Blind Woman's Curse

Kaidan Nobori Ryu 怪談昇り竜

Director: Teruo Ishii 石井輝男
Released: June 20th, 1970
Distributor: Nikkatsu
Screenplay: Yoshitada Sone 曽根義忠 and Teruo Ishii 石井輝男

Starring:
Meiko Kaji 梶芽衣子 as Akemi Tachibana
Hoki Tokuda ホキ徳田 as Aiko Gouda
Makoto Sato 佐藤允 as Tani Shouichi
Shiro Otsuji 大辻伺郎 as Senba-Tatsu
Ryohei Uchida 内田良平 as Aozora
Toru Abe 安部徹 as Dobashi
Tatsumi Hijikata 土方巽 as The Hunchback
Yoko Takagi 高樹蓉子 as Chie
Yoshi Kato 加藤嘉 as Jutaro Mitsui

Info:

Meiko's first film under the name Meiko Kaji*. According to Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes, it was suggested that Meiko change her name from her birth name Masako Ota (太田雅子) by Nikkatsu, who suggested the name Kaji (or a second option, Katsura) and director Masahiro Makino (マキノ 雅弘) who suggested Meiko.

*There are differing accounts of which film was her first under the name Meiko Kaj. Tom Mes indicates in his liner notes for the Blu-ray release that it was this film, but Jasper Sharp states that it was Tales Of Remnants Of Japanese Chivalry 博徒百人 仁侠道 in 1969.

This film was known by several different English titles before Discotek Media gave it a U.S. DVD release under the name Blind Woman's Curse, including Black Cat's Revenge, The Tattooed Swordswoman, Strange Tales Of Dragon Tattoo and The Haunted Life Of A Dragon-Tattooed Lass. The literal translation would be something like Rising Dragon Ghost Story.

Meiko sang the theme song for this movie, Jingi Komori Uta 仁義子守唄, and the single for it was her first musical release. The song also appears on her first full length album, Gincho Wataridori 銀蝶渡り鳥.

Plot:

During a fight with a rival gang, Akemi accidentally blinds the sister of the Aozora gang's boss, Aiko, with her sword. As the battle rages on, a black cat appears and begins lapping up the blood from Aiko's eyes.

Akemi is sent to prison for three years and emerges with a new perspective on life. When she meets up with her clan, she finds that they, too, are softening and are not warring with rival gangs or looking to expand their territory. Dobashi, the leader of another gang sees Akemi's clan's decision as a sign of weakness and decides he wants to take over her territory. He enlists a traitor from within Akemi's gang to make sure that they go to war with the Aozora gang, in the hopes that they will wipe each other out. The entire matter is complicated by the arrival of a weird, disturbing carnival featuring a blind knife thrower.

When Akemi's people start turning up dead, the dragon tattoos skinned from their backs, Akemi must figure out what's going on and what she's going to do to stop it.