Sex & Fury (1973)

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(3,926 ratings)

This was the first of two films in which Japanese exploitation star Reiko Ike played the character of Inoshika Ocho. After a brief prologue depicting the murder of Ocho's policeman father, it is revealed that she has grown up to become a professional gambler. Sex & Fury chronicles Ocho's exploits as… More This was the first of two films in which Japanese exploitation star Reiko Ike played the character of Inoshika Ocho. After a brief prologue depicting the murder of Ocho's policeman father, it is revealed that she has grown up to become a professional gambler. Sex & Fury chronicles Ocho's exploits as she searches for her father's killers, each identified by unique tattoos on their backs (a deer, a boar, and a butterfly). Along the way, she also crosses paths with Shonusuke (Masataka Naruse), a radical set on murdering prominent politician Kurokawa (Seizaburo Kawazu) and Christina (Christina Lindberg), an American spy posing as a gambler. The various storylines frequently intersect, prompting a dizzying array of plot twists, overheated sex scenes, and gory swordplay. The pulp-heavy storyline is skillfully directed by Norifumi Suzuki, a veteran director of commercial Japanese fare who pumped up such sexy, violent spectacles with surrealistic visual flourishes and stylized sets and costumes. Sex & Fury was followed by Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture, a sequel helmed by another Japanese exploitation film legend, Teruo Ishii. ~ Donald Guarisco, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Norifumi Suzuki
Genres: Art House & International, Action & Adventure

In Theaters: Feb 17, 1973 Wide
On DVD: Sep 27, 2005

Critic Reviews

Anton Bitel, Eye for Film
the beauty of the images, the postmodern insanity of the story, and the funky delirium of Ichiro Araki's score make Sex And Fury a high-end sexploitation gem.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Keiko A

Sex and Fury was always one of those wider known Japanese exploitation films. We saw Meany of these in the 1970s right up till they really just stoped making them. Though Sex and Fury is the most well known one of them all. Mainly because it heavily inspired films to come like Kill… More
Sex and Fury was always one of those wider known Japanese exploitation films. We saw Meany of these in the 1970s right up till they really just stoped making them. Though Sex and Fury is the most well known one of them all. Mainly because it heavily inspired films to come like Kill Bill. The story is about this little girl called Ocho Inoshika. When Ocho sees her father get murdered right before her eyes by a bunch of Yakuza leaders she grows up to be a vengeful spirit. She does nothing else in this life but search for her father’s killers. And that she does, but not without helping a soul or two along the way. At first when Sex and Fury started out, I thought it was going to be a rehash of the story I had seen before. a very similar story dealing with a little girl who grows up to be a stone cold killer because she had an extremely traumatic childhood experience, I mean the fight sequence goes on for a long time, Of course it does add a level of nudity to the movie because its obviously gratuitous nudity we are seeing here solely for the purpose of titillating the males in the audience. Though Females still take a very big likening to the film. And as for the violence, well there’s lots of it. Blood sprays body parts fall and the snow is sprinkled with red on more then one occasion. Its pretty freaking obvious this one was also a heavy influence on Tarantino. The whole ending sequence is extremely similar to Oren Ishii and Beatrix Kiddos final fight in Kill Bill Vol. 1. Both in terms of music and shots. It was crazy but I was having flashbacks. The only thing that hinders this film a bit is the acting from Christina Lindberg an American actress that appears in this film playing an English spy. But as for the acting with the other cast member I have to put it as very solidly done. They really known how to play there parts. So I have to put Sex and fury as one of those great movies were a female is standing up to the people she hates and will kill them in an act of revenge. Keiko’s Score 79-100
David L

Well, if blaxploitation films exploited the black culture and nunsploitation films exploit the nun image, then Sex and Fury falls under the sexploitation genre because it very decidedly exploits sex. And that ain't a bad thing in my book. Anyway, Sex and Fury is a film that also… More
Well, if blaxploitation films exploited the black culture and nunsploitation films exploit the nun image, then Sex and Fury falls under the sexploitation genre because it very decidedly exploits sex. And that ain't a bad thing in my book. Anyway, Sex and Fury is a film that also falls under what is called Pinky Violence. Essentially what Pinky Violence is, is a bunch of Japanese films that came out in the 70s that dealt with hot lady killers who went out and distributed large amounts of vengeance on evil doers. It eventually died out, but boy what a legacy of films it left behind. Sex and Fury was one of the good ones. The story is about this little girl called Ocho Inoshika. When Ocho sees her father get murdered right before her eyes by a bunch of Yakuza leaders she grows up to be a vengeful spirit. She does nothing else in this life but search for her fathers killers. And that she does, but not without helping a soul or two along the way. At first when Sex and Fury started out, I thought it was going to be a rehash of the story I had seen before in the truly excellent Lady Snowblood. Its a very similar story dealing with a little girl who grows up to be a stone cold killer because she had an extremely traumatic childhood experience, but the only thing is that Sex and Fury amps up the sleaze and the tits and ass a whole lot more. Suddenly, without no apparent reason Ocho begins to fight and loose her clothes. Suddenly and without warning a bad guy slashes away the top part of her gown and Ocho begins to swordfight topless! Or in another sequence a bunch of hoodlums attack Ocho as she takes a bath and she proceeds to fight them buck naked! And not just a flash, I mean the fight sequence goes on for a long time and shes totally naked, gotta admit I'd never seen that in a movie before, but it rocked. Of course it does add a level of sleaze to the movie because its obviously gratuitous nudity we are seeing here solely for the purpose of titillating the males in the audience. But so what, I gotta say it works. So I'm like oooh, OK. So thats what this is all about! A movie that purposely shows a woman fighting and killing while naked. OK, I can go with that. But it wasn't only that. This movie has some sex scenes that scratch on being porn. Suddenly and without warning these two chicks start to make out on screen, necking each other. So I was thinking "thats probably as far as they are going to go with this cause this movie is old". Boy was I wrong, that sequence totally turned out to be an extended lesbo action sequence that was practically soft porn. This movie is pushing boundaries, its going all out and I dug that very very much. So be on the look out for certain kinky scenes, if your into that kinda thing of course. And as for the violence, well its plentiful. Blood sprays body parts fall and the snow is sprinkled with red on more then one occasion. Its pretty obvious this one was also a heavy influence on Tarantino. The whole ending sequence is extremely similar to Oren Ishii and Beatrix Kiddos showdown in Kill Bill Vol. 1. Both in terms of music and shots. It was crazy but I was having flashbacks. All of this came as no surprise to me since I had heard about this movies and Lady Snowbloods influence on Tarantino. So in closing, if your into film with naked chicks going around on revenge killing sprees then this my friend is a film for you. Pure trashy fun all the way
Wahida K

The Biography of the Woman Boss of Bad Girls...
Michael G

Amazing, amazing sword fights and gratuitous sex and nudity. Sex and Fury is more fun than it is good (the English-speaking scenes are the purest proof of this) and it's not without it's completely bizarre moments. The Ocho torture scene with Christina Lindberg in a… More
Amazing, amazing sword fights and gratuitous sex and nudity. Sex and Fury is more fun than it is good (the English-speaking scenes are the purest proof of this) and it's not without it's completely bizarre moments. The Ocho torture scene with Christina Lindberg in a Native-American girl outfit and the stained-glass Jesus with boobs (I'm not shitting you here, kids) says it all on that subject. The bathtub scene and the final battle borrow liberally from Kill Bill I and after watching you can see why. A fun revenge flick/visual feast.
Ken S

Naked Sword Fighting? Christina Lindberg? Sign Me Up
Tsubaki S

Like a raunchier version of Lady Snowblood. Reiko Ike might not had the class and prescense of Meiko Kaji, but she certainly fitted well for this kind of flicks. Worth a check for any fan of Japanese 70s xplotation.