Introduction

The subject of the book is the cinematic intersection of aesthetically attractive violence with women as full-fledged action heroes. Consequently, the first two chapters develop separately and in detail each of these foci. What follows are analyses of three films in which women warriors instigate and animate the aestheticized violence. The hyper-violence aesthetic of Kill Bill contrasts with the surrealistic enchantment of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and House of Flying Daggers. Although both of these movies celebrate the martial exploits of women in fantastic, graceful movement, important differences between them repay sustained investigation.