Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons

  Based on the manga series by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons is the fifth film of the series where the father-son duo continue their deadly trek through Japan as they face off against five skilled assassins each carrying information as well a fifth of the fee. Directed by Kenji Misumi and screenplay by Kazuo Koike and Tsutomu Nakamura, the film explore the father/son duo as they each encounter five different challenges as it play into their spiritual journey as it eventually lead to their final path for vengeance as Ogami Itto and Daigoro are once again portrayed respectively by Tomisaburo Wakayama and Akihiro Tomikawa. Also starring Michio Okusu and Shingo Yamashiro. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons is an eerie yet evocative film from Kenji Misumi.

The film follows a father-son duo who continue their trek towards Hell through rural Japan as they’re approached by five skilled assassins who each offer information as well as a fee for the man to kill an abbot with an important letter relating to their clan leader. It’s a film with a simple premise with its screenplay having an odd structure where the first act has Ogami facing off against five different assassins who carry a fifth of the fee that Ogami is given to kill someone but also information of his task. The second act has Ogami learning of what is at stake and who the abbot is delivering to which only complicates this mission he has to take part in. The script also has Daigoro go into an adventure of his own where he encounters a pickpocket (Tomomi Sato) and manages to help her as it play into his own bravery while the third act is about the mission but also revelations about the contents of the letter.

Kenji Misumi’s direction is definitely full of wondrous visuals as well as action set pieces that are intense and riveting. Shot on various locations in rural Japan as well as beaches and deserts, Misumi plays into this ongoing journey that Ogami and Daigoro have continue to embark on where they deal with these five different assassins who each provide a different skill but also carry a message and beaded necklaces for Ogami to wear after each confrontation. Misumi’s compositions do have some style in the wide and medium shots where it’s not just for the locations but also in the setting as it includes a world that is thriving but also with a sense of chaos. Notably in Daigoro’s encounter with a pickpocket where Daigoro gets himself in trouble but the authority is moved by his bravery as does the pickpocket. Misumi’s usage of the close-ups add to some of the suspense and drama as well as the stakes of what Ogami has to deal with.

With the aid of fight choreographer Eiichi Kusumoto, Misumi does maintain that sense of energy in the action and fights while there is that sense of honor and pride that Ogami carries as well as some of the assassins he faces who are all aware of Ogami’s reputation. Even as they warn Ogami of the forces he’s dealing with that include the forces that are protecting the abbot but also those who are counting on him to succeed in killing him. The third act is about the task and what is at stake as it would involve those going after Ogami but also the clan that Ogami is working for where it is clear that not everything is black-and-white. Especially with the latter into what is at stake as well as the presence of a woman who claims to be the mistress of the clan lord as she knows what is at stake as it relates to thins that the clan lord doesn’t want the world to know. Overall, Misumi crafts a gripping and intoxicating film about an assassin and his son trekking through Japan as they carry out an assassination mission with huge implications.

Cinematographer Fujio Morita does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of natural lighting to capture some of the lush colors of the locations with some low-key lighting, courtesy of Hiroshi Mima, for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Toshio Taniguchi does excellent work with the editing as it has some style in the action as well as some straightforward cuts to play into the suspense. Production designer Shigenori Shimoishizaka does fantastic work with the look of the clan leader’s palace as well as the design of the boat’s interiors that the abbot is in. The makeup work of Hideo Yumoto and Toshio Tanaka is terrific for the look of some of the characters including the women such as the pickpocket and the mistress. The sound work of Tsuchitaro Hayashi, with sound effects by Toru Kurashima, is amazing for its sound work to play into the action as well as some of the sparse sounds of drama and suspense. The film’s music by Hideaki Sakurai is incredible for its mixture of jazz and traditional Japanese percussion music that help play into the suspense and action.

The film’s superb ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Minoru Ohki as Ogami’s nemesis Lord Retsudo who is intent on trying to finish him once and for all, Shingo Yamashiro as Lord Kuroda Narikata as the lord these assassins are trying to help, Koji Fujiyama as the pickpocket’s assistant, Bin Amatsu as a village investigator trying to nab the pickpocket, Eiji Okada as Lord Narikata’s adviser, Tomomi Sato as the pickpocket “Quick-Change” O-Yo, and Hideji Otaki as Abbot Jikei who is the assassination target that Ogami must kill as well as in another role as one of the messengers that Ogami confronts. In the roles of the four other assassins, Akira Yamauchi, Taketoshi Naito, Fujio Suga, and Rokko Toura are fantastic as men who each provide a certain skill as well as a message to Ogami. Michiyo Okusu is excellent as Shiranui as Lord Narikata’s mistress who is instrumental in the mission at hand while she also is carrying a secret relating to what is at stake where she is willing to help Ogami.

Finally, there’s the duo of Tomisaburo Wakayama and Akihiro Tomikawa in their phenomenal respective roles as Ogami Itto and Daigoro. Tomikawa’s performance remains this air of innocence and wit as a young boy who is aware of the journey he and his father are venturing while he dabbles into a moment of misunderstanding for himself where he shows his bravery. Wakayama’s performance maintains that air of understated emotion as a man who continues this trek through Japan on his way to Hell as he copes with loss but also eager to do what he can in his journey where he also learns that not everything is black-and-white in his current mission.

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons is a sensational film from Kenji Misumi that features a great cast, dazzling visuals, a hypnotic music score, a suspenseful story, and killer action. It’s a film that isn’t just this compelling samurai film but also a man whose encounter with tragedy as he and his son continue in this journey to Hell. In the end, Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons is a spectacular film from Kenji Misumi.

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

© thevoid99 2020

Lady Snowblood

Based on the manga series by Kazuo Koike and Kazuo Kamimura, Lady Snowblood is the story of a woman who goes on a quest for vengeance by going after those who had raped and killed her mother and her family. Directed by Toshiya Fujita and screenplay by Norio Osada, the film is a simple revenge action-thriller set in late 19th Century Japan with Meiko Kaji in the titular role. Also starring Toshio Kurasawa, Masaaki Daimon, and Miyoko Akaza. Lady Snowblood is a gorgeous yet intense film from Toshiya Fujita.

Set in the Meija-era of 19th Century Japan where the country is in a state of transition from embracing the modernism of the West, the film is a revenge story of a young woman named Lady Snowblood who had lost her mother in childbirth as she goes after the three men and a woman who had killed her mother’s husband and son and raped her mother. It’s a film that doesn’t just play into this woman’s journey for vengeance but also watching Japan adjust to change where it’s the poor that is suffering from the changes while they’re being swindled by criminals taking advantage of the poor. Norio Osada’s screenplay begins with the birth of Yuki who would be raised by a cellmate of her mother’s and be trained by a priest in Dokai (Ko Nishimura). Though the narrative is straightforward as it’s told in four chapters, it does have a lot of usage of flashbacks.

It’s not just the usage of the flashbacks that help explain Yuki’s motivation as Lady Snowblood but also the narration would play into Japan’s history under the rule of Meija. It showcases a period that is dark where Japan would become modernized but allow itself to rid of the things that were known for. The flashback that showcases the four who would kill the son and husband of Yuki’s mother as the latter is mistaken for a rich man that is part of Japan’s elite because he’s wearing a white suit. Once the story goes into the main narrative where Lady Snowblood is trying to find and kill three of the four people, as her mother killed one of them before going to prison, that destroyed her family. There is that sense of restraint in Yuki where she is trying to figure out what happens if she does succeeds as there are also moments that would be challenging to her about what happens if her quest for vengeance isn’t fulfilled.

Toshia Fujita’s direction is definitely stylish not just for the visuals but also in the presentation of the violence which is quite gory but also has a beauty to it. Shot in various rural locations in Japan as well as in some sound stages, Fujita does maintain some unique imagery in the way he frames some of the locations but also how it play into Yuki’s own view of the world. While Fujita would use some wide shots to establish the locations, it’s in the medium shots and close-ups that help tell the story that include the opening scene set in the women’s prison where Yuki’s mother Sayo (Miyoko Akaza) is giving birth as it is then followed by a sequence of Yuki as Lady Snowblood killing a renowned mob leader. There are a lot of stylistic touches in some of the dramatic moments as well as in the presentation of some of the historical context where Fujita uses the actual pages from the manga series to help tell the story which also included animated recreations.

Fujita’s approach to the violence definitely contains a lot of blood that often sprayed out in body parts where it has this macabre tone to it where it’s funny in a dark way. Aided by sword choreographer Kunishiro Hayashi, Fujita’s usage of hand-held cameras doesn’t just play into the action but also the gracefulness of the way Lady Snowblood moves. Even in how she would conduct herself before an attack where she is carrying a purple umbrella with a katana inside as she comes in when one least suspects it. There are also moments that do play into some of the drama as it relates to the fallacy of vengeance as well as life after vengeance. The film’s climax is set in a lavish party scene that play into the emergence of modern Japan where it’s old and new ideas collide with Lady Snowblood representing the old rules. Overall, Fujita creates a ravishing yet gripping film about a young woman’s journey for vengeance.

Cinematographer Masaki Tamura does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography with its gorgeous usage of color for not just some of the daytime exterior settings in the oceans and fields but also in some of the interiors and scenes at night including the scenes in the snow. Editor Osamu Inoue does amazing work with the editing with its usage of superimposed dissolves, jump-cuts, and other stylish cuts to play into the usage of the flashbacks as well as the way some of the violence is presented. Production designer Kazuo Satsuya does fantastic work with the design of the lavish house for the climatic party scene, some of the homes of the characters including the villages, and the gambling house where Lady Snowblood meets her first target.

The sound work of Noboru Kamikura is superb for the way it captures the way a sword is thrown or other weapons are used as well as the atmosphere in some of the locations and sets. The film’s music by Masaaki Hirao is incredible for its mixture of 70s style rock with some classical textures as well as pop balladry which include a few songs that play into Lady Snowblood’s journey.

The film’s wonderful cast include some notable small roles from Masaaki Daimon as Sayo’s husband, Hitoshi Takagi as a village leader in Matsuemon, Takeo Chii as one of the four criminals that raped Sayo in Tokuichi, Akemi Negishi as Yuki’s caretaker, and Mayumi Maemura as the young Yuki would be given brutal training in her quest for vengeance. Sanae Nakahura is excellent as the female crime boss Kitahama Okuno as a woman of corruption who took part in killing Sayo’s family while Noburo Nakaya is superb as Takemura Banzo as a former criminal who has become a gambling drunk that is filled with guilt. Yoshiko Nakada is terrific as Banzo’s daughter Kobue as a woman who is forced to become a prostitute due to her father’s debts as she would meet Yuki unaware of her intentions. Miyoko Akaza is fantastic as Yuki’s mother Sayo as a woman who would be raped and humiliated into the worst ways as she craves for vengeance for the loss of her husband and son while passing it to her baby Yuki.

Eiji Okada is brilliant as Gishiro Tsukamoto as one of the four criminals who raped Sayo as he is the most mysterious of the four as he is the one Yuki is looking for. Ko Nishimura is amazing as Priest Dokai as Yuki’s trainer who would give Yuki the tools and discipline in her quest for vengeance. Toshio Kurosawa is marvelous as Ryurei Ashio as a writer who is interested in Yuki’s story where he would publish it to the people as it would get him in a lot of trouble. Finally, there’s Meiko Kaji in a phenomenal performance as the titular character as this woman who is driven to avenge the death of her mother and her mother’s family as it is presented with great restraint but also with a cunning determination that is just riveting to watch.

Lady Snowblood is a tremendous film from Toshiya Fujita that features an incredible performance from Meiko Kaji in the titular role. Along with a great supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, a fantastic score, and gripping story on vengeance. It’s a film that has a sense of beauty in its presentation of violence as well as being a revenge film told in an evocative way. In the end, Lady Snowblood is a spectacular film from Toshiya Fujita.

Toshiya Fujita Films: (Stray Cat Rock: Wild Jumbo) - Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance - (Kaerazaru hibi) - (The Miracle of Joe Petrel)

© thevoid99 2017

2016 Cannes Marathon: Woman in the Dunes

(Jury Prize Winner at the 1964 Cannes Film Festival)

Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara and written by Kobo Abe that is based on his novel, Woman in the Dunes is the story of an entomologist who finds himself being tricked to live in a village as he shares his home with a woman. The film is a look into a world where people live inside sand dunes where a man tries to escape only to be drawn by the woman he lives with. Starring Eiji Okada and Kyoko Kishida. Woman in the Dunes is a haunting yet intoxicating film from Hiroshi Teshigahara.

The film is a simple story of a man who is sandy beaches to find insects where he misses his bus and is lured by villagers to stay at the home of a woman beneath sand dunes only to realize that he’s trapped. It’s a film where this amateur entomologist finds himself in a situation he can’t get out of as he lives with a woman who has been living underneath these dunes for years. The job is to dig up sand for the villagers where they would receive monthly rations as it’s a job that is hard for this man yet he finds himself attracted to this woman where a lot of things happen. Kobo Abe’s script doesn’t just explore the world that Niki Junpei (Eiji Okada) is living in but also what he has to do to survive as well as the fact that he is also assigned to impregnate this woman (Kyoko Kishida) though their attraction to each other isn’t immediate. The script doesn’t just play into Junpei trying to find ways to escape but also realize that he is at fault for putting himself in this situation all because he became too interested in bugs and missed his bus back to the city.

Adding to the drama is the growing sexual tension between Junpei and this woman as it would come to ahead though Junpei is married but never implies it in the film’s dialogue as he remains ambiguous to the woman though it is revealed very early in the film during a dream he has. While the plot is a simple one, it does have a structure where its first act is about Junpei dealing with his situation while the second act is about forming this relationship with this woman. Yet, Junpei still wants to escape and return to civilization as a key scene in the film’s second half is about the escape but it’s not just the dune that he has to escape. It’s the land itself as it offers a lot into a world that is removed from civilization and some of the harsh aspects of the modern world.

Hiroshi Teshigahara’s direction is ravishing not just for the visuals he creates but also for the fact that it is set on some of the sandy beaches in Japan. Though it is shot on an Academy 1:33:1 aspect ratio, Teshigahara still manages to create these gorgeous wide shots and extreme close-ups to capture every bit of detail that is in these sandy beaches and the dunes as they are characters in the film. Teshigahara’s camera would often show the look of this home that is surrounded by walls of sand as it feels like a world of its own where the camera would go for high and low angles to capture the landscape as well as some medium shots to play into the intimacy of the house. There is also an air of eroticism and sensuality that prevalent in the film as it relates to the sexual tension. Even as the sex scene is quite intense though it doesn’t show very much but still maintains something that is quite erotic. The film’s third act isn’t just about Junpei’s own failure but also the realization of the world he is in as well as the direction becomes more chaotic to display the people in the village. The film does end in an ambiguous note as it relates to Junpei’s decision as well as his own discoveries of what he could do for himself and this woman he lives with. Overall, Teshigahara creates a mesmerizing yet eerie film about a man living in the sand dunes with a woman.

Cinematographer Hiroshi Segawa does incredible work with the film‘s black-and-white photography as it play into vast look of the beach and the attention to detail in the way the sand dunes and some of the bugs are shown as it is a major highlight of the film. Editor Fusako Shuzui does brilliant work with the editing as it is quite stylish in playing with some of the imagery with its usage of wipes, dissolves, and jump-cuts that says a lot to the world that Junpei is in. Art directors Totetsu Hirakawa and Masao Yamazaki do amazing work with the look of the house that is shabby as it‘s partially covered in and around by sand with floor also sandy while the dune that covers it adds a lot to its look.

Sound recorders Ichiro Kato and Shigenosuke Okuyama do excellent work with the sound in capturing the way the heavy wind and beaches sound along with some of the sparse moments inside the home the characters live in. The film’s music by Toru Takemitsu is phenomenal for its usage of eerie strings to play into its sense of horror and drama along with textures in some of the percussive instruments to make things sound chilling along with some intense percussion pieces for one of the film’s darker moments in the third act.

The film’s superb cast features small roles from Hiroko Ito as Junpei’s wife in a very brief flashback as well as performances from Koji Mitsui, Sen Yano, and Ginzo Sekiguchi as villagers who would lure Junpei into the dune and keep him there. The remarkable performances of Eiji Okada and Kyoko Kishida in their respective roles as Niki Junpei and the titular character where they display that sense of sexual tension with Okada as a dominant who is frustrated with his situation and Kishida trying to make things better while showing him what they have to do survive as two together are engaging to watch.

Woman in the Dunes is a sensational film from Hiroshi Teshigahara. Featuring great performances from Eiji Okada and Kyoko Kishida as well as ravishing visuals and a haunting score. The film is an intense study of man and woman living together in a very cruel world that is cut off from reality but also says a lot about the cruelties of the world outside. In the end, Woman in the Dunes is a rapturous film from Hiroshi Teshigahara.

Hiroshi Teshigahara Files: Pitfall - The Face of Another - (The Man Without a Map) - (Summer Soldiers) - Antonio Gaudi - (Rikyu) - (Princess Goh)

© thevoid99 2016

Hiroshima Mon Amour

Directed by Alain Resnais and written by Marguerite Duras, Hiroshima Mon Amour (Hiroshima My Love) is the story of an affair between a French actress and a Japanese architect in post-war Hiroshima as they cope with their own feelings of love and loss. The film is a study of anguish and longing in a place where a city had lost itself to war. Starring Emmanuelle Riva, Eiji Okada, Stella Dassas, Pierre Barbaud, and Bernard Fresson. Hiroshima Mon Amour is a riveting yet exhilarating film from Alain Resnais.

Set in the span of 36-hours, the film revolves around a forbidden affair between a French film actress (Emmanuelle Riva) and a Japanese architect (Eiji Okada) as they spend time in the city of Hiroshima as they reflect on what happened during the war as the actress also recalls memories of an affair she had with a German soldier during World War II. It’s a film that is a simple story about these two people having an affair as they deal with elements of loss and the need for love in a world that is still reeling from the scars of war. Notably as the actress is making a film about what happened in Hiroshima during the war as she tells the architect about her past. Marguerite Duras’ screenplay does have a unique narrative that plays into the time these two people spend with each other but also about their own past as the architect tells bits about his time as a soldier in the war as it plays into the sense of loss and anguish the two endure in the span of 36 hours.

Alain Resnais’ direction is very mesmerizing in not just the way he approaches his compositions but also in playing into Hiroshima’s own resurrection as a modern city but still carry the scars of the war. The direction includes some intricate yet hypnotic tracking and dolly shots to play into not just the city of Hiroshima but also in the hometown of the actress in Nevers, France. Resnais creates compositions that match into the landscapes of the two cities as it plays into two world and two characters who both felt lost as well as a sense of longing to return to a time where things were simpler. Notably for the actress who was shamed for her affair with this German soldier by her town after the war ended as her affair with this Japanese architect also has an air of taboo.

Resnais’ usage of close-ups and mesmerizing shots such as the opening shots of the two making love with dust and ashes covering them or shots of their hands play into the sense of longing. Especially in what the actress is dealing with as it regards to her past as she also knows she has to return to Paris and go back to the life she already has. Its third act is about the actress struggling with the decision to leave but also wonders if she can stay and relive something that she once had. Even as the architect tries to get her to stay home as he realizes about the unhappiness in his own life and the need for her to be with him. Overall, Resnais creates a very engaging yet evocative take on the world of loss and longing in a post-war world.

Cinematographers Sacha Vierny and Michio Takahashi do incredible work with the film‘s black-and-white cinematography in terms of the richness of the visuals as Vierny would shoot scenes set in Nevers, France while Takahashi would shoot Hiroshima as both contained matching visual motifs as it‘s one of the film‘s highlights. Editors Henri Colpi and Jasmine Chasney do excellent work with the editing in compiling stock footage and other images to create something that mixes documentary and fiction along with montages and stylish cuts to play into the world of past and present. Production designers Minoru Esaka, Mayo, Petri, and Lucilla Mussini do amazing work with the bars and places the two protagonists go to including some realistic places such as Hiroshima’s museum of what happened in 1945.

Costume designer Gerard Collery does nice work with the clothes from the dress that the actress wears and the suit that the architect wears along with the clothes for the actress‘ flashback scenes. The sound work of Pierre-Louis Calvet and Rene Renault does terrific work with the sound to play into what happens on the locations as well as . The film’s music by Georges Delerue and Giovanni Fusco is fantastic as it is this mixture of orchestral-based music with some jazz elements as it plays into not just some of the melancholia but also the arrival of a new world emerging from the ashes of war.

The film’s cast includes some superb small performances from Stella Dassas and Pierre Barbaud as the actress’ parents in the flashback scenes and Bernard Fresson as the actress’ German lover from the flashbacks. Eiji Okada is great as the architect who lives in Hiroshima as he deals with his own past as a soldier and what he had lost as well as his feelings for the actress. Finally, there’s Emmanuelle Riva in a phenomenal performance as the actress as a Frenchwoman visiting Japan for work as she copes with her past as a young woman who fell for a German soldier during World War II as well as her own feelings for the architect where Rivas brings a radiance to her performance as a woman dealing with loss and anguish.

Hiroshima Mon Amour is an outstanding film from Alain Resnais. Featuring magnificent performances from Emmanuelle Riva and Eiji Okada as well as some amazing technical work in its music, photography, and setting. It is a film that plays into the world of loss and loneliness in an ever-changing world as this film is among one of the key films of the French New Wave. In the end, Hiroshima Mon Amour is a tremendously rich and sensational film from Alain Resnais.

Alain Resnais Films: Night and Fog - Last Year at Marienbad - (Muriel) - (The War is Over) - (Je T’aime, je t’aime) - (Stavisky) - (Providence) - Mon oncle d'Amerique - (Life is a Bed of Roses) - (Love Unto Death) - (Melo) - (I Want to Go Home) - (Gershwin) - (Smoking/No Smoking) - (Same Old Song) - (Not on the Lips) - (Private Fears in Public Places) - Wild Grass - (You Haven’t Seen Anything Yet) - (Life of Riley)

© thevoid99 2015