Lady Snowblood (1973)

I keep telling myself I won’t only review Japanese films, but that’s basically all I watch so it leaves me little choice. Also, when I enjoy films as much as I enjoyed Lady Snowblood (1973) I’m going to want to talk about it. And I am glad that I enjoyed it because I have had it on my watchlist for a long, long time. Acting as one of the primary inspirations for the Kill Bill films, Lady Snowblood follows Yuki Kashima (Meiko Kaji), a young woman who has been trained from birth to become a ruthless killer with one goal, to avenge her family who were raped and killed by a group of scam artists.

Falling squarely into the revenge genre of films, this one nails it. An absolute blast from start to finish, with elements of exploitation films with copious amounts of blood and excessive violence throughout. It never gets to a point where the violence is so over the top that it feels ridiculous or ‘otherworldly’, but it tows that line. But that, for me, is what makes it so much fun, the fact that it is so close to being ridiculous without overstepping that mark, and with the narrative being a fairly simple one, it adds a lot to the viewing experience. And it can’t be understated how much Meiko Kaji’s screen presence adds to the whole film. You can’t ever take your eyes off her and she brings a weight to the whole film. But what makes the film special in my eyes is how stylish it is. The direction, cinematography and use of colour is superb throughout and makes for a visual treat on top of the brilliantly fun narrative and action. Honestly, it is one of the best films I have seen in a good while and now I wish I had got round to watching it much sooner.