Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell (子連れ狼 地獄へ行くぞ！大五郎)

The Criterion Collection

Toho Company, Ltd.

Katsu Productions present

Produced by Tomisaburo Wakayama & Masanori Sanada

Original story by Kazuo Koike & Goseki Kojima

Director of photography Chishi Makiura

Music by Kunihiko Murai

Fight choreography by Eiichi Kusumoto

Special effects by Daizen Shishido

Starring:

Tomisaburo Wakayama as Itto Ogami

Akihiro Tomikawa as the Child Junko Hitomi as Kaori Yagyu

Goro Mutsumi as Ozunu

Minoru Oki as Lord Retsudo

Isao Kimura as Hyoei

Directed by Yoshiyuki Kuroda

"Kozure Ōkami" Lone Wolf and Cub

"Jigoku e ikuzo! Daigoro" White Heaven in Hell

According to rumours,

Itto is now an assassin with a child, living by the "crossroads to hell".

If I might enquire,

why does such a thing concern you, my lord?

You old fool! What's wrong with the Yagyu clan?

Why have you still not dealt with Ogami?

Old man, the Yagyu clan are besmirching the office of Official Executioner!

I'm told that officials of the Shogunate have discussed a sanctioned manhunt.

A sanctioned manhunt?

If Itto Ogami is declared a wanted criminal,

all domain lords and their deputies will be ordered to pursue him.

When that happens, the reputation of the Yagyu clan

and the office of Executioner will be in ruins.

My lord, I beg you not to authorise such an action.

I still have a daughter remaining, my lord.

She is my youngest daughter, Kaori.

She is stronger than any of her brothers,

she can destroy Itto for certain.

She will destroy him.

You have my word, my lord!

Still too slow.

How can you expect to defeat Ogami's Sui-O style techniques like that?

Next.

If you want to avoid the falling blade,

you must first deal with the others.

If you want to avoid the other blades,

then beware of the falling one.

Next.

Impressive, Uzuki.

You've deduced the secret of my falling blade technique.

Match both blades to the enemy's movements.

React and adjust accordingly.

Visualise the thrown blade as being directly above your head.

Then simply lure the opponent into the space you occupy.

Your deaths will not be without significance.

Forgive me.

Kaori.

Yes, sir.

The only remaining survivors of the Shadow Yagyu clan are you and l.

You are the Yagyu family's last hope.

You must avenge your brothers.

Slay Itto Ogami and his only son Daigoro!

I understand, sir.

Farewell, then.

You may go.

Ozunu, the leader of the Kurokuwa Group,

will escort you to Itto's location.

I've been informed by my men

that Itto Ogami is heading to the capital along the Sanyo Road.

I see. You are dismissed.

Lady Kaori, allow me to escort you.

I will go alone.

But my informants have already ascertained Itto's whereabouts.

But can your men kill Itto?

"The wolves headed west."

"The wolves are crossing eastwards."

Well, if it isn't Lord Ogami! Welcome.

You are most kind.

This way, please.

Azami...

...I am about to take Daigoro with me to the very heart of Edo.

Once there, I must slay Retsudo Yagyu to restore our name.

"The cub is here."

-Daigoro? -Over here!

Daigoro?

Let's go home!

Bye!

One and two. Two and three...

Three and four

And bloom like the flower of the cherry tree...

Beanbags filled with iron filings.

You are?

I am Kaori Yagyu!

You killed my three brothers.

Now I'm the only child left in the family!

I will take the lives of both you and your son, Itto Ogami!

Three brothers? Then you must be...

I'm Retsudo's daughter!

Fight!

With that mirror. my brother Kurando was defeated.

Any closer, and I'll be within the effective range of her technique.

How...

...could you keep your son on your shoulders...

...after you'd seen through my falling blade technique?

How dare you use your own son to save yourself!

As a father...you are a coward!

We, father and son, both live at the crossroads to hell.

We exist at the gateway to the netherworld.

Lady Kaori is dead!

Kaori?

Hyoei!

Hyoei, are you there?

It is I, Retsudo.

Answer me, if you are there.

Your three brothers...

...and your sister...

...were all defeated by Itto Ogami.

Now you are the only one that remains alive.

If Itto Ogami is not destroyed,

not only the Shogunate but also the Shadow Yagyu clan...

...will become the laughing stock of the nation.

All that's left for me now...

...is Hyoei...

You are all I have!

Hyoei, the time has come,

as the new heir of the Shadow Yagyu clan,

for you to destroy Itto Ogami!

The time has come for you to make yourself known to the world as my son.

So my siblings, the legitimate heirs of the Shadow Yagyu clan, are dead.

And now you expect me to call you my father?

And out of desperation to slay Itto, you have come to my mountain lair!

How considerate of you!

Hyogo, Kurando, Gunbei and Kaori.

All were highly-skilled swordsmen, yet all were defeated.

And now you say I am the only one you can rely on?

You must destroy Itto, for the sake of the Yagyu clan.

Simply because I was the child of your concubine,

you abandoned me in the mountains when I was only five.

Can you imagine how much that innocent five-year-old child

yearned for a mother and father?

It's remarkable that I'm still alive.

-Hyoei... -Listen!

The only ones I regard as my parents

are the Spider Demons of the Kiso-Ontake Mountains!

Hyoei, have you lost your sense of reason?

I refuse to be called a Yagyu.

The Yagyu clan shall taste the bitter ashes of ignominy!

Wait!

Hyoei! Won't you wait?

I call upon thee, all the gods who reside in tranquillity in the heavens.

I pray to thee, almighty gods who watch over this land.

Three chosen souls were sent to the afterlife to be purified.

I now beseech you for the return of their souls.

I pray to thee, almighty gods, and humbly send you my request.

Reveal yourselves, brave warriors!

Mujo.

Muga.

Mumon.

The three of you were buried for 42 days.

Through the 42 Days Rite of the Spider Demon Tribe,

you have been reborn as divine spirits.

Though alive, you are not mere mortals.

Though dead, you are not mere corpses.

Our time has come!

As Spider Demon clan members, we must live to our fullest,

and as samurai, honouring our Spider Demon principles,

we shall usurp the Yagyu clan and make our mark on the world.

Destroy Itto Ogami!

The Yagyu clan means nothing to us!

We shall destroy the Lone Wolf and Cub!

Oh, what an adorable little boy!

Here. See, it's a whistle.

Here you go.

It stretches. it shrinks. it stretches again!

And it melts in your mouth so softly!

-Yes, please! -Certainly!

You, too?

How about a sweet for your son, sir?

I'll take one.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, sir.

Here, they taste good.

Thanks.

Won't you come and buy some?

Daigoro!

Wherever the two of you venture, father and son.

innocent people will die.

Who are you?

The lady troubadour and the sweet seller.

neither had anything to do with you, and yet they are dead.

How tragic!

Everywhere the two of you venture,

innocent people such as they will lose their lives.

Sorry to bother you this late, but I'd like a room for the night.

Just coming, sir!

Welcome, sir! You must be tired, I'm sure.

Thank you.

Omatsu, put the cart away.

How adorable!

I'll light the lamp for you.

Come on inside.

There you go.