Definitely a momentous accession to the 'pinky violence' genre - namely of the sort predominantly themed around martial arts, as opposed to sex and sleaze. Clearly, Toshiya Fujita's "Lady Snowblood" was the primary influence behind Weinstein whore and Hollywood fan boy hack Quentin Tarantino's flashy, self-indulgent "Kill Bill" series. However, "Lady Snowblood" tells a much more pertinent and comprehensible tale of vengeance while actually upholding some artistic merit.
Twenty years ago, a young female assassin's father and brother were killed by a gang of criminals while her mother was thrown in prison for life. There, she managed to get knocked up, had a child and died shortly after, but not before swearing vengeance on those responsible. The child was trained and grew into the sworn assassin who tirelessly tracks down and slaughters her family's killers.
Just a great flick all around. "Lady Snowblood" perfectly embodies this particular era of Japanese cinema. No real nudity or sex to speak of, but the violence and over-the-top arterial blood spray is consistent, the tone is somber, and the acting is solid. If this is your kinda stuff, also check out "Sex & Fury", the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series, and "Rope and Skin".