"Kozure Ôkami: Jigoku e ikuzo! Daigoro" aka. "Lone Wolf And Cub: White Heaven In Hell" of 1974 is the sixth and (sadly) final installment to the brilliant Ôkami-cycle starring the great Tomisaburo Wakayama as Ogami Itto, my personal choice for the greatest (anti-)hero character in the history of moving images. While the finale is, not my favorite in the cycle (actually, it is my least favorite of the six), it is nonetheless a brilliant movie that no fan of Chambara or Japanese film in general could possibly afford to miss. The entire "Kozure Okami" cycle ranks high on my personal all-time favorite list and even my least favorite parts, the third and this one, get the highest possible rating of 10 out of 10 from me. This last Ôkami film is essential to Japanese cinema fans for a variety of reasons: First off, the entire cycle is essential to Chambara fans, and all true cineastes in general. This last part is also unique in a very particular way: Believe it or not, "White Heaven In Hell" is THE film with the highest on screen-body-count caused by a single person in motion picture history. The Ôkami films are all (very stylishly) ultra-violent and blood-soaked and from the third Ôkami film onward, the films always had ultra-bloody battles in the end, in which Ogami Itto single-handedly (or, more precisely, with help of his son Daigoro) wipes out entire armies of enemies. This last part is the most extreme in this regard, as Ogami Itto kills 104 people in the final showdown alone.
The Ôkami films are brilliant in all regards, be it the immensely stylish bloodshed, the brilliant characters, the impressive cinematography or beautiful Japanese settings. My arguably favorite aspect, however, is probably the father-son relationship between Ogami Itto and his son Daigoro (Akihiro Tomikawa). Working as an assassin, Ogami Itto, former Kaishakunin (highest executioner) of the Shogunate, travels through feudal Japan with his infant son Daigoro, in order to clear his name and avenge his wife's death. Throughout the cycle, Daigoro, who is a baby in the first film, grows, and his upbringing and the father-son relationship are unique and strangely heart-warming. Daigoro, who often engages actively in his father's fights, hardly sits in his baby cart any more in the later films, but he still uses the ingeniously modified cart in battle. Shortly spoken: Ogami Itto is the greatest (anti-)hero character ever, and Daigoro is the most brilliant sidekick-character in cinematic history. American Director Robert Houston made an absolutely unnecessary dubbed re-cut of the first two Ôkami films under the title "Shogun Assassin". I didn't see the re-cut, and probably never will as the Japanese language is an essential factor. Also, the re-cut is narrated by Daigoro, which is idiotic, as it is one of Daigoro's most distinguishing character traits that he hardly talks. The original Ôkami-films are entirely brilliant, the entire cycle ranks among my favorite films of all-time, and each part has its particular magic. Even the slightly lesser parts (the third one and this finale) are masterpieces that any lover of Chambara in particular, or Japanese cinema, Exploitation, Martial-Arts, or just movies in general should love. My only regret with the "Ôkami" cycle is that they didn't make more sequels. My advice: If you don't know them yet, get all six "Lone Wolf And Cub" films, and watch them NOW!
The Ôkami films are brilliant in all regards, be it the immensely stylish bloodshed, the brilliant characters, the impressive cinematography or beautiful Japanese settings. My arguably favorite aspect, however, is probably the father-son relationship between Ogami Itto and his son Daigoro (Akihiro Tomikawa). Working as an assassin, Ogami Itto, former Kaishakunin (highest executioner) of the Shogunate, travels through feudal Japan with his infant son Daigoro, in order to clear his name and avenge his wife's death. Throughout the cycle, Daigoro, who is a baby in the first film, grows, and his upbringing and the father-son relationship are unique and strangely heart-warming. Daigoro, who often engages actively in his father's fights, hardly sits in his baby cart any more in the later films, but he still uses the ingeniously modified cart in battle. Shortly spoken: Ogami Itto is the greatest (anti-)hero character ever, and Daigoro is the most brilliant sidekick-character in cinematic history. American Director Robert Houston made an absolutely unnecessary dubbed re-cut of the first two Ôkami films under the title "Shogun Assassin". I didn't see the re-cut, and probably never will as the Japanese language is an essential factor. Also, the re-cut is narrated by Daigoro, which is idiotic, as it is one of Daigoro's most distinguishing character traits that he hardly talks. The original Ôkami-films are entirely brilliant, the entire cycle ranks among my favorite films of all-time, and each part has its particular magic. Even the slightly lesser parts (the third one and this finale) are masterpieces that any lover of Chambara in particular, or Japanese cinema, Exploitation, Martial-Arts, or just movies in general should love. My only regret with the "Ôkami" cycle is that they didn't make more sequels. My advice: If you don't know them yet, get all six "Lone Wolf And Cub" films, and watch them NOW!