, with one hand on his sword in readiness for trouble; and Daigoro nurses his injured father back to health, trading his jacket for food.My only gripe with Baby Cart at the River Styx is that the film is often very dark, and it was extremely hard to see what was going on, particularly during the many night scenes.
Whilst this may be due to my DVD being a bad transfer, it did affect my enjoyment of the film (I had to re-watch the gory dismemberment of one unfortunate shinobi at the hands of the female ninjas with my TV's brightness and contrast whacked right up), which is why I give it slightly less than Sword of Vengeance7.5/10 (although I have to round my rating up to 8 for IMDb, which technically puts it on a par with the first one)..
I love the entire 6 part series, but this one is my personal favorite with it's grand collection of action, emotion and gory dismemberment.Time has passed since the Yagyu clan framed Ogami Itto as a traitor and murdered his wife, but the wandering assassin is as determined as ever.
At the same time, Ogami has just accepted a job to assassinate dye maker.Arguably the bloodiest of the series, but also the most methodical.
Once swords are drawn, however, the movie becomes a whole other beast entirely; the action is fast, it's gory, and it's ever so fun to watch.Story wise, this one doesn't do much for the overlapping plot of the series.
Inparticular, the three 'Gods of Death' are a nice addition; Ogami's fight with them is the best of the series in my opinion.Nothing much to say on the technical front, it's no better or worse then any other film in the sub-genre.
Sound, lighting, direction, acting are all sufficient enough to get the job done.A classic of samurai film and another hardy addition to a great series.9/10.
And of course I saw the first Lone Wolf and Cub movie before I watched this.
It's the usual Ogami Itto getting hired to kill some bad guys, that's basically the entire plot boiled down to it's core.
If you already thought that the first movie was action packed, wait until you see this one.It's not just more action filled or entertaining but it's also a better done film as well.
The movie is basically non-stop entertaining action in which Ogami Itto takes on more bad guys and gals than ever before.
Watch this film and whole set of baby cart films.
The opening of film sets the pace and style, with lone wolf ninja encounter.
Highly enjoyable, with a great mise en scene, every frame has meaning and every scene has value.Once you buy this film you will want all Kenji's films, including the great blind swordsman films.For action and style River Styx is hard to beat..
The final duel between Ogami and the Masters of Death is a great one.
Also when Diagoro is rolled in the cart and cuts the legs of two of the ninja.that's a good bit.All in all the films can't be compared to the comics.
ogami itto still in the path of avenge his wife,this time he has to fight yaigiu ninjas,killer women, and three weird guys that uses unusual weapons.
This is an example of how hacks can make an action movie an embarrassment for all involved.This is a story about a guy who rolls his son along in a cart, but all they do is just kill what seems like hundreds of people.In fact, everyone seems to be just killing everyone, with one exception.
The overkill of fighting and killing gets more monotonous than the lack of action in movies like "Equus".In effect, this is "Equus", just the flip side of the coin.
This, the second of the 'Lone Wolf and Cub' series of films, sees protagonist Ogami Itto, an assassin who travels with his young son Daigoro, being hunted by a group of female ninjas who are working for the Yagyu clan.
As well as dealing with these assailants Ogami has been hired by another clan who want him to kill a traitor who intends to give the secret of their lucrative indigo dying process to the shogunate.
This man is being escorted by the three Hidari brothers a trio of killers who is each a master of a lethal weapon; one has a spiked club, another has spiked gauntlets and the most deadly has a claw-like weapon.I came to this without seeing the first film in the series but that didn't really matter as it was easy to figure out what was going on.
The action starts almost immediately and gives the viewer a fair warning of what is to come Ogami is attacked and one assailant ends up with a sword buried in his head and a second sprays vividly coloured blood after he is speared.
There is plenty of similar violent action throughout the film with just enough quieter moments to lets us know what is going on.
It is the relationship between Ogami and Daigoro that makes the film so memorable the idea of an assassin who pushes his son around in an armed cart is original to say the least.
Overall this was a solid samurai action film; it is pretty violent but fans of the genre should enjoy it.These comments are based on watching the film in Japanese with English subtitles..
The second in the Lone Wolf & Cub series - and the best!.
This follow-up to the excellent SWORD OF VENGEANCE is everything a sequel should be: it's better than the original, taking themes and running with them, and as a whole more expansive and elaborate than the first film.
Although the action-focused plot is slimmer than in the first film, the central characters are explored at more depth.
In fact, he's quickly becoming, in my eyes, the greatest child character ever put on film – the scene with the water is endearing beyond belief.
The supporting cast is pretty iconic, with a ruthless female fighter who becomes gradually attached to the killer twosome, and a trio of imposing 'gods of death' who cut quite the figure with their huge helmets and outlandish weaponry.There are so many great bits in this short film that it's hard to remember them all.
A highlight for me is when Ogami must contend with a clan of female assassins, who come at him in a series of spectacular ambushes.
It may well be the most entertaining samurai film ever made!.
Lone Wolf and Cub are living up the assassin life and Yagyu monks hunt him everywhere he goes.
Yagyu hires Sayaka and her band of female assassin's to kill Ogami, currently employed in her town Akashi.
The traitor escaped to the next Domain over, awaiting the arrival of the Shogunate escorts, BenTenRai, to safely bring him to Edo.Before Ogami faces the Three Brothers he must first take out Sayaka, her band of assassin's, and Kurokuwa-Yagyu monks.
Assassin for hire Ogami (superbly played by the husky Tomisaburo Wakayama) battles a group of deadly female ninjas led by the ruthless Sayaka (a deliciously vicious portrayal by Kayo Matsuo) and accepts an assignment to kill a traitor who's planning on selling his clan's secrets to the Shogunate.Director Kenji Misumi keeps the absorbing story moving along at a steady pace, delivers oodles of outrageously excessive blood-spurting violence, and stages the exciting sword fights with rip-snorting aplomb, with the climax set in the desert in particular rating as an absolute corker.
Moreover, Daigoro actually kills a few people himself thanks to his booby trap equipped baby cart (!).
The Lone Wolf and Cub series was co-produced by Shintaro Katsu--the same man who played the lovable Zatoichi in so many films.
While there are clear similarities between the two series, the Lone Wolf and Cub series will not be mistaken for the Zatoichi films because they are clearly much more adult and more morally ambiguous.
In the first Lone Wolf and Cub film, I was actually rather put off by this.
Also the enemy are clearly bad and it was easy to root for Ogami Itto in his two major conflicts.The film begins with the clan who is trying to destroy Ogami approaching a group of rather intense female ninjas for their help.
When the clan hires Ogami to kill the three and the man who is trying to betray his clan you can understand Ogami's need to kill them--and it sets up a great finale.Be forewarned that although this movie has less nudity and is in some ways tamer than the first film, it clearly surpasses it in blood.
I have never seen a Japanese film with more blood spraying in all my life--and this includes the super-bloody Zatoichi film made by Beat Takeshi a few years back!
Oddly, some of the killing and gore was done by Ogami's tiny son in this installment!!
No, this is an adult-oriented film--and an extremely bloody and entertaining one at that.By the way, if you like to see mistakes, watch the bathtub scene.