This article comes fromDen of Geek UK.
And it didnt disappoint.
In fact, it was probably the goriest movie on the list.
Ad content continues below
For my money, its still the best one too.
The influence of its creator Kazuo Koike on worldwide pop culture cant be understated either.
The comic was a phenomenal hit and it wasnt long before Japans film industry came knocking on Koikes door.
Its essentially an origin story.
His latest job finds him sent to a hot spring to kill a group of bandits whove taken over.
And thats what makesSword Of Vengeanceso compelling.
For all the noise and fury, there are moments of captivating tranquillity.
He brings a classical grace to the material thats distinctly Japanese.
Misumi would take notes and the crew would improvise from there.
The result is a highly kinetic picture thats probably the craziest of the whole series.
It involves a village where they make a much-coveted indigo dye.
These are three guys in huge hats with astonishing weaponry, who slash up anyone who goes near them.
The introduction of the sword mistresses is cinematic gold.
A ninja is challenged to leave the room and enter the garden, which he thinks will be easy.
I mean, hes a ninja after all, right?
In unsettling silence and shadow, they methodically hack him to pieces.
Its a ferociously grim scene and yet, again, has a sense of almost noble serenity.
The way its shot is a far cry from your usual chop-em-up chanbara.
Misumi and his team capture the comic book aesthetic perfectly.
Again, multiple plots run concurrently.
And thats part of what keeps this series so watchable.
Theres something very dangerous about someone whos stopped caring and Itto Ogami is the epitome of this danger.
When the final bright red arterial spray showers the screen, bloodshed has never looked more majestic.
to play us out.
To achieve the effect, they simply hurled the camera through the air onto the ground.
It (obviously!)
Saito brought with him Kazuo Miyagawa, the cinematographer who shot Kurosawa classics likeRashomonandYojimbo.
Obviously, immediately, we all love Yuki so it makes the stakes quite real for this one.
we really dont want him to kill her.
Well, everything ties together, along with a whole new strain of inter-clan intrigues told in flashback.
He conveys tremendous pain and is utterly fearsome.
Its in the nuance of how he plays it.
Look in his eyes, man.
If youre not already convinced that this is a truly special series then theres no hope.
The highlight is maybe the Daigoro subplot as he goes missing (again!)
Still, its not that theres nothing to like here.
Its fine, but its not quite Lone Wolf and Cub fine.
and a real snowbound location.
It was all worth it.
He refused to play the role if someone else was also doing it and that was that.
An endless loop of perpetual violence as Itto and Daigoro walk The Demon Way In Hell forever.
Lone Wolf & Cub: The Criterion Collection is out now on Blu-ray.
