Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx
Encyclopedia
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (Japanese: 子連れ狼 三途の川の乳母車 or Kozure Ōkami: Sanzu no kawa no ubaguruma, literally Wolf with Child in Tow: Perambulator of the River of Sanzu
) is the second in a series of six Japanese martial arts film
s based on the long-running Lone Wolf and Cub
manga series about Ogami Ittō, a wandering assassin for hire who is accompanied by his young son, Daigoro.
to the shogun
, Ogami Ittō 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 Ittō as a dirty vagabond and scolds the young woman for letting him in the house. Overhearing this, Ittō 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.
Ittō's activities are being watched by the Kurokawa spy
clan of shinobi
-class ninja
, which have fallen in with Ittō's nemesis, the Shadow Yagyū. They report on his activities to Sayaka, head of Akari Yagyū clan of female assassins. But the Kurokawa are unsure that the women are up to the task of killing Ittō. 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.
Ittō, 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
. Ittō must kill him. The turncoat will be escorted by the 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, Ittō encounters three groups of female assassins. The first group is disguised as an acrobat
troupe that turns deadly as their gymnastic moves are combined with blades and turned against Ittō. He then encounters a pair of women who with blades on their straw hats that they throw at Ittō as if they are Frisbee
s. Finally, some women washing vegetables by the river turn out to be assassins and the daikon
s they are washing are wielded as weapons. Ittō kills them all.
Then he meets Sayaka, who catches him, his son and the baby cart in a steel net. Ittō 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 Ittō, 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 Ittō and the Kurokawas is fierce and Ittō is injured before he has killed them all.
Weary from the endless fighting, Ittō 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.
Ittō 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 Ittō attacks, they will let go of the rope and Daigoro will plunge to his death. Daigoro lets his sandal
drop into the well, giving Ittō 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.
Ittō then finds himself aboard a ship, carrying the three Hidari brothers. Ittō 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. Ittō tosses Daigoro and the baby cart into the water, the cart proves itself by floating.
Sayaka has followed Ittō onto the ship and in the water, she tries to kill him, but is disarmed. Ittō, with Daigoro and Sayaka, find shelter, but they are cold
. Ittō 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
dune
s. The 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.
Ittō 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.
Ittō approaches the palanquin with the traitorous indigo
expert inside, finishing him 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 Ittō stops the cart, looking straight ahead whilst holding out his dotanuki blade, as Sayaka wielding a katana is revealed behind him. Ittō stands ominously still until he hears the sound of Sayaka dropping her sword; knowing that she can never defeat the master swordsman.
Sanzu River
The Sanzu River , or River of Three Crossings, is a Japanese Buddhist tradition and religious belief similar to the River Styx...
) is the second in a series of six Japanese martial arts film
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
s based on the long-running Lone Wolf and Cub
Lone Wolf and Cub
is a manga created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima. First published in 1970, the story was adapted into six films starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, four plays, a television series starring Yorozuya Kinnosuke, and is widely recognized as an important and influential work.Lone Wolf and Cub...
manga series about Ogami Ittō, a wandering assassin for hire who is accompanied by his young son, Daigoro.
Plot
The disgraced former executioner, or Kogi KaishakuninKogi Kaishakunin
The Kogi Kaishakunin is a fictional position appearing in the manga Lone Wolf and Cub. In the story, it was the Japanese shogun's official executioner....
to the shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
, Ogami Ittō 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
Baby transport
Baby transport consists of devices for transporting and carrying infants. A "child carrier" or "baby carrier" is a device used to carry an infant or small child on the body of an adult...
, he stops at a bathhouse
Public bathing
Public baths originated from a communal need for cleanliness. The term public may confuse some people, as some types of public baths are restricted depending on membership, gender, religious affiliation, or other reasons. As societies have changed, public baths have been replaced as private bathing...
looking for a room and a bath, and is eagerly welcomed in by a young woman. However, the manager of the house sees Ittō as a dirty vagabond and scolds the young woman for letting him in the house. Overhearing this, Ittō goes to the baby cart and retrieves a bundle and hands it to the manager for safe keeping – it is 500 gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
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.
Ittō's activities are being watched by the Kurokawa spy
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
clan of shinobi
Shinobi
Shinobi is the Japanese word for male ninja. It may also refer to:*Shinobi , a series of video games**Shinobi , the original video game in the series developed by Sega**Shinobi , the PlayStation 2 sequel...
-class ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
, which have fallen in with Ittō's nemesis, the Shadow Yagyū. They report on his activities to Sayaka, head of Akari Yagyū clan of female assassins. But the Kurokawa are unsure that the women are up to the task of killing Ittō. 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.
Ittō, meanwhile, is hired by a clan that specializes in making indigo dye
Indigo dye
Indigo dye is an organic compound with a distinctive blue color . Historically, indigo was a natural dye extracted from plants, and this process was important economically because blue dyes were once rare. Nearly all indigo dye produced today — several thousand tons each year — is synthetic...
and has a secret process. One of the clan plans to sell out the secret to the shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
. Ittō must kill him. The turncoat will be escorted by the 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, Ittō encounters three groups of female assassins. The first group is disguised as an acrobat
Acrobatics
Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...
troupe that turns deadly as their gymnastic moves are combined with blades and turned against Ittō. He then encounters a pair of women who with blades on their straw hats that they throw at Ittō as if they are Frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
s. Finally, some women washing vegetables by the river turn out to be assassins and the daikon
Daikon
Daikon , Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, also called White Radish, Japanese radish, Oriental radish, Chinese radish, lo bok and Mooli , is a mild flavoured, very large, white East Asian radish...
s they are washing are wielded as weapons. Ittō kills them all.
Then he meets Sayaka, who catches him, his son and the baby cart in a steel net. Ittō cuts his way out of the net and engages in a sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
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
Kimono
The is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" , has come to denote these full-length robes...
to reveal a fishnet body suit and then runs away, bizarrely jogging backwards.
Next, the Kurokawa clan are waiting for Ittō, who puts together his naginata
Naginata
The naginata is one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades in the form of a pole weapon. Naginata were originally used by the samurai class in feudal Japan, and naginata were also used by ashigaru and sōhei .-Description:A naginata consists of a wooden shaft with a curved...
(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 Ittō and the Kurokawas is fierce and Ittō is injured before he has killed them all.
Weary from the endless fighting, Ittō struggles along the road and eventually finds shelter in a shack
Shack
A shack is a type of small house, usually in a state of disrepair. The word may derive from the Nahuatl word xacalli or "adobe house" by way of Mexican Spanish xacal/jacal, which has the same meaning as "shack". It was a common usage among people of Mexican ancestry throughout the U.S...
. 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
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
statue and takes them for his father, leaving his vest in exchange.
Ittō 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
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
. If Ittō attacks, they will let go of the rope and Daigoro will plunge to his death. Daigoro lets his sandal
Sandal (footwear)
Sandals are an open type of outdoor footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps passing over the instep and, sometimes, around the ankle...
drop into the well, giving Ittō 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.
Ittō then finds himself aboard a ship, carrying the three Hidari brothers. Ittō 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. Ittō tosses Daigoro and the baby cart into the water, the cart proves itself by floating.
Sayaka has followed Ittō onto the ship and in the water, she tries to kill him, but is disarmed. Ittō, with Daigoro and Sayaka, find shelter, but they are cold
Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as . Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
. Ittō disrobes himself and Daigoro, then turns on Sayaka, tearing off her clothes. But he does not mean to rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
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
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
dune
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
s. The Hidari brothers are at the head of a caravan of men carrying a palanquin with the indigo
Indigo
Indigo is a color named after the purple dye derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria and related species. The color is placed on the electromagnetic spectrum between about 420 and 450 nm in wavelength, placing it between blue and violet...
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.
Ittō 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.
Ittō approaches the palanquin with the traitorous indigo
Indigo
Indigo is a color named after the purple dye derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria and related species. The color is placed on the electromagnetic spectrum between about 420 and 450 nm in wavelength, placing it between blue and violet...
expert inside, finishing him 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 Ittō stops the cart, looking straight ahead whilst holding out his dotanuki blade, as Sayaka wielding a katana is revealed behind him. Ittō stands ominously still until he hears the sound of Sayaka dropping her sword; knowing that she can never defeat the master swordsman.
Cast
- Tomisaburo WakayamaTomisaburo Wakayama, born Masaru Okumura, was a Japanese actor, best known for playing Ogami Ittō, the scowling, 17th century ronin warrior in the six Lone Wolf and Cub samurai movies.-Biography:...
as Ogami Ittō - Akihiro Tomikawa as Daigoro
- Kayo MatsuoKayo Matsuois a Japanese actress. She retired from acting following the Kobe earthquake.-Partial filmography:# Endless Desire # My Second Brother # Hikaru umi...
as Yagyu Sayaka - Akiji KobayashiAkiji Kobayashi, sometimes credited as Shōji Kobayashi or Issei Mori, was a Japanese actor. He is best known in the West for portraying the role of Captain Mura in the 1966-1967 television series, Ultraman. Another notable television role was Tōbei Tachibana in the 1971 series, Kamen Rider...
as Benma Hidari, Master of Death 1 - Minoru Ohki as Tenma Hidari, Master of Death 2
- Shin KishidaShin KishidaShin Kishida was a Japanese actor, best known for his memorable supporting roles in films and television series.-Biography:...
as Kuruma Hidari, Master of Death 3
Alternate version
- Most of this film, along with 12 minutes of footage from Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of VengeanceLone Wolf and Cub: Sword of VengeanceLone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance is a 1972 film directed by Kenji Misumi, the first in a series of six Ogami Ittō, a wandering assassin for hire who is accompanied by his young son, Daigoro.-Plot:Set in Japan during an...
was used to make Shogun AssassinShogun AssassinShogun Assassin, known in Japan as , is a jidaigeki film made for the British and American markets and released in 1980. In 2006 it was restored and re-released on DVD in North America by AnimEigo....
, a 19801980 in film- Events :* May 21 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year ....
film released as an English-language compilation of the Baby Cart series for AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
audiences.