The Complete Lady Snowblood (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

The Japanese combine the beautiful with the brutal and this movie follows that philosophy with these widescreen 2:35:1 displays of fountaining blood and brilliantly choreographed fight scenes. Lady Snowblood exacts revenge on a corrupt core of Japanese elites and the men who raped and murdered her family and the plot is surprisingly good in between the action. You won’t be bored!

This is not anything negative against Quentin Tarantino's two-film revenge saga. In fact, it thanks to KILL BILL (2003-2004) that more people became aware of LADY SNOWBLOOD (1973). So we should definitely owe a lot to Tarantino. While this is not the first film to focus on an action heroine, LADY SNOWBLOOD is still one of the early best examples, long before the had the likes of Sigourney Weaver, Linda Hamilton, Michelle Yeoh and Charlize Theron kicking action on the big-screen. And don't worry, the titular character (Meiko Kaji), who's actual name is Yuki, is not one of those boring and invincible girl-bosses we've gotten in western visual media over the past decade. LADY SNOWBLOOD is an adaptation of the manga (1972-1973), written by the Kazuko Koike (who's famous work is LONE WOLF & CUB [1970-1976], which inspired - among many things - THE MANDALORIAN [2019-????]) and illustrated by Kazuko Kamimira (both men are no longer with us. May they rest in peace). The film and it's sequel are directed by Toshiya Fujita, who had directed Kaji before on two instalments of the STRAY CAT ROCK franchise (1970-1971), and written by Norio Osada, who a year prior had co-written Kinji Fukasaku's anti-war drama UNDER THE FLAG OF THE RISING SUN (1972), and would go on to write Yoshiaki Kawajiri's (NINJA SCROLL [1993]) solo directorial debut, the gothic horror anime WICKED CITY (1987). Like KILL BILL, LADY SNOWBLOOD is told in a non-linear way as we follow Yuki, as she travels through late-19th century Japan to locate and wipe out three of the evil criminals who murdered her parents and half-brother. Just be warned - this is a violent movie. So, don't watch it if you're one of the weak-minded or the faint-hearted. Despite having to deal with a low budget (the 1970's was a struggling decade for the Japanese film industry), it's very impressive how the film came together with the settings, costumes and fight sequences (which are superbly shot and edited). LADY SNOWBLOOD proved to be a surprise success at the box-office, and a sequel was commissioned, subtitled LOVE SONG OF VENGEANCE (1974), where Yuki is rescued from execution by a secret police, who are willing to let her go if she retrieves critical documents for them. This one had an original story, as Osada saw the first one as a self-contained film and didn't even considered it to be the start of the franchise. SONG OF VENGEANCE isn't by any means a bad film, but as the old saying often goes, the first one is usually the best. Anyone who had been greatly impressed by Netflix's Emmy award-winning adult animated series BLUE EYE SAMURAI (2023-????) and the thankfully great PS5 video game, GHOST OF YOTEI (the 2025 sequel to GHOST OF TSUSHIMA [2020]), I definitely recommend watching LADY SNOWBLOOD, which is one of the best films to come out of Japan in the 1970's. Reviewer: Ben David W

Lady Snowblood is brilliant! Ist film is very good, where as the 2nd is not as good as the first. Brilliant action blood spraying scenes. First time ever watched it, really enjoyed it ! It's far superior to Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill.

Brand new as expected, delivered swiftly. Thanks!

Great

Lady Snowblood is an under-represented heroine in the pantheon of heroes. Her story is bizarre, unsettling, horrifying and deliriously "beautiful" to watch. It would be a huge mistake to think that these films are merely just hack and slash flicks with little to say other than "Ha, chopped off an arm..do you like that?". The themes and ideas represented in the films are more than just simple revenge fare for an audience that is baying for blood, you will get that of course. There is plenty of swift swordswomanship and those delicious sprays of blood that make this films a visual feast for those shots alone, but there is also a lot of things being said and I don't want to get pretentious or soap boxy, but I will say that if you are a woman ever wronged this is a film you must watch, it's meant more to me than pitiful car based suicide pacts ever could, and that if you know your stuff when it comes to the old politics and all of that nasty sounding jazz the second film will give you a lot to think about and to cheer for. For the rest there is imagery and sound coming together for films that could be taken on any level you wish to take, go deep and research some of the things you see or stick it on just to cheer on as the Blizzard from the Netherworlds blasts the wicked with righteous indignation and annihilates the evil doers with a blade as sharp as winter... Also play "I'm sure Saw him/her/they in that other one, what was it called..." if you are familiar with films of that much loved period of film making.

Beware, Blu Ray won't play on a UK PS5, I thought Blu-Rays were supposed to be region-less.

This won't play on my PS4, I'm in UK other people report no problem. Any advice please, are others using a dvd player?

Buenas peliculas lo unico que no se reproduce en el dvd ni br hay que verlas en el ordenador o pasarlas a dvdrw y ya se deja sin código de región.

タランティーノの「キル･ビル」に大きな影響を与えた映画として､一部からカルトムービーの評価をされているのが「修羅雪姫」である｡ 明治を舞台に､夫が殺され自らも凌辱された女が､仇を取る為に女性刑務所で子供を産み落とし､彼女に復讐を託す｡ 雪と名付けられた娘は､母の遺志を引き継ぎ､親の仇としてひとりまたひとりと冷徹に血祭りに上げていく､､､｡ 原作は小池一夫による人気劇画｡７０年代初頭､時代は劇画ブームであり､映画の世界でも劇画を原作に多くの作品が生まれていた｡ 梶芽衣子自身､この前年に､やはり劇画を原作とした「さそり」シリーズの松島ナミ役で人気スターとなっていた｡ 「修羅雪姫」は７３年東宝にて製作公開されている｡ いかにも東映的な題材だし､日活から東映に移ってきて間もなく､藤純子の後継としてスター･ダムに乗っていた梶をよく"他流試合"をさせたなと思うが､時代は「仁義なき戦い」の成功で､東映では実録やくざ路線に大きく舵を切っていた｡そんな事情もあったかも知れない｡ そして､今作品の監督に注目して欲しい｡ 藤田敏八である｡これまた日活の専属として活躍していた人気監督だが､こちらも経営不振からにっかつに変わり､ロマンポルノ路線に転じた辺りから､会社の縛りが緩和されて､この年東宝で２本撮っている｡ (もう１本は､あの「赤い鳥逃げた」｡因みににっかつからは翌年神代辰巳が東宝で傑作「青春の蹉鉄」を残している) 青春映画の名手として知られた藤田がこの題材を撮ると言うのも一見意外な人選だが､ファンならご承知の通り､梶とは「野良猫ロック」シリーズで組んだ気心知れた仲｡てっきり､梶が指名したと思いきや､東宝が最初からセットで企画したらしい｡後日､高平哲郎とのインタビューで彼女が語っていたはずだ｡ 今作品､血飛沫スプラッター描写が目立つものの､随所にスタイリッシュでケレン味溢れる中に美しいショットが散りばめられている｡ 降り積もる雪の中､ヒロインのドスが光り鮮血が雪を染める｡ オープニングとラスト､鮮烈でシンボリックなこのシーンを筆頭に､藤田敏八､まるで清順さんを意識したかのような美術とセットで､復讐の情念を燃やす孤高のヒロインを追い続け､梶芽衣子も見事にそれに応えていた｡ そして､今ソフトにはもう１本､続編の「修羅雪姫 怨み恋歌」が同時収録されている｡ 実は購入時には「修羅雪姫」のみの収録だと早とちりしていたので､ジャケットを手に取ってみての嬉しいサプライズとなった｡ 「怨み恋歌」は､明治政府に抵抗する無政府主義者たちと､彼らを殲滅しようとする秘密警察が登場する｡ 秘密警察に囚われ無理矢理無政府主義者のリーダー伊丹十三をスパイするよう命じられた雪だが､次第に国家権力たる秘密警察の横暴と残忍さを感じ､本当のワルは誰なのかを知る､､､｡ 今作が公開されたのは７４年､政治と運動の時代が終わり､虚無感とシラケ主義が社会を覆っていた頃だと思うが､映画の世界では､反社会的で反権力的な作品が作り手の意思と観客の嗜好にマッチしてウケていた｡ 今作品の秘密警察の残虐性も際立っていて､不当逮捕にフレームアップ､拷問､さらにはペスト菌の人体投与に貧民街に生きる人びとを生ゴミ扱いの上火を放って焼き尽くすと､ここまでやるかとの極悪ぶり｡ 雪ならずとも､怒りに震える事だろう(笑)｡ 伊丹の弟で貧民街の無頼派医師に原田芳雄､秘密警察の長官に岸田森｡その風貌に､同じく７４年に公開(オンエア)されていたそれぞれの当たり役である「竜馬暗殺」の竜馬と「傷だらけの天使」の辰巳を連想させるのも懐かしい｡ クライテリオン版のクオリティの高さにはもはや触れまい｡他のレビュアー諸氏の絶賛ぶりを読まれれば十分だろう｡ 雪景色の中で､或いは燃え尽きた貧民街の中で､くっきりと浮かび上がる梶芽衣子の翳りあるクール･ビューティぶりの凛とした美しさ､ゾクッとする｡ 前述したように､美しく激しい映像に目を奪われる両作品｡ 撮影監督は誰かとクレジットに目をやれば､１作目には田村正毅､２作目には鈴木達夫の名が｡ 片や､小川プロの一員として記録映画「三里塚」シリーズや､柳町光男の「さらば愛しき大地」で農村地帯の豊穣さをフィルムに刻み､片や､「とべない沈黙」､「祭りの準備」､「青春の殺人者」､「太陽を盗んだ男」ら傑作を手掛けた､どちらもこの時代を代表する名カメラマン｡ クライテリオンのＢＤなら､その片鱗をしっかり確認できる｡ 日本のDVDソフトは廃盤中であり､クオリティ面では比べ物にならないクライテリオン版が２作収録されてこの価格｡ これは買いのソフトである｡

If your looking into this film expecting it to be like a Tarantino style movie WILL be disappointed. While you can see where Tarantino got his influences in this film, don't mistake it for being a lot like kill bill. It is not and I'm so happy for that. Though I will say it is not the best edited films. There are moments where the music cuts out too early instead of a fade out or transition. The character intros have no music sting or track for each character, and minor amount of camera angles are a bit awkward, but you also need to consider the production abilities of the time, region, and budget. Those small factors do not make up the product however. The acting is great, the soundtrack is really cool and of course, has some of that boppin' 70's funkadelic! Although it sounds like some ingredients for an awesome action packed thrill ride of samurai swordsmanship, this film is much heavier on drama and culture. In reiteration, this will not be like a modern Tarantino flick, but it is awesome, cool, beautiful, sad, and tragic. All around a fantastic movie and worth being in any collection.

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