In 1971 Junko Fuji was only known for her performances in period dramas. Shigehiro Ozawa‘s Trials of an Okinawa Village (also known as Lady Boss) provided a contemporary setting as a vehicle for Toei’s biggest female box office draw. Fuji had already paired well with Bunta Sagawara, an established presence in contemporary Yakuza cinema, and the work here is pehnomenal. Kazuo Kasahara‘s script grabbed elements of the prior year’s Stray Cat Rock films (starring Meiko Kaji) and provided a preview of his forthcoming work as scribe for virtually all of Kinji Fukasaku‘s Battles Without Honor and Humanity films.

Fuji got married shortly after completing this film, and she retired after fulfilling the films left on her Red Peony Gambler contract. She made only one film between 1972 and 1989, when she returned to acting and became more popular then ever, racking up five Japanese acting nominations and nine wins between 1990 and 2015.

Poster will ship rolled in a tube.