Lady Snowblood (1973) ****

A cinematic symphony of violent revenge, Lady Snowblood (1973) is the immensely entertaining tale of an asura avenging her parents and brother, leaving piles of bodies in her wake. Essentially the even-more-poetic femme equivalent of Lone Wolf And Cub (and likewise based on a manga series), which was adapted into six feature films beginning the year prior, Snowblood similarly sprays blood arterially on screen and contains many beautifully composed and edited shots. The result is an influential and satisfying western-inspired action drama with heavy replay value.