Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades

Based on the manga series by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades is the third film of the series in which the father/son duo who continue their journey through Japan as the former saves a prostitute from humiliation after killing her client as he would do a job for the yakuza to kill a governor. Directed by Kenji Misumi and screenplay by Kazuo Koike, the film explore the father/son duo as they deal with an unruly world as well as a growing sense of corruption that would involve the Yakuza and other factions as Itto Ogami/Lone Wolf and Daigoro/Cub are reprised respectively by Tomisaburo Wakayama and Akihiro Tomikawa. Also starring Go Kato, Yuko Hama, Isao Yamagata, and Michitaro Mizushima. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades is a ravishing and evocative film from Kenji Misumi.

The film follows a father-son duo as they continue their journey through Edo-era Japan as they remain in pursuit of the clan who had disgraced him as he would encounter a lowly group of samurai warriors and later a yakuza who was about to punish a prostitute for killing a client as he is later asked by the yakuza leader to kill a power-hungry governor. It’s a film that play into Itto Ogami and his son Daigoro as they encounter a sense of unruliness around them as the lowly group of samurai warriors would rape a couple of women only to be taken care of by their leader Kanbei (Go Kato) who is revealed to be a man with a sense of honor. This idea of code and honor would continue after Ogami chooses to protect a prostitute he and Daigoro met on a boat early in the film as the yakuza leader in Torizo (Yuko Hama) is amazed by taking all sorts of physical and mental torture for this prostitute as she learns about his true identity. Kazuo Koike’s script is largely straightforward while it does feature some flashbacks as it relates to the governor Sawatari Genba (Isao Yamagata) who is eager to win the favor of Ogami’s enemies.

Kenji Misumi’s direction does maintain a sense of style from its previous films while he also restrains some of the violence though images of dismembered body parts, blood sprays, and such still are shown in the film. Yet, Misumi does showcase this air of chaos and discontent in the way a young woman and her mother are raped by a gang of lowly samurai warriors or how the prostitute is mistreated by her client. Shot in various rural locations in Japan, Misumi does use the locations as characters in the film from the bamboo forest early in the film where Ogami disposes a trio of ninjas while the scene in the desert hill serves as the climax between Ogami and the governor’s army. The usage of the wide shots don’t just play into the scope of the locations but also in how Daigoro would place himself on a spot to get someone’s attention or just to get a view of what he’s seeing whenever his father is about to attack.

With the aid of fight choreographer Eiichi Kusumoto, Misumi’s approach to the fighting is more restrained as it’s more about who makes the first move as well as a sense of respect during duels as it’s something both Torizo and Kanbei have believing there’s still some semblance of honor despite the former’s lack of belief towards codes with her yakuza. Misumi’s close-ups and medium shots help play into the drama and air of suspense as well as these stylish flashbacks as it relates to the governor that Ogami is hired to kill. Its climax doesn’t just play into this growing disconnect over thirst of power and honor but also the idea of what a samurai really is as it’s something both Ogami and Kanbei are asking. Overall, Misumi crafts a rapturous yet chilling film about a father-son duo who trek through Japan as they encounter unruliness in their path.

Cinematographer Chikashi Makiura does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its gorgeous usage of natural lights for many of the daytime exteriors while the nighttime scenes feature lighting by Hiroshi Mima who help provide a low-key look to the film along with the flashbacks which were shot in black-and-white. Editor Toshio Taniguchi does excellent work with the editing as its emphasis on style in the jump-cuts, dissolves, and other stylish cuts help play into the action as well as the suspense and drama where things do slow down to play more into emotional reactions than action. Production designer Yoshinobu Nishioka does amazing work with the look of the yakuza’s main base including an inn that they run as well as the lavish home of the governor. The makeup work of Hideo Yumoto and Toshio Tanaka do terrific work with the look of a few characters from the one-armed man hiding in Torizo’s closet to the ragged look of Kanbei’s gang.

The special stunt effects by Daizen Shishido is amazing for some of the action that occurs including scenes that involve aerial attacks from ninjas and samurais as it help play into the action. The sound work of Tsuchitaro Hayashi, with sound effects by Toru Kurashima, is superb for the atmosphere of the locations as well as sounds of gunfire, swords, and arrows that occur during battle. The film’s music by Hideaki Sakurai is phenomenal for its array of themes from a Western-like theme for the main characters with its guitars and strings as well as percussive-based music for its suspense and sounds of strings and warbling synthesizers for the film’s climatic battle.

The film’s wonderful ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Jun Hamamura as the one-armed retainer that Torizo had been hiding that Ogami knew, Sayoko Kato as the prostitute that Ogami and Daigoro protects, Michitaro Mizushima as a former aide of Governor Genba from the film’s flashbacks, and Isao Yamagata as the power-hungry Sawatari Genba who is hoping to gain the favor of the shogunate and his clan upon learning about Ogami whom he realizes is a threat. Yuko Hamada is excellent as the yakuza leader Torizo as a woman who learns about Ogami’s true identity as she sees someone that she respects as well as asking for help as it relates to the governor whom she despises. Go Kato is amazing as Kanbei as a leader of a ragged group of lowly samurai warriors who encounters Ogami early in the film as he is aware of who he is as they would later meet where Kanbei is a man of respect and honor as he is trying to answer the question of identity and being a true samurai.

Finally, there’s the duo of Akihiro Tomikawa and Tomisaburo Wakayama in their respective roles as Diagoro and Ogami Itto with the former as the young boy who observes everything around him while often luring warriors into traps as well as be the one to bring kindness to the prostitute. The latter showcases more restraint as a man still haunted by loss yet is still keen on his path towards Hell where he deals with a sense of unruliness around him while surprised to find that there are those who do have some kind of honor as it is a rapturous performance from Wakayama.

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades is a sensational film from Kenji Misumi. Featuring a great ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, stylish action sequences, and a chilling music score, the film is definitely an exhilarating samurai-adventure film that isn’t just filled with lots of action but also drama and suspense. In the end, Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades is a phenomenal film from Kenji Misumi.

Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance - Baby Cart at the River Styx - Baby Cart in Peril – Baby Cart in the Land of Demons – White Heaven in Hell

© thevoid99 2020

Samurai Rebellion

Based on the novel by Yasuhiko Takiguchi, Samurai Rebellion is the story of a samurai’s son who is forced to marry a clan lord’s mistress where things don’t go as planned prompting the clan lord to change his mind leading a showdown between the lord and an aging samurai. Directed by Masaki Kobayashi and screenplay by Shinobu Hashimoto, the film is an exploration into a man being pulled into a world that he doesn’t want to as an act to protect his family. Starring Toshiro Mifune, Go Kato, Yoko Tsukasa, Shigeru Koyama, Masao Mishima, Isao Yamagata, Tatsuyoshi Ehara, Tatsuo Matsumara, and Tatsuya Nakadai. Samurai Rebellion is a gripping yet evocative film from Masaki Kobayashi.

Set in 1725 during the Edo period of Japan, the film revolves around the request of a clan lord who asks for a family to take in one of his mistresses as the son of a samurai warrior marries the mistress. Yet, the marriage ends up being very fruitful and loving until an incident involving the lord’s family changes things and wants the mistress back in the castle forcing her husband to refuse the request and his father to prepare for battle against the lord and his entire clan. It’s a film that explores not just rules of working for a clan but also try to balance that and devote time to family as the samurai warrior Isaburo Sasahara (Toshiro Mifune) is considered the best. The only equal he has in terms of swordsmanship is his best friend Tatewaki Asano (Tatsuya Nakadai) who is the clan’s gatekeeper as he is a man of formality and honor. Sasahara is also a man of honor but the request he’s given to take in a lord’s mistress weighs heavily on him as he is in a loveless marriage and doesn’t want his eldest son Yogoro (Go Kato) to be in one.

Yet, the mistress in Ichi (Yoko Tsukasa) turns out to be a very gracious and kind woman who was forced into being a mistress because her father worked in the lord’s castle. She would tell Yogoro everything including how she was kicked out of the castle after bearing him a son who would be an heir to the lord’s throne. Still, Yogoro and Isaburo accepts him to the family much to the chagrin of Isaburo’s wife Kenmotsu (Takamaru Sasaki) who is aghast into how Ichi was kicked out of the lord’s castle. The film’s script doesn’t just play into this conflict of two people wanting a happy life but also how there are those who just want to use people for power as Isaburo realizes that the clan lord he’s been serving for has become dishonorable and selfish. Many would try to get Ichi back to the castle including Yogoro’s younger brother Bunzo (Tatsuyoshi Ehara) who would trick her but both Isaburo and Yogoro are aware that it’s being handled without them or Ichi having a say in the matter.

That is something Asano would notice as he would be asked by clan leaders to kill Isaburo but he refuses because he of some details which prove that he’s a man of rules. Yet, he and Isaburo become more aware that rules are changing to fit into a new world that doesn’t care for things such as honor. It would force Isaburo and his son to expect the worst as it’s all about getting Ichi back to her family. Especially where the lord’s regime would carry out weapons and such that would represent this idea of a new and darker world that Isaburo isn’t a part of.

Masaki Kobayashi’s direction is definitely entrancing as it has these gorgeous framing devices as well as a great depth of field to get a look from above inside the Sasahara home. The usage of the wide shots would play into the location including scenes early in the film where Isaburo and Asano would go to clan leaders and demonstrate their skills as they would walk home discussing the future. Kobayashi would also use some medium shots and close-ups for the intimate moments inside the Sasahara home along with some wide shots for a sequence where Ichi tells Yogoro her story of how she was picked to become the lord’s mistress. The sequence where Ichi recalls the moment she realized her role for this lord and seeing his new mistress is presented in still shots when she attacks her. It’s a moment in the film where Kobayashi would present something that is very stylized yet prefers to create something that is striking in where he would put his actors into a frame.

Kobayashi also maintains something that is theatrical in his framing as it would emphasize more on strategy and drama rather than action which is often common with samurai movies. By placing the moment of samurai duels in the third act, Kobayashi is more focused on building up the tension between the Sasahara family and the clan lord as the former would even write a petition to free Ichi and return her home. To the lord’s clan leaders, they see this as an act of insolence where the showdown between a steward and Isaburo would come to ahead but it’s all about strategy and who moves first. Yet, there is also an anguish into its outcome as it play into loss and this cruelty emerging into the new world that Isaburo and Asano aren’t a part of. Overall, Kobayashi creates a rapturous yet eerie film about a man trying to defend his family against the wishes of a cruel clan lord.

Cinematographer Kazuo Yamada does amazing work with the film’s black-and-white photography with its emphasis on natural lighting and shadows where there is so much detail shown including some interior scenes involving candles and oil lanterns and how it can set a tone for the scene. Editor Hisashi Sagara does excellent work with the editing as it is very straightforward with very few stylish cuts in order to play up the intensity of the drama. Production designer Yoshio Muraki does brilliant work with the look of the homes of some of the characters including the Sasahara house with such detail including its sand pits. The sound work of Shigenosuke Okuyama does fantastic work with the sound as it help play into some of the suspense and drama including in some of the sword play and action. The film’s music by Toru Takemitsu is incredible for its usage of traditional string instruments and percussions to add an atmospheric tone to some of the scenes as it is a highlight of the film.

The film’s superb cast include some notable small roles from Masao Mishima as a chamberlain, Tatsuo Matsumara as the clan lord Masakata Matsudaira who rules Edo and its province, Etsuko Ichihara as the wet nurse for Ichi and Yogoro’s baby, Tatsuyoshi Ehara as Yogoro’s younger brother Bunzo, Takamaru Sasaki as Yogoro and Bunzo’s mother/Isaburo’s wife Kenmotsu, Isao Yamagata as a relative of Ichi who tries to get her back to the castle, and Shigeru Koyama as the steward Geki Takahashi who starts off as an ally only to side with his master and try to attack Isaburo. Go Kato is excellent as Yogoro as a young samurai who is made head of his family a year after his marriage to Ichi as he copes with the new request to return his wife to the castle as he refuses in hoping to save his family and provide a future for his newborn daughter.

Yoko Tsukasa is fantastic as Ichi as a young woman who is sent to the Sasahara family to marry Yogoro as punishment for her actions towards a clan lord where she feels accepted in her new family only to become a pawn in a lord’s selfish act. Tatsuya Nakadai is brilliant as Tatewaki Asano as a gatekeeper who is Isaburo’s best friend that is a man who is about rules and formalities as he copes with the situation Isaburo was in as he tries to make sense of everything but also maintain his own honor. Finally, there’s Toshiro Mifune in an incredible performance as Isaburo Sasahara as a samurai warrior who finds himself trying to defend his family’s honor after a lord wants his mistress back as Mifune plays a man trying to do what is right for his son and daughter-in-law as well as defy whoever stood in his way as it’s one of Mifune’s finest performances.

Samurai Rebellion is a phenomenal film from Masaki Kobayashi that feature great performances from Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai. It’s a film that explores the world of the samurai as well as a man trying to defend what is right for his family against the cruel and selfish acts of a clan lord. In the end, Samurai Rebellion is a tremendous film from Masaki Kobayashi.

Masaki Kobayashi Films: (Black River) - The Human Condition Trilogy - Harakiri - Kwaidan - (Hymn to a Tired Man) - (The Fossil) - (Tokyo Trial)

© thevoid99 2017

Gate of Hell

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/18/09 w/ Additional Edits.

Written and directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa and based on the play by Kan Kikuchi, Jigokumon (Gate of Hell) tells the story of a 12th Century samurai trying to marry the woman he had just rescued from an attempted coup only to realize she is already married. In response, he challenges the husband to a duel that would provide tragic consequences. The first Japanese film to be released internationally in color, it was considered to be one of the landmark films of the country winning several international awards. Starring Kazuo Hasegawa, Machiko Kyo, and Isao Yamagata. Jigokumon is a beautiful though haunting film from Teinosuke Kinugasa.

It's 1159 as a rebellion against the royal family is underway as they're about to attack the castle. Needing a decoy to distract the rebellion army, Lady Kesa (Machiko Kyo) plays the role as she is accompanied by many men including a samurai named Moritoh Enda (Kazuo Hasegawa). The distraction against the rebellion was a success though trouble has emerged when the royal family are captured. Knowing that his brother is part of the rebellion after betraying the family, he awaits word as he becomes a courier to General Kiyomori (Koreya Senda). In exposing a traitor who was trying to send word to the enemy, the rebellion is defeated as Moritoh in return wants the hand of Lady Kesa for marriage. Kiyomori grants the request but the problem is that Lady Kesa is married to an Imperial guard named Wataru Watanabe (Isao Yamagata).

Realizing that it's up to Lady Kesa to make the decision, Moritoh tries to get her to decide him but comes no answer despite Kiyomori's presence. Moritoh signs up for a horse race that Wataru is participating as Wataru is aware that he must beat Moritoh to defend the honor of his wife. Instead, the outcome isn't want Wataru got but Moritoh still isn't satisfied as he was rejected by Kesa. Moritoh decides to take manners into his own hands by waiting for Kesa to come out of her house and later, threatening her aunt to death. Kesa comes to check on her aunt as she meets Miritoh who just wants her as she refuses as he makes more threats that would lead to a tragic consequence for all involved.

The film in a lot of ways is about honor and the code of the people involved. For Moritoh, he's a man who has fallen for a woman he had helped save for the good of the royal family. Expected, he's to be rewarded but the fact that Lady Kesa is married means his request can't be granted. A man of his stature, a samurai, must be denied and ask for something else but instead he doesn't. Therefore, his demands to be with the married Lady Kesa not only makes him look bad but also Lady Kesa. For her, the role of a wife means absolute devotion and loyalty to her husband. Plus, her husband is a man who is good-natured, honorable, and knows his place. He also loves Lady Kesa and is willing to do anything for her. Lady Kesa however, because of Miritoh's advances and the presence of Kiyomori, she has become humiliated and filled with shame for putting herself and these men around her in such a position.

Writer/director Teinosuke Kinugasa definitely plays up to the film's themes about honor and the roles people play in 12th Century Japan. The first two acts are told brilliantly as the film's direction is told in a theatrical setting. Since it was based on a play, the film has the feeling of a play with amazing set designs and intimate camera shots. For some of the film's scenes with lots of action and drama, there's tracking shots and camera movements to help intensify the drama. It all goes well in the first two acts but by the third act of the film. The story kind of falls apart as audiences have an idea of what's going to happen. It loses some momentum while the characters become more sentimental over what happens in the end. Though the theme of honor and its code are still intact, there's not much sympathy for the characters involved with the exception of Wataru in some respects. Yet, his answer reveals a true persona that brings more question than answers. Despite the flaws and familiar plot points of the film, Teinosuke Kinugasa does create an interesting study of character and themes in an entrancing yet harrowing drama.

Cinematographer Kohei Sugiyama does spectacular work with the usage Eastmancolor film stock to create a film that looks gorgeous but also eerie in its colorful cinematography. While it has some of the lush look of the early films of color of the 1940s and early 1950s, it's approach to lighting for the nighttime, exterior shading and interior scenes are set up wonderfully while the daytime scenes are awash with beautiful scenery of the beaches, mountains, and such in great detail with some grainy work mixed in. Editor Shigeo Nishida does excellent work with the film's editing with the use of dissolves, straight transition cuts, and fade-outs to flesh the story out structurally. Production designer Kisaku Ito and art director Yoshinobu Nishioka do great work in the set designs for the home of Wataru and Lady Kesa in its traditional Japanese structure along with the home of General Kiyomori.

Costume designer Sanzo Wada, who was also the color consultant, does amazing work with the costume design from the lavish, gorgeous robes Lady Kesa wore including the empress' robes. To the clothing the men wear to display their roles of power and such. The sound work by Shyohe Miyauchi and Yukio Umihara is excellent in the way the action scenes are captured along with the suspenseful sounds of footsteps walking around the home of Wataru. The music by Yasushi Akutagawa is a mixture of soothing orchestral arrangements to display the film's drama along with traditional sounds of Japanese music with loud percussions, drums, and harp-like instruments to play up the film's melancholia.

The cast is excellent with some small performances from Yataro Kurokawa, Kotaro Brando, and Masao Shimizu as samurai warriors and Michiko Araki as one of Lady Kesa's lady-in-waiting. Koreya Senda is great as General Kiyomori, a devious general who helps Moritoh into getting what he wants as he abuses his powers to humiliate Lady Kesa. Isao Yamagata is excellent as Wataru Watanabe, a man who is loyal to his wife and loves her but isn't the strong warrior some perceived to be as he finds himself being confronted by Moritoh. Kazuo Hasegawa is very good as Moritoh, a brave samurai warrior who shows great courage only to be denied of his reward. Hasegawa proves he can powerful but his character becomes somewhat of a pathetic, desperate figure who just doesn't get it. Finally, there's Machiko Kyo in a fantastic performance as Lady Kesa. A woman torn between her devotion to her husband and the pressures from those superior to her. While her character does delve into melodrama at times, what she does with the character in relation to her code of honor is still powerful as it's a great performance from the actress.

Despite some flaws along with some missing subtitles and a very old film print, Jigokumon is still an excellent film from Teinosuke Kinugasa. With some excellent performances from its cast along with some great technical work in its cinematography, set designs, costumes, and music. It's a film that proves a great historical point of view of post-war Japanese cinema as it is introduced to color. While it has a familiar plot and a flawed third act, Jigokumon is still a film worth watching that provides some great insight into the theme of honor in a country as unique as Japan is.

(C) thevoid99 2011