Shurayukihime Versus Kill Bill

Shurayukihime, literally Scene of Carnage/Fighting Snow Princess, otherwise known as Lady Snowblood, a 1973 movie based upon the popular four part manga by Kazuo Koike of Lone Wolf and Cub fame. This movie starred Meiko Kaji in the title role and was popular enough to garner a sequel in 1974- Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance. (The first movie is also titled Lady Snowblood: Blizzard from the Netherworld).

I am currently watching for the second time and I have just purchased the 2001 sci-fi remake Princess Blade, which stars Yumiko Shaku in the title role. Princess Blade is a loose remake but what I have seen of it is entertaining.

Shurayukihime found new fame with the release of Kill Bill, which it heavily inspired. The tale of a woman wronged by a group of people and seeking revenge is just one of the similarities. Even some of the scenes share a parallel, the one where we have the Deadly Viper Squad looking down at The Bride, the same scene is found in Shurayukihime where the treacherous four look down upon a grieving Yuki's mother.

There is also a scene, which invokes memories of O-Ren Ishii, whose character is heavily inspired by Yuki. Yuki tells the second of the four, Banzô Takemura to look at her face and tells him the sordid tale of her mother's rape and her mother's husband's murder. Equally O-Ren confronts Boss Matsumoto and has him look to her to see if he is reminded of somebody he murdered.

The fight between Black Mamba and Cottonmouth is the snow is very reminiscent of Lady Snowblood weaving her deadly sword through the snow. They even share white kimonos and cause many ridiculous blood spurts with their blades.





Both are great films in their own way, bloody, violent and exciting. Shurayukihime proves to be darker with less character development but it is definitely worth watching it and without it Kill Bill would not exist or certainly not be as wonderful as it was.



Of course at least The Bride got her revenge, Yuki was deprived of hers as Kitahama Okono hung herself stealing away Yuki's chance to murder her. The cycle of revenge is explored a little more deeply as Kobue, daughter of the murdered Takemura Banzō attempts to kill Yuki at the end of the first movie and gain her own revenge. The idea of a cycle of revenge is hinted at in Kill Bill Volume 1 when Beatrix kills Vernita Green/ Jeannie Bell in front of her daughter Nikki and tells Nikki to come find her. Yuki equally told Kobue where to look for her before she killed her father.