The Complete Lady Snowblood

Lady Snowblood (1973), directed by Toshiya Fujita and starring Meiko Kaji, is best known to American audiences as a major inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, saga, but the samurai revenge thriller—adapted from a popular manga—was a cult favorite long before Tarantino came along. Beautiful and deadly orphan Shirayuki (Kaji) is raised by a thief and trained in the martial arts by a priest in order to exact her revenge on the quartet of criminals who murdered her father and tortured her mother. The film's manga origins can be seen in the penciled panels used to punctuate the story, the vivid chapter titles that mark her progress, and the slash cutting that takes the story rapidly back and forth in time. But it's a thoroughly cinematic experience, full of color and movement filling the widescreen frame, highlighted by a series of efficiently choreographed battles. Director and star reunite for Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance (1974), the only sequel to the hit film. Sentenced to death for her murder spree, Shirayuki is given a reprieve by a mysterious government agent in return for taking on a mission to kill an enemy of the throne—but she ultimately winds up in the middle of a conspiracy where the heroes and villains are not so clear cut. Both films have been newly restored and remastered, presented with extras including new interviews with manga author Kazuo Koike and screenwriter Norio Osada. Fans of samurai thrillers and cult movies will appreciate this double feature. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)