Original subtitles

The Toho Company

A Tokyo Films Production

THE GRAVE OF SAYO KASHIMA

THE GRAVE OF PRIEST DOKAI

On the behalf of heaven, they attack injustice

They're our soldiers, the loyal, invincible and brave

Now it's time for them to leave the country of their parents

Their hearts buoyed by encouraging voices

They are solemnly resolved

Not to return alive, without victory

Here at home, the citizens wait for you

In foreign lands, our brave troops...

September, 38th Year of Meiji (1905),

the Russo-Japanese War ended.

370,000 Japanese soldiers gave their lives to secure this victory,

to ensure that capitalism would be the driving force of the Japanese Empire.

However, the post-war inflation was very severe,

and the people, as voiceless as ever, could only fume in silence.

Around this time, one woman continued her journey along the road of carnage.

Her name was Yuki Kashima, known to some as Lady Snowblood.

Lady Snowblood! Surrender to us!

Don't let her get away!

What's the matter? She's only a woman!

Attack her!

Don't let her get away!

Halt! Halt!

It'll heal in two or three days.

It was just a pine cone.

If you don't rest, you'll exhaust yourself.

Produced by Kikumaru Okuda

Original story by Kazuo Koike & Kazuo Kamimura

Cinematography by Tatsuo Suzuki

Music by Kenjiro Hirose

Lady Snowblood! You won't get away this time!

Attack!

Starring:

Meiko Kaji

Yoshio Harada

Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Shin Kishida

Koji Nambara, Kiichi Yamamoto, Toru Abe

Juzo Itami

Directed by Toshiya Fujita

Attack her!

LADY SNOWBLOOD: LOVE SONG OF VENGEANCE

Yuki Kashima, you stand accused

of willfully undertaking a series of assassinations,

murdering a total of 37 people.

The crimes you have committed are inhuman,

and you show no remorse.

These crimes are unforgivable by both gods and men.

You are sentenced to hang until you are dead.

March 14th, 1906,

Judge Tanno of the Supreme Court presiding.

Does the condemned wish to make a statement?

No, I do not.

This is a special prison that houses female criminals.

It was behind these red brick walls that Yuki was born.

On a night when over one metre of snow fell in Tokyo,

Yuki came into the world,

a child expected to avenge her mother.

The day of execution has arrived for Yuki.

Why did you save me?

Where are you taking me?

Lady Snowblood...

Beautiful and cold, as befits your name.

I've abandoned the path of carnage.

What's left for you in this life, then?

Without blood, you would be mere snow melting into the dirt.

Snowblood...

Life as a fugitive has drained you and made you forsake fighting.

But there can be no such thing as peace for you!

You're forever bound to live a life of inhuman carnage.

Who are you?

It doesn't matter who I am, only that I've saved your life.

I will ask you to return the favour

with your skilled blade.

I see...

You don't seem to give a damn about your obligations.

Nothing's wrong with that.

Well, then... do you wish to leave now?

I won't stop you.

But all you can look forward to is the life of a fugitive once more.

Both police and assassins will hunt you relentlessly.

You'll be on the run like a dog.

And, once again, you'll stand on the gallows.

A man named Ransui Tokunaga is our target.

He is an advocate of anarchism, an absurd yet devastating idealism.

I'd like you to watch him closely for a month.

Also, there's an item I'd like you to search for at his house.

A certain confidential document.

Japan won! Japan won! The Russians lost!

The Russian battleship was destroyed!

RANSUI TOKUNAGA

Dearest?

The maid is here.

Just one moment.

I'm Ransui Tokunaga.

My name is Yuki.

Well, as you can see, we're a poor family,

and common sense would tell us not to indulge in the luxury of a maid.

However, the fact is that my wife is ill.

I hope we can all get along.

Instead of kindness

From someone I care nothing for

I rather prefer selfishness from you...

IS THE REVOLUTION BASED ON COLLECTIVISM?

Forget about everything in the past.

I want to bear your child.

Oh, is the world a dream or an illusion?

I am all alone in jail...

Yuki!

Hey, Yuki!

- Yes, sir! - Water! Bring me water!

It seems he's got a soft spot for you.

Ah, that was good.

I'm an anarchist, you see,

but I'm even more a pervert!

Master!

"THE SO-CALLED REBELLION: ONE YEAR AFTER" BY R. TOKUNAGA

Oh, it's you.

Well, I tend to have many, what you might call, enemies.

I apologise. No hard feelings, I hope.

By the way, Yuki, I'm going out later.

I'd like you to accompany me.

Yes, sir.

Master, we're being followed.

The police are always watching me.

Scoundrels!

Yuki, follow me.

Tricking them is one of the joys in my life.

But the place we're about to visit

is somewhere I certainly don't want fellows like those to step into.

My comrades are buried here.

After being arrested for carrying out acts of rebellion,

they were brutally murdered last year.

Actually, this place is a pet cemetery.

My comrades were slandered, called insurgents,

then buried here like they were dogs or cats, without funerals, of course.

Why did you bring me here?

Because I wanted you to offer prayers also,

Miss Snowblood.

Your name is Yuki Kashima, known to some as Lady Snowblood.

You've been desperately searching for something in my house.

You're after a confidential document, that jeopardises the government,

and, possibly, my life.

The man who forced you to do this is the head of the Secret Police,

Seishiro Kikui,

the top man in the government's intelligence apparatus.

And what is the goal of the Secret Police?

To eliminate insurgents who rebel against the almighty, divine nation that is Japan!

They're the shadow police, the shadow army.

Why did you keep me so close to you if you knew so much?

REBELS' CEMETERY

That confidential document you're after...

...I certainly am in possession of it.

It's right here, as a matter of fact.

Let me tell you a story about rubbish.

Once, around here, there lived a labourer named Yoshizawa.

Young, poor labourers are treated like rubbish in today's society.

Paid a pittance, yet exploited from early morning till late at night,

his life was just one awful day after another.

One day, he put all his anger and loneliness into making a bomb.

Last February,

Yoshizawa was arrested for blowing up the Kagurazaka police station.

People were shocked, but it was soon forgotten.

But Kikui of the Secret Police planned to use this youth to his advantage.

"What if the bomb was not the work of an individual," he thought,

"but a plot carried out by the anarchists,

"and was a part of a plan to assassinate the Emperor?"

He fabricated a plausible story.

Then Kikui and lnspector General Terauchi spread these lies.

They'd been waiting for the right moment to dispose of all the anarchists at once.

Twelve of my fellow anarchists were captured.

Without the benefit of legal counsel, they were unjustly tried

and immediately executed.

And Yoshizawa, the only one who knew the truth

was murdered by Kikui.

Logically, they should have come after me as well.

But, coincidentally, I was ill and at home in the country recuperating.

Fortunately or unfortunately, only I survived.

The crackdown gained Kikui his current post,

and Terauchi was elevated to Minister of Justice.

But, Yuki... someday, I'll bring them down.

I may be a powerless nobody,

but I do have a weapon, one and only one...

This!

A document that Yoshizawa left behind.

He wrote down the daily conversations between Kikui and Terauchi

in a letter meant for his mother.

If the rebellion is ever proved to be a fabrication,

both Kikui and Terauchi will be finished.

That's why, to them, the letter is more powerful than any bomb.

I see... So she's double-crossed us?

I thought I understood her completely, that she was tired of being a fugitive.

But I must give Ransui Tokunaga credit.

He has successfully made the fire burn stronger,

the faint fire of vengeance that was still inside her.

Kikui, events are not proceeding favourably.

In three days, at Shiba Park,

there'll be a rally of anarchists and proletarians,

a joint national demonstration and protest.

Undoubtedly, Ransui Tokunaga will make the letter public at this rally.

It'll be a bombshell announcement.

The press will jump right on it, and the people will riot.

In the worst-case scenario, there'll be an uprising

and the government will be crushed!

What exactly is the Secret Police going to do?

Your Excellency, there is nothing to worry about.

We can detain Ransui, if we need to. And that will be that.

I doubt that he'll reveal himself anytime soon.

We don't have grounds to detain him anyway.

We do.

We'll just use the woman.

Please, be careful, my dear.

There's no need to worry about me.

I've got Japan's best bodyguard at my side.

But for days now, I've heard strange rumours about today's meeting.

Oh? Rumours are already going around?

Well, you can look forward to reading about a new bombshell in the papers.

A bomb powerful enough to turn the nation upside down.

Really?

I want you to hold on to this.

Should something happen to me,

I'd like you to deliver it to Dr Shusuke Tokunaga in Yotsuya.

- He's my younger brother. - Shusuke Tokunaga...

Understood.

Halt!

Ransui Tokunaga! Yuki Kashima!

You are both under arrest.

"Under arrest"?

Tell us, for what reason?

I don't recall violating the laws of this glorious nation!

Don't act ignorant. She's the reason!

You know damn well she's Yuki Kashima, a condemned criminal.

And you've harboured her! Arrest them!

- What do you think you're doing? - Get out!

- Get them to the ground! - Master!

Get off me! Yuki, run!

- Grip him! - Don't let him go!

Take that!

- Never mind me! Run! - Master!

Halt!

Shoot!

Over there!

During this period, three slums existed in Tokyo.

Shingami in Shiba, Mannencho in Shitaya,

and here, Samegabashi in Yotsuya.

The inhabitants made their living at various menial occupations.

Day labourers, rickshaw carriers,

horse-groomers, bin men, and all sorts of criminals and outcasts.

This was where those left behind by the ecstatic post-war society

and other unwelcome lowlifes could live freely.

While there was no end to their poverty and humiliation,

they lived with tenacity and spirit.

Some say this was a dark corner of society, where dust collected,

where the police could rarely venture.

A lawless district, beyond the reach of the law.

EATERY

Hey, Sekiguchi, what did you do with that gold medal you got?

Got rid of it. It kept reminding me of the war, so I sold it off!

Why, you son-of-a-bitch...

- What about yours, Takichi? - Mine? Well...

It's safe, where nobody can find it. I figure it's a good memento.

Where is it?

See?

Look at that, it's the real thing.

If our next blackmail venture works out, we'll be so loaded.

And when that happens, why don't we all go to Manchuria again?

Great idea! We'll eat well.

And there are lovely women everywhere!

And we can fuck them with our medals!

Dr Tokunaga's clinic... where is it?

Where is... Dr Tokunaga's...?

Why do you need to see him?

SAMEGABASHI CLINIC

How do you feel?

You...?

You'll be fine, now the bleeding's stopped.

- You're not going to die. - You are...

I'm Shusuke Tokunaga.

Strange how fate works.

Oh, the document? I have it.

Oh, no, you don't. You shouldn't move yet.

But the police arrested Master Ransui.

He lead the anti-government movement, he was prepared for it.

Does it hurt?

You can't do anything in your condition.

For now, just rest.

Just rest.

- What's the deal with that thing? - Wait a moment.

- What does it say? - Come on!

Hey, Takichi? Did you read it all?

Well...

This is one hell of a document.

If we use it correctly, we could easily topple the government.

People are burning police stations and staging strikes.

Little things can have huge consequences these days.

This little piece of paper could set off a major uprising.

Really?

What are you going to do, Doc?

Ransui, why are you protecting Yuki?

You can starve and wither. You're a well-known activist, after all.

No matter how much you oppose the authorities and fight us,

we know you do it out of a sense of duty.

But not Yuki. She's just a murderer!

You'll never understand.

Sometimes the act of murder is a just and rational one.

In your eyes, Yuki and I are both vermin infesting society.

So what if we're vermin? We'll never betray each other.

You scum!

Think you're funny? You're a fool!

No confession yet? He's an obstinate fool.

If he's too much for you, we could take over.

My organisation is more familiar with matters of this nature.

But, sir, the Snowblood investigation was assigned to the police.

I don't care about Snowblood!

What's important is the secret document he had.

Yes, but...

Your top priority is not arresting one female assassin,

but safeguarding law and order in our nation.

Hurt him until you're satisfied.

So what if an activist is tortured to death?

Nobody will ever give a damn.

Kill me, if you want.

I won't tell you anything, even if you're going to kill me!

Fine!

You bastard!

Where's Yuki?

Where's Snowblood?

- Where's Snowblood? - Tell us!

Where is she?

Go home. This is no place for you.

No, I'll stay here with you.

Go home. This lot don't give a damn whether I live or die.

Is it because you let Yuki escape?

All right.

Is Master Ransui still being held by the police?

- Who cares? - Why don't you try to help him?

What brings you here? What do you want from me?

I know I shouldn't be visiting you, after all that's passed between us.

But you're the only one I can talk to right now.

Before I realised, I was already on my way here.

I hate to say it, but I don't think I can help you.

Yes, you can.

You're the only one that can save him.

How's that?

You're telling me to turn Yuki over to the police?

Did you come here just to tell me that?

I had no inkling that Yuki would be here.

But...

- Forget it. Go home! - Why won't you help your brother?

I have no brother!

You still have a grudge against us. You won't forgive us, will you?

Forgive you? What are you talking about?

Look at this place! Look at it!

Rubbish! They're all rubbish!

Some even have their willies sticking out! Scum!

Things are bad here.

So bad that I don't give a damn about our past!

So, go home, will you?

I'm a kind of blackmailer.

Your husband tried to use that document in order to reform the nation.

But not me!

I'm going to use it to swindle money out of those rich, fat scumbags.

With that money, we can eat and drink all we want!

We'll all be happy that way.

But don't you care what may happen to him?

- Who's that? - What happened?

What's going on?

Who's that?

Where did he come from?

He doesn't look familiar.

Who the hell are you? Come here!

Get him!

Come on, everybody!

Everybody, come out!

Get him, but don't kill him!

He's going that way! That way!

...87, 88, 89, 90...

Had enough yet? Tell us why you're here!

Move aside. Leave him to me.

Stubborn fool!

Want me to finish you off, you dog?

Dearest!

SAMEGABASHI CLINIC

Who is it?

Please! Please see to him!

Master...

Wait!

Out of the way!

- What's going on? - Don't come near! Get away!

Don't come inside here!

The plague?

It's not the usual type either. He was injected with it.

The Secret Police must have injected him with the germ.

They've commenced an attack upon us.

Yuki, you must not enter here.

Also, don't say anything about this to those fellows.

If rumours start spreading, we'll be in big trouble.

Can you save him?

No. He can't be saved.

Now, now! What do you think you're doing?

- Get her! - Somebody...please!

Cut her down!

Do it, kill her!

Kill her!

Over there.

What a shame.

How can you expect this from the police?

Damn them.

- Shu... - Don't talk, you fool!

Shu...

I don't have a chance, do I?

Shu...

Is there any chance I'll live?

I don't want to die yet.

I still have... so many things to do.

Aya!

I was wrong...

Lady Snowblood...

Just look at you two pitiful souls.

Long ago, the two of you betrayed me and left.

Now here you are again, looking like this. Fools!

You did what you wanted to do, you got what you sought.

In the end, you lived the way you wanted to live.

Aya... you were once my wife.

You were such a foolish woman.

What did you ever see in him?

When I was chasing all over Manchuria with only a gun in my hand, Aya,

thoughts of you were all that kept me going.

I thought that you were waiting for me back home.

"I won't die till I see you again," I told myself.

Those thoughts kept me alive, and so I made it back to Japan.

But, my god!

Why? Why did you two...?

Since that day, I've had nothing to do with you.

- Doctor! - Don't come near me!

I have no intention of completing what you started.

I'll get what I want by doing things my way!

So, then...

To the people of Shingami in Shiba.

50,000 yen in gold and 300 bales of rice!

To the people of Mannencho, in Shitaya,

30,000 yen in gold and 200 bales of rice!

To the people of Samegabashi, 50,000 yen in gold!

And 300 bales of rice!

A total sum of 130,000 yen in gold and 800 bales of rice.

In the event that you fail to pay up,

your heads will roll.

All right! I sound like a leader!

So you've stopped being an assassin

and now you're an aide to a blackmailer?

State your demands. What do you want?

130,000 yen in cash.

And 800 bales of rice to be distributed to the people in the slums.

What if I refuse?

The document that you seek will be sent to the press.

It will all become public then.

It'll be the end for you and your superiors.

Yuki... Have you any idea who you're dealing with?

Like taking an axe to a praying mantis. We will destroy you.

We know where those lowlife friends of yours are.

And we know where you're hiding the document.

If we wish, we can annihilate you in an instant with ease!

Do it, then.

If you have no fear of the plague, that is.

The plague?

Don't act so surprised.

You sowed the seed, after all.

My comrade is suffering from a severe fever,

but he clutches the document in his trembling hands.

So, why don't you go and get it?

Perhaps I'm already infected.

Frightened?

You keep calling people lowlifes,

yet you're scared of contracting the plague.

I bet you are.

To die coughing blood, wracked with a high fever,

surely you're too worthy for that.

Too worthy!

Kikui...

We can finish our deal right here, right now.

We'll trade all that you have for all that I have.

What do you mean by that?

As you said, I'm an assassin, no better than a lowlife.

Aside from my own life, I have nothing. But you're different.

You've maliciously exploited these changing times

to attain position, power, money.

You wanted it so badly you could taste it.

Do you want to throw it all away?

Fine... I'll do as you say.

But I'll need time to gather everything you ask for.

I can't do it all by myself. Give me time.

Just one night. Tonight is all I'll need.

All I ask is that you wait in this mansion for tonight.

Is that acceptable?

We have no choice but to do what they want.

Besides, it's only money.

If we act foolishly and make matters worse,

it would be like choking ourselves to death.

It's a lousy 130,000 yen. It's nothing!

Kikui! What are you...?

Forget it, I'll handle this.

This is Terauchi. Connect me to the Cabinet Minister.

It doesn't matter, this is an emergency!

What are you doing?

We mustn't comply with their demands, sir.

- But we have no option! - We do.

We'll burn down the slums.

If the document and everything else is reduced to ashes, then all will be well.

You fool, that's nonsense!

How will the people react? What will the press say?

If we do it to prevent a plague spreading, we'll have done our duty.

No! We can't possibly do such a thing!

Why not, sir?

They may be slums, but there are hundreds of people living there.

You want to burn them to death?

Have you ever considered them human?

Why pretend you're now a politician who cares about the people?

- You're hands are dirty already. - What are you talking about?

Your Excellency...

This isn't a simple matter of money or of your personal safety, sir.

Those scum have commenced an attack against the nation.

As representatives of the nation,

we must not yield, no matter what the threat.

That is the reason why laws exist and why we exist, sir.

Daddy! Mummy!

Shusuke! Are you all right? Shusuke!

Master!

Snowblood! Looks like this is where your life will end.

You've evaded execution once, but you won't do so again.

I will finish you off personally!

Snowblood!

Damn you!

Wait! Wait!

Don't shoot!

Shusuke! Come on, Shusuke!

Everyone's dead.

They were burnt to death.

Shusuke...

Yuki... Help me stand up.

It's such a beautiful day, worthy of celebrating Navy Memorial Day.

And as certain dark matters have been taken care of,

you must be without a care in the world.

Kikui, how can I thank you?

I understand you've reduced that document to ashes.

Now I can pay my respects to the nation's great soldiers buried here.

All thanks to you.

You!

Snowblood!

Don't run away! Protect His Excellency!

Attack!

Your Excellency!

You mad dogs!

Mad dogs...

Yuki...

Finish me!

May, 1907. The holy era of the Meiji Restoration would soon end.

The End