Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Sick Product of a Sick System

Must See Movie...

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Karma is a bitch and her name is Lady Snowblood. This movie is for those who love stories of revenge, old school martial arts, and gushing fake blood. I'm not embarrassed to say that I love this movie: the acting, the cinematography, the music, the falling snow, the bloodshed.Sometimes there's a hate so strong, so seething, so powerful, that it transcends. The Lady Snowblood kind of vengeance is a vengeance so deep it passes from mother to daughter. We're talking about revenge for murder and rape, so you know it's going to get ugly and Lady Snowblood leaves a trail of spurting blood wherever she goes.Born Yuki Kashima, Lady Snowblood, an asura, is also born. "People say you can't wash away the mud of this world with pure white snow: You need asura snow, stained fiery red." Yuki is born of her mother's determination to exact revenge on those who perpetrated rape and murder on her and her family. Her mother seduces and sleeps with men for the sole purpose of bringing an asura into the world to exact this revenge. Yuki is born breach and her mother dies in pain and agony, while willing her vengeful spirit to pass onto her daughter. A red-painted, blood spurting, blood splattering, blood staining, bloodbath ensues, as Yuki stabs and slashes her way to Lady Snowblood fame.

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.

One of the most beautiful, stylistic and brutal action films I've seen. Tarantino essentially ripped off this one with Kill Bill. The cinematography and music were some of the highlights along with the great action choreography. Some of the most memorable sword slice killing in cinema is here. A must watch especially for all the Kill Bill fans.

Character and Story: A well executed revenge story, flashbacks were used well, good performance by the protagonist, good pacing, kept me guessing as to when it would end and never seemed tedious. Action: We get loads of violently spraying bright red paint for blood and B-movie dismemberment. This is probably what you are here. The fights seemed a bit cramped and involved a bit much hand-held work, the protagonist not quite as graceful as her deadly results, but I was entertained.Editing\Production: The editing and mixing seemed very uneven. Expect the soundtrack to drop out abruptly in between shots. We get a sense of characters teleporting rather than traveling between locations a few times. The makeup used to depict Ryu's facial injuries was glaringly bad.Overall: 7/10. An entertaining film despite low production values. I would probably recommend people to watch Lone Wolf and Cub over this however.