Review of Sex and Fury

Introduction

You won`t be considering suing the makers of `Sex and Fury` for trade description felonies. It`s possibly the most apt title for a movie ever, delivering, as it does, sex and fury in equal measure, fairly relentlessly, for some 90 minutes.

Made in 1973, when Kung-Fu movies were at their seventies height, this violent sexploitation classic probably sits more easily next to blaxploitation revenge classics like `Coffy` and `Foxy Brown` than with `Enter the Dragon`.

It brings tattooed `Pinky Violence` (again rather apt) star Reiko Ike together with Swedish sex-kitten Christina Lindbergh (`Thriller: They call Her One Eye) in a stylish movie that must had Mr. Tarantino positively salivating over his popcorn.

Directed by Norifumi Suzuki, it features the all the usual preoccupations - misogynistic sadomasochism, extreme violence and a great injustice that needs vengeance!

The film opens with a little girl (Ocho) witnessing her own Father`s violent murder. As he falls bleeding to the floor he manages to pass on three picture cards - a butterfly, a boar and a deer, later identifies as telltale tattoos across the backs of his killers.

The young girl is adopted by a female Yakuza and shown how to battle with a traditional Samurai short-sword (the sort so prevalent in `Kill Bill` ). She also learns to gamble brilliantly and to pick pockets, which becomes a running joke in the movie as she keeps doing it. `Old habits die hard!`.

The story really starts to get going when she promises a dying gambler that she will take the man`s money to releases his sister, Yuki, from a life of enforced prostitution. When she arrives, the brutish owner Iwakura is about to deflower the young virgin though he concedes to a gambling match where Yuki`s future is held in the balance. He puts in his place a beautiful young Westerner (supposedly a Brit) played by Christina Lindbergh. As the match starts, some young revolutionaries attack the house where the match is being played out and the young westerner recognises their leader as her lost love - the Father of her unborn child. (Very melodramatic!)

As a result of this distraction Ocho wins the match and it is agreed that Yuki will be set free. But the evil Iwakura decides to rape the young girl anyway, and the deer tattoo is discovered on his back making him a marked man as far as Ocho is concerned. He meets a most unpleasant end, having fallen for Ocho`s seduction.

So that leaves just two more to track down and destroy. These prove to be even more complex. One is a corrupt official and the final one is only revealed when sprayed with water, revealing the tattoo and an ending worthy of one of those `Eastenders` style drumbeats. It`s all highly dramatic, highly violent, highly convoluted and full on. What follows is a string of bloody and unlikely battles, as well as scenes of sexual torture and degradation, romance and occasionally humour too. Phew!

Video

This is as nice a print and transfer as I`ve seen for this era and from this region (Japanese NTSC - different from the US version) and it`s all uncut and presented in original aspect ratio. In short - as good as you`re ever going to see it probably.

Audio

The audio here is just what you`d expect from a thirty-year- plus HK film - a clattering, toppy soundtrack, with a perfect and ultra-cheesy score. Just as you`d expect and desire.

Features

You`d be forgiven for thinking this disc was chock full of extras at first glance of the menu though closer analysis shows it to be a bit light.

You get original poster art, a black and white photo-stills gallery, a text-based biog of Ike and a trailer.

Conclusion

Now no one can tell me that Tarantino didn`t watch this movie at least a dozen times before mapping out his plans for `Kill Bill`. Stylistically, thematically and kung-fu-ably, `Kill Bill` goes beyond respectful homage into the realms of facsimile.

My problem was that, having viewed and enjoyed `Kill Bill` several times over, with a knowing post-modern eyebrow raised at all times, that when faced with the real-deal I struggled not to be equally knowing. But I don`t think the pure kitsch and ultra-violence portrayed here was intended with even a modicum of irony. And in that light, it`s disturbing stuff indeed.

Having said that, and realigning my righteous modern man ultra-PC values slightly, you could pretend not to notice the misogynistic abuse of women prevalent in this picture and just notice the wonderful and vengeful girl power instead. Or you could just forget about your values and sensibilities completely and see the movie as intended - a high-octane sex and fight fest, just like it says on the tin.

In truth, I`m slightly ashamed to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this film. The whole look and feel of the movie is pure kitsch early seventies, and its convoluted plot plays out like a badly written spy movie. But there are some great scraps (delivering the `Fury`), and though its principal may not float your boat with regard to the other half of the movie`s promise (she decapitates most of her lovers) the abysmally poor acting Christina Lindbergh may compensate with her wily mix of naiveté and promiscuity.

This is a surprisingly top-notch print too so well worth acquiring either on its own or as part of the double-pack containing the movie`s sequel `Female Yazuka Tale`. Even the very poor subtitles won`t ruin your fun. (`He`s a lair` being just one example).