Bloodtype Online

    Yoshihiro Ishikawa’s female swordplay classic Female Demon Ohyaku (1968) is definitely a film to get excited about.  It opens with a bridge and a sobbing woman--never a good sign in a Japanese film.  Wasting no time, the woman attempts to fling herself and her small daughter into the raging waters below.  The daughter survives, but the audience knows her life will be shrouded in shame.  Mom was a big whore and her daughter Ohyaku, played by the beautiful Junko Miyazono, grows up to be a con-artist geisha, increasingly angered by the way men take advantage of women.  Her lousy attitude (i.e. she won’t put out) quickly gets her into trouble with a wealthy government man.   

    She is rescued by Shinkuro, a disgraced samurai and thief.  Shinkuro, also enraged by the predatory and shameful behavior of the rich, has hatched a scheme to rob the mint--not just for money, but to teach a lesson.  Ohyaku gladly joins him and they are soon betrayed by an accomplice.  Shinkuro is sentenced to death and she is sent to a prison hellhole--a prison hellhole filled only with men.  Yeah, kinda sleazy huh?  Settle down, she manages to protect her virtue until she meets the lesbian tattoo artist.  (Hey, hey, she makes sure the tattoo is done first!) 

    Clever and devoid of pity, Ohyaku patiently waits for alliances and opportunities which will bring her closer to exacting her revenge.  This is classic, simmering retribution ending with a masterfully planned blood bath.   

    Synapse did a great job with their remastered release.  The sound quality is excellent, a real effort was made to do some decent English subtitles, and the look of the film is fairly crisp for an old black and white.  While filled with the standard formulaic plots you might expect from a revenge tale populated by geisha and samurai, Ohyaku distinguishes itself with strong acting, plenty of sexual teases and a final act of revenge that truly would make a fine trap in the Saw franchise.   

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