Lady Snowblood
1973 ‘Shurayukihime’ Directed by Toshiya Fujita
Synopsis
Yuki's family is nearly wiped out before she is born due to the machinations of a band of criminals. These criminals kidnap and brutalize her mother but leave her alive. Later her mother ends up in prison with only revenge to keep her alive. She creates an instrument for this revenge by purposefully getting pregnant. Yuki never knows the love of a family but only killing and revenge.
Popular reviews
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The first time I watched Lady Snowblood, I saw it entirely without subtitles. I'm almost inclined to recommend it, because the film works almost better when you just take in the lush visuals and follow the story on a primal level.
The film (which was not just a big inspiration for but had some specific elements used in Kill Bill) tells the story of Yuki, a woman who seeks vengeance upon three people who raped her mother and killed her mother's husband and son. It's told with tons of visual flair, garden hose blood and beautiful music. The film itself was based on upon the manga Shurayukihime, and there are many narrative moments told through artwork or comic book panels.…
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Yuki... You were born for vengeance, such a poor child... A child of the netherworlds.
-Sayo KashimaOn the surface it's an exploitation grindhouse samurai revenge film, but with an operatic story that transcends genre. Usually these films have a straight forward simplistic plot while letting the overly violent action sell the picture. Lady Snowblood still has the violence you'd expect, everything from sliced limbs to geysers of blood exploding on screen, but it's plot plays out like a Greek tragedy with events that take place over a period of 20 years or so.
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This was a perfect way to start my 2013. As anyone who's seen it knows, Lady Snowblood is fun viewing simply by virtue of being able to note all the story and style elements that Tarantino cherry-picked and recontextualized in Kill Bill, but the thing that surprised me is that it completely stands on its own as well. It's a dense but constantly engaging 97 minutes, weaving a complex narrative via flashbacks, flash-forwards, and some amazingly effective sequences comprised entirely of voiceover paired with pictures and drawings. Tarantino's interest in non-linear storytelling, chapter headings, and ostentatious use of titling certainly originates here, as does his predilection for delivering very human, emotional dramas within the confines of a genre piece. Lady…
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A riveting exploitation samurai classic with a spellbinding central performance from Meiko Kaji -- this is where Tarantino learned a good few of his best moves!
Read my full review at Horrorview.com: www.horrorview.com/movie-reviews/lady-snowblood-collection-the
Viewed via Blu-ray Check disc
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Probably more famous for being the main inspiration for Kill Bill, this Japanese adventure is wonderfully shot and looks brilliant on Blu-ray. Loads of squirting blood and swordplay.
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A pop art masterpiece
Recent reviews
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Visually stunning. While I ultimately prefer Kill Bill to this I do think Meiko Kaji is better than Uma Thurman.
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Yuki (Meiko Kaji) is shit out of luck from the off. She has been conceived deliberately by her mother to take vengeance on the ruthless and savage band of criminals who murdered her husband and son to protect the lie that was the key to their dominion over the people of their village. She is trained as an assassin and roams the land tracking down those who wronged her even before her birth, with her steel sword hidden in her umbrella.
Lady Snowblood is famously the inspiration for Tarantino’s Kill Bill, though judging by the inventive use of split narrative and onscreen alienation devices, it’s obviously had a massive influence over his whole career. Sections of the film are told…
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The novelty here is seeing attractive Meiko Kaji get involved with the bloodiness of the era; apart from her participation and the film's appropriation of certain techniques that nod towards the story's manga origins, 'Lady Snowblood' is nothing special. Shots and plot elements are clear influences on Tarantino's 'Kill Bill', but the action itself is lackluster. In my opinion, 'LS' is kind of overrated.
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the blood in this movie looked like paint.
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Entertaining enough, if a little turgid. Not the best of this cycle of Meiko Kaji films
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A revenge film at it's finest.
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The first time I watched Lady Snowblood, I saw it entirely without subtitles. I'm almost inclined to recommend it, because the film works almost better when you just take in the lush visuals and follow the story on a primal level.
The film (which was not just a big inspiration for but had some specific elements used in Kill Bill) tells the story of Yuki, a woman who seeks vengeance upon three people who raped her mother and killed her mother's husband and son. It's told with tons of visual flair, garden hose blood and beautiful music. The film itself was based on upon the manga Shurayukihime, and there are many narrative moments told through artwork or comic book panels.…
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Fan of Kill Bill? See this movie.
Fan of genre cinema? See this movie. -
hahah the blood effects wow and the story is... revenge. But I have to say for 1973 it's really good