Sex & Fury

Everyone remembers the naked snow swordfight, in which Reiko Ike cuts down a room of attackers with nothing on, and it is as striking as its reputation. Around it is a Meiji-era tale of a gambler avenging her father, more sumptuous and ambitious than the usual pinky violence picture.

Norifumi Suzuki gives it real production values and a genuine melodramatic sweep, and Christina Lindberg appears as a foreign agent. It is one of the most visually accomplished films of the cycle. Tarantino borrowed from it liberally for Kill Bill.

Stylish, lurid and anchored by a genuine star turn.