Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance. Viewed on DVD. Cinematography = six (6) stars; choreography = four (4) stars; sound effects = four (4) stars; makeup = four (4) stars. Director Toshiya Fujita's rush-job, cheap-production sequel comes up short in practically all departments starting with a nonsense title and a overly contrived scenario (the latter involves Meiji secret police who usually can't shoot straight!). Fujita and his film-making colleagues would seem to have strained hard to dream up further adventures of a fashion-model assassin-for-hire (now with a price on her head) who is a walking, flamboyant self-advertisement (and not particularly choosy whom she works for at any moment). The Director provides little more than a photo shoot of poses in exotic/unusual settings for lead actress Meiko Kaji with and without eye bags (from too many all-night drinking parties?). Kaji's acting chores are pretty much limited to delivering about 10-12 lines of dialog (she does widen her eyes now and then), but Kaji's character makes up for this with a magic sword that only has to brush against her opponents (or just be in their general vicinity) to kill off countless stunt actors. Inter-scene continuity of successive close ups repeatedly demonstrates the lack of make-up artistic skills, as Kaji's eye bags come and go. The sound track offers a selection of 3-4 standard cries of pain for slashed/stabbed combatants. Alas, sandal walking only gets one, as the sound of foot steps is independent of the surface actors are walking on (unless walking in the ocean). Cinematography (wide screen, color) is fine. There is a spectacular scene early on of ocean waves breaking on a beach followed by a crab's eye view of same! Scene lighting is occasionally on the dark side. Theatrical blood (of which a fair amount is on display) looks like, well, dyed liquid dish-washing soap. Subtitles are okay. The appeal of this Toho Film studio programmer would seem to be limited to die-hard fans of Meiko Kaji. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.
