Samurai Wolf 2: Hell Cut 1967
Distributed by Film Movement
Produced by Nobusaburo Honda
Directed by Hideo Gosha
Streaming, 72 mins
High School - General Adult
Asian Cinema; Japanese Culture; Martial Arts
Date Entered: 07/19/2023
Reviewed by Ray Boucher, Lecturer of Theater and Film (SUNY Buffalo State, SUNY Geneseo, GCC, NCCC) and actorIsao Natsuyagi's returns as ronin Kiba, the Wolf in Goshen's follow up to classic "chanbara" (swordfight film). Goshen again uses silence with isolated noise, jump cuts, zooms, odd angles, stellar fight choreography, and plenty of blood make the film stylishly satisfying and an exemplar of 1960's action cinema.
This installation centers on a goldmine, a cynical elder ronin, multiple damsels in distress, and a crooked Dojo. Kiba is given a love interest in this sequel, which allows Natsuyagi to show vulnerability, but, as in the first Samurai Wolf, double crosses and plot twists drive the narrative. This sequel is as satisfying and edifying as its predecessor, and another great example of Japanese cinema from the sixties.
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