One of the films on record as inspiring Kill Bill: Vol. 1 was Lady Snowblood (1973). The Japanese title of the movie is Shurayukihime, which breaks down like this: Shura means hell; Yuki means snow; and hime means lady. The phrase is a play on Shirayuki-hime, which is how “Snow White” is translated.
There are several elements borrowed for Kill Bill. There is the theme song “Shura no Hana,” sung by the film’s star Meiko Kaji, which is used as the closing song in both KB movies. There is the stylized violence, including gushing blood, which can be found in the “House of Blue Leaves” sequence of KB1; also the fight in the snow, since Lady Snowblood begins and ends with violence in the snow. The story is divided in “chapters,” complete with on-screen titles. There is the traditional training sequence, under the guidance of a harsh, almost sadistic, taskmaster.
There is the plot: A family is killed, leaving only the wife to survive. She ends up in prison and deliberately gets pregnant, so that her child can achieve vengeance. Her little girl grows up to be Yuki, a professional assassin, who does indeed track down those responsible.
I had never seen the movie before this past weekend and found it to be gripping. It turns out to be based on a manga written by Kazuo Koike, who is best known for the notorious Lone Wolf and Cub series. The DVD from AnimEigo is really nice, with a great print and enhanced subtitles that explain historical and cultural details of the dialogue and story. The liner notes for the movie can be found on AnimEigo’s site.
3 Responses
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wolf dawolf Says:
Would like to acquire the LONE WOLF series. I remember the TV series in Honolulu some years ago. How can I purchase them…
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The Pop View Says:
There are certainly Lone Wolf videos, as you can see here. It sounds like you may be referring to the two Lone Wolf and Cub television series, one starring Kinnosuke Yorozuya Nakamura, which ran 1973-76, and a more recent one with Kinya Kitaoji that ran 2002-04. Looks like some of these (not sure which ones might be from which series) are available here.
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The Pop View Says:
Here is a more detailed breakdown of the similarities between Lady Snowblood and Kill Bill Vol. 1.