Samurai Wolf & Samurai Wolf II – Film Movement (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Japan, 1966 (Samurai Wolf), Japan, 1967 (Samurai Wolf II)
Director: Hideo Gosha (Both Films)
Cast: Isao Natsuyagi, Ryôhei Uchida, Junko Miyazono, Tatsuo Endô, Junkichi Orimoto, Yoshirô Aoki, Takashi Tabata, Kyôichi Satô, Misako Tominaga (Samurai Wolf), Isao Natsuyagi, Ichirô Nakatani, Bin Amatsu, Yûko Kusunoki, Chiyo Aoi, Rumiko Fuji, Junkichi Orimoto, Yoshirô Aoki, Kyôichi Satô, Kenji Ushio, Seizô Fukumoto, Kô Nishimura (Samurai Wolf II)

Release Date: June 25th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 73 Minutes 47 Seconds (Samurai Wolf), 71 Minutes 51 Seconds (Samurai Wolf II)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $44.98

Samurai Wolf: "Isao Natsuyagi stars as Kiba, a charismatic ronin who wanders into a small town and ends up ensnared in a local conflict that's more than meets the eye. After dispatching a pair of highway criminals seen robbing a courier wagon, Kiba agrees to assist a beautiful blind woman who runs the local shipping company." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Samurai Wolf II: "Charismatic ronin Kiba (Isao Natsuyagi) returns, once again entangled in a complex web of intrigue, involving a crooked goldmine owner, a cynical swordsman, and an arrogant dojo master." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (Both Films)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfers, "2K restorations from the original film elements".

Samurai Wolf and Samurai Wolf II comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.1 GB

Feature: 15.9 GB (Samurai Wolf), 16.8 GB (Samurai Wolf II)

The source for both films is in excellent shape. Image clarity is solid, black levels are strong, and compression is very good.

Audio: 4/5 (Both Films)

Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise Both audio tracks sound very good.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a newly created trailer for Samurai Wolf (1 minute 31 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), Samurai Wolf II (1 minute 24 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), a newly created trailer for Violent Streets (1 minute 31 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), a featurette with Hideo Gosha’s daughter Tomoe Gosha titled Outlaw Director: Hideo Gosha (15 minutes 38 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Chris Poggiali for Samurai Wolf, a spot gloss slipcover (limited to 2,000 units), and a 20-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled Hideo Gosha’s Samurai Wolf 1 & 2 written Robin Gatto.

Summary:

Hideo Gosha directed Samurai Wolf and Samurai Wolf II. He is most known for directing samurai films; notable films include Goyokin, The Wolves, and Hunter in the Dark.

Samurai Wolf: A ronin becomes involved in a conflict between officials at a waystation and a corrupt feudal lord who wants control of the territory.

Though not as prolific as most of his contemporaries, Hideo Gosha’s filmography is consistently strong. By the time that he made Samurai Wolf and its sequel, Hideo Gosha firmly established himself as one of the prominent filmmakers making Chanbara films. It is not surprising that Samurai Wolf and its sequel have a Spaghetti Western vibe, since it was a Chanbara film, Yojimbo, that inspired A Fistful of Dollars, the film that ignited the Spaghetti Western genre.

Samurai Wolf has a phenomenal opening where three swordsmen, one who has a monkey on their shoulder, ambush two men carrying cargo for the waystation. This moment does a superb job setting the tone for the events that follow. Though there is a mystery to Kiba in the initial setup, it quickly becomes clear that he is someone you don’t want to mess with.

As great as all of the performances are, they all pale in comparison to Isao Natsuyagi (Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion), who masterfully portrays Kiba. What sets Kiba apart from other ronin is that he has a code of honor. It is clear what kind of man Kiba is from the moment he is introduced; he repays an old woman who fed him. Another performance of note is Junko Miyazono (Quick-draw Okatsu), who portrays a blind woman who owns the waystation.

Don’t let Samurai Wolf's duration deceive you; so much happens in its brief 74-minute duration. The narrative does an excellent job building and sustaining momentum. There is an ample amount of carnage and stylized kills, which uses sound to great effect. Another strength is arresting compositions and camera movements, which help heighten the mood. Ultimately, Samurai Wolf is a solid example of a Chanbara that fans of this genre should thoroughly enjoy.

Samurai Wolf II: A ronin finds himself in the middle of a conflict between a crooked goldmine owner, a cynical swordsman, and an arrogant dojo master.

Though all of the players except Kiba have changed this time around, what unfolds is essentially a retooled version of Samurai Wolf. Wherever Kiba goes, trouble always finds him, and when he saves a prisoner from assassins, he puts himself in the crosshairs. That said, he is never the instigator, and only when provoked does his sword draw blood.

Isao Natsuyagi (Village of Doom) returns in the role of a ronin named Kiba. He delivers an outstanding performance that further fleshes out Kiba. Another performance of note is Yûko Kusunoki (House of Terrors), who portrays Oren the Thistle, a femme fatale-like character.

One area where Samurai Wolf II differs from its predecessor is how it devotes more time to Kiba’s backstory. Through a series of flashbacks it is revealed that Kiba’s father was also a ronin and that he was murdered. That said, besides Kiba, more time is devoted to building up characters.

The narrative moves quickly, and a lot happens in just 72 minutes. Once again, Hideo Gosha’s visuals are outside of the norm when compared to other Chanbara films. There is an abundance of carnage, and all of the action set pieces are excellent. Standout sequences are an ambush in the pouring rain and a bloodbath finale where one fighter uses his opponent's daughter as a shield. Ultimately, Samurai Wolf II is a rare example of a sequel that is on par with its predecessor.

Samurai Wolf and Samurai Wolf II get first-rate releases from Film Movement; both films are given strong audio/video presentations and a trio of informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer