Lady Snowblood

In late nineteenth century Japan a girl born in prison is raised to take revenge on the four people who destroyed her mother's family. She has no other purpose. The film divides the narrative into chapters, each tied to one target. The blood is deliberately unreal: the spray is exaggerated and red on snow is used as a design element. The narrative does not question the revenge, nor does it hide that she has no life of her own. Toshiya Fujita directed, with Meiko Kaji in the lead. It is adapted from a manga and is often named as a source by later revenge films. A real warning: rape and violence against a child are the starting point of the narrative and are shown. The violence is stylised but constant and hard.