Lady Snowblood

Year: 1973

Grade: B

Country: Japan

Director: Fujita

Review

one of the major influences of the kill bill films (kill bill volume one ends with lady snowblood’s theme song), this is also another 70s revenge film (last house on the left, i spit on your grave, thriller, fight for your life, etc.). one of the more interesting caveats of this film is the fact that the person seeking the revenge (yuki, aka lady snowblood) is not the direct victim of the rape and murder that she is avenging. yuki’s mother and her mother’s husband were the victims of the crime, and the mother gives birth to yuki while in prison so that yuki can mete out the revenge against the perpetrators. as you can tell it’s a pretty raw film, but it definitely rises above the usual 70s revenge film because it is a film. it’s shot well and there is a sense of empathy with the character, rather than there being a detached feeling. if you’ve seen kill bill you owe it to tarantino and fujita to check this one out.