Last week we talked about "Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance" the first movie in the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series. So let's look at he sequel "Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx".
"Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx" it was released the same year and saw the return of all the key players. Not only was it directed, produced, and written by the same people but Tomisaburo Wakayama returned in the role of Ogami Itto. Even Akihiro Tomikawa returned in the role of Daigoro.
I immediately regret this.
I am going to run through the plot of the movie and talk about some of my favorite scenes just like last time. Unlike the previous movie which had a slow build to the violence, this one just jumps right into it. Itto quickly dispatches two Yagyu clan members. The first willingly takes Itto's strike to give his partner a chance. This does not end well. Just like in the last movie the value of life is nothing compared to the honor of the clan. The Yagyu have solidified their power and yet they still hunt one lone man. Itto's death is a matter of honor and vengeance.
We next have a scene of father and son sharing a meal.The meal is interrupted by what could be danger. They are always on the look out. It turns out to be nothing but the sound of a stranger's gong. The sound follows the two to a hotel. Growing in loudness and urgency. A possible harbinger of danger. Itto is ready for anything at any moment. Even as he and Daigoro bathe. Once again the sound simply fades away.
This ear belongs to a man who is taking it's loss very well.
In the first movie women played a passive role. They were mothers, victims, prostitutes. In this movie women are shown to be just as viscous, if not more so than men. We are shown that an entire sect of the Yagyu clan is made up of women. The women of the Yagyu, the Akari Yagyu, are even more violent then the men. This is illustrated in a scene where members of of the Akari Yagyu kill a man. The man is a Yagyu ninja. He is a capable fighter. All the man has to do is leave the room. He is unable to. The women destroy him. Before he dies, he has his ear, nose, legs, and arms cut off.
He really shouldn't have turned his nose up at them.
Something else of note is the lack of music during the action scenes. It really adds to the grittiness of violence.
With nothing else to cut-off, they put him out of his misery.
While being interviewed for a job, Itto nonchalantly kills a ninja. He just throws his sword and kills the guy two rooms away. Like it's no big thing. He even tells the guys he is talking to that it has nothing to do with them. That is how bad ass Itto is.
That was Awesome.
The plot of this movie has Itto being hired by a clan, who has a monopoly on cloth dye, to kill a rebel. The rebel has been incited by the Shogunate, in the hopes that they may take over the monopoly and profit. The rebel is a poor farmer who led a group of peasants that wanted higher wages. He failed but was able to contact the Shogunate and inform him of the Clan's thwarting of the rebellion. As such the Shogunate has sent the Hidari brothers to find and protect him. These men are very skilled and dangerous. Even the Yagyu are wary of them. Unlike the previous movie which had Itto cut his way through canon fodder, this movie has a higher class of opponent this time.
He just looks like he should have a monopoly on something.
He is to meet these men on a boat. While on his way there he is attacked by the Akari Yagyu. First disguised as street performers they attempt to use their colorful clothes to distract him. They fail. Then two more women pretend to be priestesses. Quickly followed by another three dressed as what I believe to be farmers. These three use weapons disguised as turnips. They even have knives hidden in the turnips.
Daigoro killing like it ain't no thing.
Not only do they try to kill Itto they attempt to kill Daigoro. Daigoro is having none of it and nonchalantly kills one of the women. It is Daigoro's first kill. As far as we know.
A net, Itto's one weakness.
The next woman to attack is Sayaka the head of the Akari Yagy. She attacks in a more direct manner. First using a net to disable Itto. Then when he escapes challenging him to a fight. She is the first to draw blood from Itto (via hooks hidden in the net) and the first to survive a fight with him. She runs from him and lives. Itto watches her as she runs. Accepting that she is a true danger and one he will not turn his back on.
Totally not just a flesh wound.
The next scene sees the return of the sound from earlier. It heralds an attack by the Shadow Yagyu. The ninjas from earlier. They are dressed as paupers. They launch their attack by first taking Itto's sword. But as we know Itto is never unarmed as long as he has the baby kart. This is another scene where Daigoro kills. He uses blades hidden in the wheels of the kart to cut two men's ankles off. Considering how badly people bleed in these movies, anything above a paper-cut could be fatal.
The cub protecting the wolf.
In the next scene we see that the rapid succession of battles has left Itto bloody, battered, and exhausted. He takes refuse in a worn down shack hoping to recover some of his strength. During this we see Daigoro worried about his father.
Sorry about this. Here's my jacket to make it square.
Daigoro is doing his best to care for his father. Fetching him water and even trading his jacket to a statue for food. The food was left as an offering so this makes more sense than it would seem. Helping his father makes Daigoro happy. It is a touching scene.
Meanwhile it is decided by the Yagyu, against the wishes of Sayaka, to kidnap Daigoro. The Shadow Yagyu lure the boy outside with the sound of drums. The sounds of Daigoro leaving wakes Itto. He is led to where his son is being held. Daigoro is suspended over a well. Itto is told to drop his sword or they will kill Daigoro. He tells them to do what they will. He and his son are no longer humans and are prepared for what may come. Itto tells Daigoro that his mother waits for him at the river of the dead.
Do not Fuck with Itto's son.
Daigoro hears this and removes one of his slippers. The slipper falls down the well and hits water. This allows Itto to know how long it will take for Daigoro to fall. Whether this was Daigoro's plan or not is left ambiguous. After a brutal action scene Itto saves Daigoro and they share a moment. All the while Sayaka watches. Unsure of what to do. She has to kill Itto for her clan but finds using his son dishonorable. She also seems to hold Itto in high regard. Itto seems to sense her uncertainty and leaves her. Even going so far to turn his back on her.
We next see Itto on the boat. He is resting with his eyes closed. Also on the boat is Sayaka. They are both below deck. Above the three Hidari brothers are in the middle of a fight. They are attacked by a rival clan. The brothers make quick work of them. Using their, iron claw, iron club, and iron fist respectivly. It is a brutal fight with no elegance. It shows just how dangerous these men are.
Itto gets knives thrown at him all the time. To him it's just a friendly Hello.
We get a cool interaction between Itto and the Hidari brothers. Another passenger is planning to kill the brothers. He is thinking to himself about what he is going to do. The head brother, as if aware of his thoughts, throws a knife hidden in his sword and cuts the tip of his nose off. The knife flies right past Itto and lands a few inches from his head. Itto doesn't react. When asked to return the knife he throws it back and it lands right back in the sheath.
Itto being too awesome for words.
Afer this the man from earlier light the boat on fire. Which leads to the Hidari brothers confronting Itto. They warn him not to fuck with them. Itto escapes the boat. First cutting a hole into the deck from below. He then throws Daigoro and his baby kart over the side and follows this by pole-vaulting over the flames. Itto is just bad enough to that.
While in the water he is attacked by the Sayaka. She once again fails to kill Itto. In fact she ends up being save by him. In a scene that seems to be going one way but ends up another; he strips her naked and holds her close to him with Daigoro in between. He does this in the hopes that their combined body heat will keep them alive.
Even with this she still considers killing him until Daigoro makes his presence known by playfully patting her breast. It's hard to describe this scene without it sounding sexual. But it is not.
This movie is so violent even the sand bleeds.
After this we move to the Hidari brothers meeting up with rebel from earlier. They meet in the desert. Hidden in the sand are a number of men who attempt to kill them and the rebel. The Hidari brothers have no problem dealing with them.
Death is that way.
As the Hidari brothers continue on their way they come across Daigoro. Daigoro is standing in the middle of the desert by himself. He points off into the distance where his father his standing. Waiting.
Itto is too good for a "Head Splitting" pun. I am not. He gave that guy a splitting headache.
With that we come to the climax of the film. Itto and the Hidari brothers finally cross. The first to fall is the one with the iron club. Itto cuts his head in half. Next is the one with the iron fist. Itto
So. Much. Blood.
Itto then kills all of the other men that accompanied the rebel and the rebel himself. Bringing a close to this movies' plot. But the movie continues for a few minutes. Itto and the Yagyu woman have unfinished business. They draw their swords but she drops hers. She is unable to attack him whether because of love, respect, or honor.
The end credit is red. It was probably written in blood.
With that the movie comes to an end. It was much more action oriented than the first. While not as strong thematically, I find it just as enjoyable. Come back next week when I look at "Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades".
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