toshia fujita's LADY SNOWBLOOD (1973)

as easy as it is to see the Lady Snowblood influence in Kill Bill, it's even easier to see why. on one level, it's a typical revenge story, as a young woman born to reap revenge stalks the aging bandits responsible for the fate of her mother and would-be father, and gallons of spewing, strawberry-hued blood are presumed to fill the void carved out by shallow characters and unimaginative scenario. but there are isolated moments of wit, creativity, and distinct visual panache (Fujita's composition and control of color can be inspired, though my favorite single image is young Snowblood's ponytail whipping around as she rolls down the hill in a barrel) and the explicit four-act structure is only slighty offputting narratively. it's not a great film, but there's a lot of ideas, and a fair bit of revenge-fueled fun.