The Complete Lady Snowblood [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray]

Lady Snowblood
A woman seeks the revenge that was her birthright in this action thriller from Japan. A gang of ruthless thieves break into the home of a rural couple, and after taking their valuables, they murder the husband and rape the wife once they've beaten her senseless. When the ravaged wife tracks down one of the thieves and attacks him, she is arrested by police; she was left pregnant by the rape, and gives birth to a daughter months later, dying shortly after delivery. The daughter, Yuki (Meiko Kaji), is raised by a priest who teaches her how to use a sword and trains her to show no mercy to the men who brutalized her family. When she turns 20, Yuki sets out to seek revenge, looking beautiful and tranquil on the outside but possessing a powerful taste for vengeance against those who wronged her and her mother. Lady Snowblood was written by Kazuo Koike, who also scripted several of the most memorable films in the Lone Wolf and Cub series. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance
The bloody saga of Lady Snowblood draws to an exciting conclusion as the vengeful Yuki (Meiko Kaji) agrees to a dangerous mission in exchange for her life in director Toshiya Fujita's follow-up to his 1973 hit. Unexpectedly granted reprieve from the crimes she had committed by mysterious government agent Kikui (Shin Kishida), Yuki reluctantly agrees to assassinate anarchist Ransui (Juzo Itami) and recover an important government document from his possession on the grounds that if she completes the mission, she will avoid execution. When Yuki discovers that the document in question contains evidence of a grave injustice committed against Ransui, she quickly sides with the activist and vows to take revenge on Kikui and his army of assassins. First she fought for revenge, now she's fighting for justice, and there's sure to be hell to pay when Lady Snowblood unleashes her wrath and carves a path of destruction across the Japanese countryside. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi