Lady Snowblood (1973): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1973, Lady Snowblood is an action, thriller, drama and crime film directed by Toshiya Fujita, running about 97 minutes. “I threw away my tears. I gave up my heart. I can't even fall in love. A flower of resentment that blooms sadly.....” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Yuki's family is nearly wiped out before she is born due to the machinations of a band of criminals. These criminals kidnap and brutalize her mother but leave her alive. Later her mother ends up in prison with only revenge to keep her alive. She creates an instrument for this revenge by purposefully getting pregnant. Yuki never knows the love of a family but only killing and revenge.

Who’s in it. Lady Snowblood stars Meiko Kaji as Yuki Kashima, Toshio Kurosawa as Ryūrei Ashio, Masaaki Daimon as Gō Kashima and Miyoko Akaza as Sayo Kashima, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.6/10, Lady Snowblood has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel and HBO Max and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Lady Snowblood page.

If you liked it. Fans of Lady Snowblood tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.