Need Help: Women in Japanese action flicks (1 Viewer)

[Matt Fisher]

I know that going back as far as the 1920's, Chinese/Hong Kong movies have in many cases presented female characters in martial arts movies as equals to men. I was curious about the history of female presentation in Japanese films. I haven't seen enough samurai movies, or know enough about samurai history to know whether or not there were ever women samurai, and if there were, whether or not they were in Japanese movies, and even then were they presented as equals? What about with gangster/yakuza films?

I bring this up because I have been giving thought to picking up the Pinky Violence box set. I've read synopses for these films and was thinking it would be interesting if the first real consistant portrayal of physical female power would come through this sort of s/exploitation movement in the early 70's.

Anyone care to shed some light on the subject? Recommend any movies, websites, books, etc. please

 

[Richard Kim]

How about Lady Snowblood, which greatly influenced Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0158714/

 

[Matt Fisher]

Thanks Richard will check into it, but what I'm really looking for is for previous representations (before this early 70's movement).