The Grand Illusion

Presented by Kung Fu Clubhouse!

Ogami Itto, the executioner for the Tokogawa Shogunate, has been framed as disloyal to the ruling family by the villainous Yagyu clan. After finding his wife murdered with only his young son, Daigoro, surviving, Itto refuses to end his own life as punishment. He sets forth on the Path of the Demon, protecting Daigoro from Yagyu assassins while offering his own services as an assassin-for-hire. Ogami Itto wanders the 18th century countryside, pushing his infant son in a baby cart while biding his time to wage war on the Yagyu clan.

SWORD OF VENGEANCE is the inaugural entry in the LONE WOLF AND CUB film series, based on the endlessly influential manga. The LONE WOLF AND CUB movies are perfect specimens of contemporary martial arts masterpieces which have influenced countless other stories, spanning decades; from KILL BILL VOL. I, LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL, THE MANDALORIAN, THE LAST OF US, and BOB’S BURGERS’s “Hawk & Chick”.

“[Kenji Misumi’s] combination of classical Japanese styles with a sharp eye for period detail and gore that had never been seen before in the Samurai genre is a joy to behold. The violence is meticulously staged, with group battles and one on one showdowns ringing with tension.” Martin Sandison, CityOnFire.com

“Kenji Misumi directs a film that wonderfully combines artistry with exploitation elements. … Sword of Vengeance is a masterpiece of the genre and a very entertaining film.” Panos Kotzathanasis, EasternKicks.com

“It warms my heart, when I see the little child smile while his father causes a bloodbath and dismembers all these men.” Sven Roth, Letterboxd