A female swordfighter: Lady Snowblood

Ladies and gentlemen,

I have recently been watching some outstanding Japanese martial arts movies. I would like to present you the two Lady Snowblood movies from 1973 and 1974. As so many other movies, they are based upon a manga series of the same name. What really makes this franchise stand out is the fact that the lead character is a woman. She isn't just any woman but a tough female warrior with a heartbreaking background story who outsmarts her numerous male opponents with cleverness, determination and speed. She looks beautiful from the outside but is pitiless inside. Despite her thirst for vengeance, she still has a strong moral compass, a sense of justice and the will to show empathy which makes her even more intriguing. This feminist hero brought a fresh breeze to a more conservative genre and revolutionized it. Even nowadays, the Lady Snowblood movies are often mentioned as inspirations, for example for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill franchise. I would consider the first Lady Snowblood movie one of the best of all time while the sequel is also truly enjoyable for genre fans. Give yourself a gift and try these movies out.

Lady Snowblood (1973)

Based upon the manga of the same name, Lady Snowblood is a dramatic action-thriller set in late nineteenth century Japan during Meiji period. It tells the fateful story of a quiet female assassin who was born in prison and who must carry out the task to avenge her murdered brother and father as well as her abused mother as she grows up under rough circumstances. Supported by a friend of her mother, her severe teacher, an ambitious author and outcast villagers, she tracks down the three surviving persons responsible for her family's gruesome fate one by one.

Aside of having inspired Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill franchise, Lady Snowblood is a movie that manages to stand out among numerous other martial arts films of its time. First of all, the tale of vengeance has a few clever twists and turns and convinces with a non-linear storytelling which adds depth to the characters and evokes empathy for the silent assassin. 

Secondly, it's the first movie of its kind to focus on a female lead character who isn't portrayed as weak woman but as pitiless assassin who is cleverer, faster and more determined than her numerous male counterparts which makes this feminist film almost revolutionary for its era. 

Thirdly, the precise fight sequences are as elegant as painted pictures and their exaggerated elements only add to the movie's vivid flow. The film finds the perfect balance between artistic elements and quite explicit scenes which were shocking for its time.

Fourthly, the acting performances are stellar as Kaji Meiko convinces as beautiful yet deadly assassin with a haunted past. Even the supporting characters are nicely developed and very interesting to follow. The three villains are quite diversified and complement one another perfectly.

Fifthly and most importantly, the movie develops a gripping and gloomy atmosphere when the silent assassin is walking through snow-covered landscapes, abandoned cemeteries, muddy villages, poor suburbs and decadent mansions. The rift between rich and poor during Meiji period comes alive authentically as the movie criticizes abuse of power which was quite unusual for Japanese movies back then. The film is captivating from start to finish, gets constantly more intriguing and ends on a particularly high note that leaves no questions unanswered. The movie is executed so perfectly that I could easily watch it once a month without getting bored.

Lady Snowblood keeps the greatest elements of classic period martial arts movies and adds gloomy atmosphere, fascinating characters and excellent film-making to make this movie one of the greatest of its kind. Even nearly five decades later, this film's excellent execution in unparalleled and still highly diverting. The sequel isn't as great because of a slightly less intense plot but still convinces in all other departments. It's a shame that only two movies revolving around this fascinating character were made. Make sure to purchase the recently updated Criterion Collection including the two movies as well as additional interviews. Anyone who likes martial arts cinema should own these films.

Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974)

Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance is the very good and often underestimated sequel to the first Lady Snowblood movie released one year prior to this feature. Lady Snowblood turns out to have survived the events of the first film but is hunted down by police forces for her numerous murders. She gets tired of living on the run, stops fighting, gets arrested, tried and sentenced to death. On the day of her execution, the secret police force frees her and offers her to work as spy and assassin for them. Lady Snowblood is supposed to work as maid for an anarchist who has a document that could lead to a turmoil in the fragile country. She is supposed to steal the document, kill the anarchist and prevent a revolution. However, the more time she spends at his house, the more she questions whether she should complete her mission or switch sides. Lady Snowblood soon becomes a key character in the clash between ruthless government officials and desperate anarchists in the beginning of the twentieth century.

Just as the first movie, this sequel convinces with a solid dose of realism and social criticism as it shows the rift between rich and poor during Meiji period. Due to its plot, historic setting and characters, this sequel isn't a tale of revenge but rather a political drama with martial arts elements. On one side, this change is quite interesting as this film offers something different from the first film but it also takes away from the first movie's gloomy atmosphere and more personal connection to the main character. The rest is business as usual on a very high level. The film-making is detailed, precise and visually stunning, the fight sequences once again find the right balance between elegance and violence and the acting performances are all excellent. If you liked the first film, it's very likely that you will also appreciate the sequel because it kept most elements that made the first film particularly outstanding and added more historic, political and social components to it.

I can highly recommend the recently updated Criterion Collection including both the original Lady Snowblood and this surprisingly solid sequel as well as additional interviews and trailers. It's a shame that there weren't more Lady Snowblood movies because the feminist character is particularly unique and perfectly portrayed by a stunning Kaji Meiko. Martial arts fans and those interested in Japanese culture should be familiar with Lady Snowblood.