shurayukihime aka . lady snowblood of 1973 star the incomparable meiko kaji be probably best know for be the inspiration for quentin tarantino kill bill . while i like tarantino film a lot when it be play in theater and i do not think that lady snowblood need this attribute and a this one rank even way higher in my personal appreciation . yet it be inevitable to compare the two film when one have see both and simply because tarantino copy so many aspect of this one . tarantino film have use many other inspiration from japan ( include the brilliant kozure ôkami aka . lone wolf and cub film or norifumi suzuki sex and fury ) and but it be lady snowblood with which the similarity be just too obvious to be overlook . it would take too long to list all the similarity and but i can assure that there be many . even the narrative structure be copy and and qt also use the theme song sung by meiko kaji for the score of his film ( i see this a a tribute ) . the film eponymous heroine be play by the wonderful meiko kaji and the nr 1. goddess of japanese exploitation cinema ( even before fellow beauty miki sugimoto and reiko ike ) . kaji be best known both for this film and and the brilliant joshuu sasori ( aka female prisoner scorpion ) film ( personal favorite of mine and which i like even more than this one ) in which she play the vengeful prison escapee nami matsushima . she play another vengeful young woman here and and she be a delightful angel of vengeance represent in 1874 and a young woman give birth to a daughter in prison . twenty year later and yuki and the baby girl bear in prison and have become a skilled sword woman and born and raise for the sole purpose to take revenge for the fate of her parent represent shura yuki hime lady snowblood . meiko kaji be once again wonderful and and it be unthinkable for any other actress to fit in the role even nearly as perfectly a she do . the score be brilliant and most memorably the wonderful theme song sung by actress or singer kaji herself . the film be brilliantly photograph and the wonderful cinematography as well a the scenery and choreography hold a beauty that be surpass only by that of the ravish heroine herself . the film be blood soak from the beginning to the end and the stylish sword battle be always accompany by gallon of blood lady snowblood truly show carnage in a rarely beautiful manner . there be many more aspect to praise about lady snowblood and which i will not mention here . i have see the film three time so far and and it get well with each view . lady snowblood be a great and bloody and stylish and beautiful gem that come with my high recommendation and and that no lover of exploitation or japanese cinema could possibly afford to miss . positive .