Lady Snowblood

Rating:
Summary: Film buffs be warned....
Review: Don't get me wrong-- I love a cheesy samurai film as much as the next guy. However, this one is more cheese (and more low-budget) than most. Kaji Meiko (who had starred in three of the cult-phenom 'Sasori' films) chews the scenery as the title character, raised for the sole purpose of avenging the death of her parents at the hands of a group of leering outlaws.

The twist of having a female play the cold-blooded 'swordsperson' might sound intriguing, but it can't compensate for hammy acting, poor photography, sappy enka ballads, a villain straight out of the silent movie era, and slapdash plotting that looks like what it is-- a condensed version of a longer story that tries to compensate with extended narrative. The whole film has the feel of a 'quickie' that was made to cash in on the original comic series, and attempts by the filmmakers to appeal to a broader crowd are just plain awkward. Not convinced? This movie, based on a comic by the creator of the Lone Wolf series, was released after the first FIVE Lone Wolf films had hit theaters in the previous twenty months! That doesn't exactly inspire confidence....

The Grand Guignol-style special effects can be unintentionally laughable, as every slash of the sword produces a geyser of day-glo stage blood, complete with silly spray-on-the-wall sound effects. To her credit, Kaji doesn't look terribly out of place in her role, and there are some decent moments, as when she is faced with the unpleasant task of slaying one of her enemies when he has been reduced to an invalid dependent upon his devoted, innocent daughter. As a whole, however, the film can only be recommended to undiscriminating genre buffs.

If you're looking for a film of this sort that's actually worth seeing for more than spewing arteries and overwrought melodrama, you'd best look elsewhere.

Update: Judging from the trailer for 'Kill Bill,' master plagiarist Quentin Tarantino borrowed some scenes directly from this movie. But that still doesn't make it any more watchable. There has also been a Japanese remake that is now available on DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Child of the netherworld
Review: Far more fully realized than the Tarantino films that it in part inspired, Lady Snowblood is all about revenge. Nothing else. In fact, Yume (Japanese for snow) is born for revenge in a prison hellhole; her only reason for living is to reap revenge for crimes against her mother, who died shortly after childbirth. Fitting to its grave theme, the film builds a somber gray world that M-TV fans might mistake for dullness. For a moment, some small light is permitted into this world, but, as you must know they will, duty and fate prevail. When the theme so familiar from the Tarantino film plays on this film's soundtrack, this time you will *feel* it!

Rating:
Summary: superb dvd
Review: I really must congratulate the producers of this DVD. The subtitles of most of the asian films that I've seen are definitely their weakest point. On this one, however, not only is the film transfer & sound amazingly good, but the subtitles are also nothing short of fabulous; with none of the usual gaffs, but more importantly with a genuine artistic sense of the use of language. Plus there are two 'levels' of subtitle available, one with additional context.

There are enough other reviews here I don't feel that it is necisary to go into to much depth about the story of the film, but I'll just close by noting that this film has the kind of silly blood special effect successfully mocked in Monty Python's "Salad Days". Apparently these victims of the sword have such enormous blood pressure that they spout great arcs of the stuff at the merest scratch. Don't let this aside deter you from checking out this excellent film. If you at all a fan of Japanese Action Movies, this one will not disappoint.

Rating:
Summary: superb dvd
Review: I really must congratulate the producers of this DVD. The subtitles of most of the asian films that I've seen are definitely their weakest point. On this one, however, not only is the film transfer & sound amazingly good, but the subtitles are also nothing short of fabulous; with none of the usual gaffs, but more importantly with a genuine artistic sense of the use of language. Plus there are two 'levels' of subtitle available, one with additional context.

There are enough other reviews here I don't feel that it is necisary to go into to much depth about the story of the film, but I'll just close by noting that this film has the kind of silly blood special effect successfully mocked in Monty Python's "Salad Days". Apparently these victims of the sword have such enormous blood pressure that they spout great arcs of the stuff at the merest scratch. Don't let this aside deter you from checking out this excellent film. If you at all a fan of Japanese Action Movies, this one will not disappoint.

Rating:
Summary: Classic swordplay flick with a twist
Review: I rented this randomly because I thought the female swordsperson angle might be interesting, though I really didn't know what to expect. I wound up surprised that the film had a good story, solid stylish direction, and terrific performances, particularly from the beautiful lead actress, Meiko Kaji, who brings the perfect combination of intimidating pinned up rage and super model good looks. That's not to mention the terrific swordfighting sequences, which, be warned, are particularly bloody. This is a must see for people into old Samurai films or anyone interested in gender roles in cinema.

Rating:
Summary: Minor revenge epic
Review: I'm sure that others beside myself will be interested in this film because both the theme song and the basic story of a lone woman out for bloody revenge were borrowed for Tarantino's Kill Bill. Although the story here is basically a good one and parts of the film are beautiful, overall it lacks momentum and suspense, and by the end it degenerates into a silly final showdown. This is a pity, because "Lady Snowblood" easily could have been an interesting contribution to the samurai classics. So, even though the subtitles are great and the actress who plays Lady Snowblood is both beautiful and fierce, the script in the end doesn't do her justice.

Rating:
Summary: BLOODY BLOODY VENGEANCE IS BLOODY FUN!
Review: I, a huge fan of asian cinema loved this movie. It is definately one of the best asian movies and it is great. It is artistic and dreamy. It is a blood-soaked, beautiful revenge story, and it is great. I can see why quentin tarantino used it as inspiration for another one of my favorite movies KILL BILL!

Rating:
Summary: Female avenger cuts a swath in film that inspired Tarantino
Review: LADY SNOWBLOOD (1973) is a starkly beautiful Japanese swordplay drama featuring a female fighter, Shurayuki Hime (Lady Snowblood), or Yuki for short, whose mission in life is to track down and slay three of the four villains who brutalized her mother and killed the mother's husband and son. It takes place in the 1890s, in Meiji-era Japan, and includes several helpful flashbacks to provide the context for Yuki's mission. Born in prison--her mother was there for killing the first of the villains and died after childbirth--Yuki is raised by a Buddhist reverend who calls her a "child of the netherworld" and trains her in the fighting arts. Tall and regal, beautiful and ghostly white, Lady S (played by Meiko Kaji) looks too pure to sully herself with bloodletting, a tack which gives her the element of surprise in her many swordfights.

The film is divided into four chapters and is based on a manga written by Kazuo Koike, who also wrote the "Lone Wolf and Cub" and "Crying Freeman" manga series. At one point in Chapter Three, Yuki meets a writer (Toshio Kurosawa) who publishes a newspaper ("a cheap little rag") and tells Yuki's story, accompanied by manga-like illustrations, making her a legend in her own time and causing her considerable dismay. There's a bit of stylization in the fighting as Yuki leaps up impossible heights and causes blood to gush out like a fountain whenever she slices or dismembers an opponent, but otherwise the film has a deceptive simplicity as Yuki moves like a wraith through small villages and the back alleys of Tokyo in her inexorable quest for vengeance. There is a lot of action and bloodshed, so fans of samurai and yakuza films should be satisfied. The tape is presented in a flawless letter-boxed transfer, in Japanese with English subtitles.

Meiko Kaji (who also starred in the FEMALE CONVICT SCORPION series) plays the title role and sings the theme song, "Flower of Carnage." Quentin Tarantino drew on this film as part of the inspiration for the Lucy Liu character, O-Ren Ishii, in KILL BILL VOL. 1 (2003) and also uses "Flower of Carnage" on his soundtrack. As impressive as KILL BILL is, fans who want to experience the formal beauty of the original form--seen here in a deftly-blended mix of samurai, ninja, yakuza, and manga motifs--need to go back to films like this. And judging from recent Japanese genre releases, e.g. RETURNER, ONMYOJI, and PRINCESS BLADE (itself a flashy contemporary reworking of LADY SNOWBOOD), to name a few, it's clear that, aside from KILL BILL, "they just don't make 'em like that anymore."

Rating:
Summary: Solid, impressive story with plenty of action
Review: Shurayuki Hime, a child of the netherworld, brought into life with her mother's death opens a fast-paced and insightful story into pre- and post-feudal Japan as one watches the subtle conflict between duty and revenge. It sports quite a bit of blood, so the squeamish may want to look elsewhere. But for tight-plotting, great performances (there are some scenes where Yuki could slay men with her eyes and her glance says a thousand words), and well done sword-fighting (not too theatrical, but more realistic), one need no more than to look here. A most excellent movie. Highly recommended.