RED PEONY GAMBLER (1968)

(緋牡丹博徒)

dir: Kosaku Yamashita

Toei

September 14, 1968

98 minutes Color - Toei (Kyoto Studio) 

Hibotan no Ryu ...... Junko Fuji
Shogo Hanaoka ............. Len Takakura
Torakichi Kumasaka ............ Tomisaburo Wakayama
Fujimatsu the Immortal ...................... Kyosuke Machida
... .......... Masako Araki

from imdb.com:

Red Peony Gambler (Japan, 1968)

Japanese Star Junko Fuji, in the first of EIGHT of these films, is Oryu, the Red Peony Gambler. After taking up residence with a local yakuza boss in old Japan, she must then protect that family after the boss is killed and search for the man who killed her father. 

This series had its influence upon what would become the Pinky Violence genre - strong female protagonist, nice amount of violence and bloodshed, and an ever-increasing amount of sexuality (this is on the low end of that spectrum), BUT, it stands on its own as one of Japan’s most popular movie series (and 10 times more financially successful than the pinky violence films.)

For one, it has two major stars - Junko Fuji and Ken Takakura - and both just soak up the screen everytime they're on it. Secondly, it's a good solid story from Norifumi Suzuki (writer, NOT the director here - he'd direct the second one) that throws a few interesting touches in to it (Oryu's 'brother' who joins the finale goes right over the top in full battle mode and it's great!). 

And lastly, it has a finale that makes it all worth it. Not that the movie is slow - it has its moments of action throughout - but the finale is pretty entertaining and sort of what we'd come to expect in this type of film.

Oh... and she pulled out a gun and used it a few times, which totally surprised me!

Summary from imdb:
Ryuko was raised by her father, a gambler named Senzo Yano in Kumamoto, Kyushu, after her mother died when she was little. When she turned 18 years old, her father was attacked and killed by a stranger in alley. Ryuko then dissolves her yakuza family, and, carrying the wallet left by the killer, she sets out on a journey to avenge her father’s death. Five years later, she wanders the nation, known only as! Red Peony Oryu who has a red peony tattooed on her shoulder and has the defiance and courage of a man. She meets Katagiri – a loner gambler, Kumatora – boss of a family in Shikoku, and Otaka – female boss of the Doman Family in Osaka. With their help, she finally catches up with the man who murdered her father.