Okami - The Sword of Vengeance
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Okami - The Sword of Vengeance |
| Original title | 子 連 れ 狼 子 を 貸 し 腕 貸 し つ か ま つ る |
| Country of production | Japan |
| original language | Japanese |
| Publishing year | 1972 |
| length | 83 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK No youth approval |
| Rod | |
| Director | Kenji Misumi |
| script |
Kazuo Koike , Gōseki Kojima |
| production |
Shintarō Katsu , Hisaharu Matsubara |
| music | Hideaki Sakurai |
| camera | Chishi Makiura |
| cut | Toshio Taniguchi |
| occupation | |
| |
Okami - The Sword of Vengeance ( Japanese 子 連 れ 狼 子 を 貸 し 腕 貸 し つ か ま つ る , Kozure Ōkami: Ko wo Kashi Ude Kashi tsukamatsuru , dt. "The wolf with the child: offering child and skills") is a Jidai-geki film the Tōhō film studios by director Kenji Misumi from 1972. The film is based, like a television series and several television films, on the manga Lone Wolf & Cub ( Kozure Ōkami ) by Kazuo Koike and Gōseki Kojima .
The production is a six-part Swordsman saga (1972-1974), whose title character, the self-proclaimed "Lone Wolf", the first chapter with a wooden pram and young son by the Japan of the Edo period draws to become at a Klan avenge who once killed his wife. Four of these films were made under the direction of Kenji Misumi.
By the way , Roger Corman created an independent film from the first two Okami films, which was released in 1980 in English dubbing under the title Shogun Assassin on the US market.
action
prolog
The Tokugawa shogunate rules the country with an iron fist. The subordinate princes are controlled by a ruthless policy. Any daimyo who falls from grace must atone with his possessions and his own life, as well as the life of his family. To maintain this dark, authoritarian rule, three organizations are formed.
The House of Kurokuma takes over the office of Tansaku-Nin ; Spies looking for reasons to eradicate the sovereigns. Furthermore, the Yagyu clan takes over the office of Shikaku-Nin ; Assassins who liquidate people who opposed the shogunate. The gifted fighter and master of the Suio sword technique Ittō Ogami becomes the official Kaishaku-Nin , a kind of executioner who is allowed to wear the shogunate coat of arms, a stylized round made of mallow leaves, as a special privilege. From then on he beheaded princes who had fallen out of favor. He uses a special sword, a dōtanuki , which is larger and heavier than normal katanas .
The lone wolf and his child
When Ogami's wife Azami is murdered by three ninjas as part of a vicious intrigue of the power-hungry Yagyū clan - apparently it should appear as if three samurai want to atone for the execution of their master - Ittō swears vengeance on the initially unknown responsible party. These soon reveal themselves in the person of Inspector General Bizen, a member of the Yagyu clan. Bizen falsely accuses Ittō of treason against the shōgunate, but the clever executioner sees through the plan - which is supposed to lead to his dishonorable impeachment - and kills all swordsmen present except for the old Retsudō Yagyū, the mastermind behind the plot.
Nevertheless, Ittō soon fell out of favor himself. He is removed from office on serious allegations and his family name is deleted. In this situation at the latest, he completely opposes the will of the shogun . He denied the ritual seppuku , flees and becomes a ronin , a masterless samurai, who moves in with his young son Daigoro as self-appointed Wolf through the land. As a run-down contract killer, he now offers his services with a banner. He always carries a wooden stroller with him in search of his wife's murderers.
During his arduous journey, he receives an assignment from a seedy man. For a substantial sum, he is supposed to kill potential assassins before they can carry out their task of murdering a clan leader. Ittō agrees and goes to a small mountain village, which is home to a thermal bath. Here he meets the group of assassins, who initially hardly pay any attention to him, although he has a Dōtanuki with him. With a stoic calm he endures various hostilities until he kills the murderers present. At the end of the film, he continues his journey with his son and the stroller.
Reviews
The lexicon of international films wrote that the production was "a disturbing film on an aesthetically high level, the plot of which is deeply rooted in Japanese tradition and philosophy" .
Web links
- Okami - The sword of vengeance in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Okami - The Sword of Vengeance in the online movie database