Sex & Fury

Ocho (Reiko Ike), decades after witnessing her father's merciless death, sets out on a quest to find the three responsible for the travesty and exact revenge. In her travels she befriends a handsome your anarchist who's involved with a European spy (the beautiful Christina Lindberg, perhaps best known for her "Thriller" film). This sexy spy along with co-horts wants to dismantle the country from within. All this comes together in a cinematic experience that has to be seen to be believed. Probably very controversial when it was released in Japan of the early '70's, the films more 'outragious' scenes (the battle in which Ocho is completely nude amongst others) seem almost quaint now, yet the film retains it's beautiful, almost poetic feel and is definitely one to actively search out. Followed by a sequel that couldn't really reach the same level as this had.

My Grade: B+

Pinky violence films are often a real mixed bag and you can never be really sure what you're going to get when going into one. For me, Sex and Fury is not one of the major highlights of the genre; but it's an extremely well made, interesting and inventive effort that I'm sure will be appreciated by fans of this sort of film. The film brings together a number of common genre elements; we've got swordfights, gambling houses and plenty of nudity; which is good, but the script could have done with a little more focus, as the film has a tendency to descend into a mess. The plot focuses on Ocho; a Japanese pickpocket and gambler. After a fight in a gambling house, Ocho ends up with a fellow gambler dying in her arms. His last wish is for her to track down his sister and pay some money to prevent her being sold to a brothel. She sets off to fulfil this wish, but during her journey happens on information pertaining to the whereabouts of her fathers killers, and so sets about getting revenge.

The film starts with a bang as not long after it starts, we are treated to a swordfight in which the lead characters battles her foes naked. This fight is really well done; but unfortunately the film never reaches this dizzy high for the rest of the runtime. The film is not particularly violent compared to the rest of the genre, although there are a few good and well choreographed fight scenes. Aside from the main plot, we have another little story involving a "British" spy, played by Swedish actress Christina Lindberg. She's nice looking, but an awful actress and this plot really only serves in making the whole thing more complicated. It's not really believable either, and feels a bit ridiculous. Anyway, this is made up for somewhat by a fantastic score that features often throughout the film. There's plenty of nudity and as always, most of the actresses are very nice to look at. The film all boils down to a decent conclusion that gives closure to most of the plots featured. Overall; this is not among the best of the genre, but it's a good film and worth seeing.

"Furyô anego den: Inoshika Ochô" aka. "Sex And Fury" of 1973 is a great example for "Pinky Violence", the Japanese exploitation sub-genre often featuring hot female assassins, and always featuring lots of sleaze and violence. One of Japan's greatest exploitation goddesses, the ravishing Reiko Ike, stars in the role of Ochô, a sexy gambling-lady, thief and swords-woman who is out for bloody revenge. I don't want to give too much of the storyline away, but I can assure that "Sex And Fury" is an absolute priority for lovers of Japanese cult-cinema. The film has several resemblances to Toshiya Fujita's exploitation-masterpiece "Shurayukihime" (aka. "Lady Snowblood", 1973) starring the great Meiko Kaji, and while both films are blood-soaked and immensely stylish, this one is incomparably sleazier. As it is the case with "Lady Snowblood" this is often cited as an inspiration for Tarantino's (great) "Kill Bill". And it is indeed true that "Sex And Fury" clearly inspired the film. While I enjoyed "Kill Bill" immensely, however, I don't think that films like "Lady Snowblood" (the main inspiration) and "Sex And Fury" need this attribute. If I was considered, every "Kill Bill"-DVD-cover would say "Inspired by Japanese Exploitation Classics such as 'Lady Snowblood' and 'Sex And Fury'" instead (I am well aware that this is not how things work out, however).

As mentioned above, the stunningly beautiful Reiko Ike is both incredibly sexy and super-cool in the leading role of the seductive and lethal lady Ochô, who often fights bare-breasted (or completely nude), exposing her very presentable tattoos. European sex-star Christina Lindberg stars as a young Western agent. Many might disagree with me here, but Lindberg and the cheesy love story her character is involved in, were pretty much the only elements I didn't like about this film. Lindberg is a beauty, but her voice is annoying as hell and made me understand why her character in "Thriller: En Grym Film" was mute. The supporting cast includes several regulars of Japanese exploitation cinema, such as Yôko Mihara, who often played female bully characters in films such as "Joshuu 701-gô: Sasori" (aka. "Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion", the first of the brilliant Sasori films starring Meiko Kaji), and "Zero Woman Red Handcuffs" (1974). Without spoiling anything of the plot, it is secure to say that "Sex And Fury" combines all the elements admirers of 70s exploitation made in Nippon should appreciate: merciless revenge, tons of stylish and ultra-bloody carnage, lots of sleaze and female nudity, constant action and great camera work, a funky soundtrack, fantastic style in all aspects and a vengeful and ravishing heroine played by none other than the great Reiko Ike! In short: Pure Japanese exploitation greatness, and an absolute must-see for all my fellow Cult-cinema-enthusiasts!

Reiko Ike who was discovered by the director of this movie Norifumi Suzuki, and Kanji Amao was a popular star in Toei's Poruno (porn) movies of the '70s. She was only 16 when she was discovered while she was part timing as a nude model, and must say that she's was an early bloomer. Poruno movies were invention of the afore mentioned producer Kanji Amao, and was named to differentiate it from the Pinku (pink) movies that only featured nudity of the time. Ike and her colleague Miki Sugimoto were the two top stars for Toei Movie Studio in the '70s,

19 year old (if you could believe that) Ike plays the lead role of Ocho who's out to revenge the death of her father. Her father was a detective, and had three hanafuda (Japanese equivalent of deck of cards) in his hands when he was killed, indicating who the three culprits are. Ocho goes to find the three culprits to avenge her father's death.

Swedish centerfold, and entrepreneur Christina Lindberg (Who was also a Penthouse pet for June 1970 issue under the name of Britt Lindberg) also appears in this movie.

Director Norifumi Suzuki made some of the most entertaining and creative movies of the '70s (Like the School of Holy Beast). He's one of my most favorite Japanese movie director.

This has interesting story by director Suzuko, and excellent performance by Ike. But for a movie that's made by them, this is about average in quality. I'm still in awe of Ike's presence in this movie.

As a little girl, Ochô Inoshika witnesses the bloody murder of her father, who dies clutching three gambling cards, clues to the identities of those responsible for his death. Two decades later, Ochô (Reiko Ike) is now a skilled card player and deadly swords-woman and uses her talents to try and track down her father's killers. Her search leads her into a world of political intrigue, her path crossing with an idealistic revolutionary Shunosuke (Tadashi Naruse) and his British ex-lover, undercover spy and gambler Christina (Swedish sex star Christina Lindberg).

Approximately twelve minutes into Sex and Fury and viewers are treated to an exquisitely exploitative scene in which beautiful star Reiko Ike is attacked by numerous sword wielding baddies while taking a relaxing soak in a tub. Leaping from the water to grab her sword, she proceeds to hack and slash her way through the enemy, her naked body becoming drenched with blood in the process. The action moves into a snowy courtyard, where the carnage continues in slow motion, until all the men are dead.

Director Noribumi Suzuki (Beautiful Girl Hunter, School of the Holy Beast) closes his film in a similar fashion, with Ike going topless to slice up countless henchmen in her pursuit of justice. Excessive arterial spray ensures that, once again, Ike winds up drenched in bright red gore. This time, she uses the snow outside to clean her bloody chest.

Sadly, these gloriously bloody bookends to the film's intricate revenge plot are easily the film's highlights, with not an awful lot of note going on between them. The rather dull political plot-line offers very little opportunity for more action, and although there is copious nudity and sex along the way, the soft-core shagging and light bondage soon becomes tiresome (even Lindberg's lesbian session with a Japanese woman outstays its welcome).

Sex and Fury is, as these kind of movies so often are, extremely stylish, with classy cinematography and a cool jazzy score, but the acting from some of the cast is decidedly ropey (Lindberg speaks both English and Japanese, mangling both languages). If you're new to Japanese cinema and are looking for a classic female swords-woman revenge tale, I suggest either of the Lady Snowblood movies over this film; and if you're after something really sleazy, then the aforementioned other films from Suzuki offer more in the way of general perversion. Sex and Fury is passable pinky violence, but there are better examples out there.