Lady Snowblood

Shura Yuki Hime 修羅雪姫

Director: Toshiya Fujita 藤田敏八
Released: December 1st, 1973
Distributor: Toho
Screenplay: Norio Nogata 長田紀生

Starring:
Meiko Kaji 梶芽衣子 as Yuki Kashima
Toshio Kurosawa 黒沢年男 as Ryûrei Ashio
Masaaki Daimon 大門正明 as Gô Kashima
Eiji Okada 岡田英次 as Gishirô Tsukamoto
Miyoko Akaza 赤座美代子 as Sayo Kashima
Shinichi Uchida 内田伸一 as Shirô Kashima
Kō Nishimura 西村 晃 as Priest Dôkai
Mayumi Maemura as Young Yuki
Hiroshi Hasegawa 長谷川弘 as Daihachi Kachime

Info:

The most well known of Meiko Kaji's films, Lady Snowblood is based on the manga written by Kazuo Koike and illustrated by Kazuo Kamimura.

According to an interview Meiko did with Nihon Eiga Retorosupekutibu, the film was produced on a low budget and filmed with only 20,000 feet of film.

A sequel, Lady Snowblood: Love Song Of Vengeance, was released in 1974.

Lady Snowblood was remade in Hong Kong in 1977 as Po Jie (Broken Oath) with Angela Mao, Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung and then again in 2001 in Japan as The Princess Blade with Yumiko Shaku. It is, of course, best known for being a large influence on Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films, borrowing plot elements and shots, as well as using Meiko's theme song for Lady Snowblood, "Shura No Hana" (The Flower Of Carnage) for the soundtrack.

Plot:

Meiko plays Yuki, a child born in prison to her mother Sayo, incarcerated for killing one of the four people who killed her husband and raped her. Sayo explains, before dying, that she has been seducing every prison guard she possibly can in the hopes of becoming pregnant and giving birth to a child who can avenge her and her dead husband. As a child, Yuki lives in a temple with Priest Dôkai, who trains her in combat and sword fighting. At the age of twenty, Yuki begins her quest for revenge, tracking down the people responsible.