Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx by Kenji Misumi (1972)
Whereas Sword of Vengeance is a relatively straightforward samurai film, bloody arterial sprays and quasi-exploitation notwithstanding, Baby Cart at the River Styx gets surprisingly abstract and even existential — for better and worse. This time around, Ogami Ittō is hired to assassinate an expert at making indigo dye. Unfortunately, the expert is guarded by three brothers who are infamous martial arts masters. Further complicating things, the Yagyu clan is hot on Ittō’s trail, this time sending a clan of female assassins after the former executioner and his young son. At times, the abstractions make the film more intriguing, such as when Ittō and his son heighten their senses to keep safe; the soundtrack and Kenji Misumi’s direction really sell the idea that Ittō’s quest for vengeance has made him something inhuman. And then there are the fights where the combatants’ colorful outfits are as much a weapon as their blades, or a dying man comments on the sound of the blood spraying from his neck. (Which is ridiculous but still quite apropos for Lone Wolf and Cub’s blood-soaked world.) The psychedelic editing employed to make the martial arts look superhuman has a charm that CGI just can’t match. But there are also moments when the film slows to a crawl, and scenes are dragged out to make them feel more significant and portentous. As with the first film, it still looks gorgeous thanks to Chishi Makiura’s cinematography. But perhaps in trying to make a heavier, more serious film, the filmmakers robbed Baby Cart at the River Styx of some of the edge possessed by its predecessor.
I may earn an affiliate commission on items you buy through Opus. These commissions will go directly to support the site and my blogging.