Title: Female Prisoner: Scorpion
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Starring: Meiko Kaji, Rie Yokoyama, Isao Natsuyagi
Director: Shunya Ito
Language: Japanese

It was the 70s that saw the rise in Japanese grindhouse cinema (also known as ‘Pinky Violence); tired of the very ‘traditional’ style of many local films, and with the rise in success of Hollywood titles such as ‘Dirty Harry’ and ‘The Great Escape,’ a new wave of daring and experimental directors came to light. Armed with a low budget and all the influences of the early Western grindhouse cheap gore flicks, they combined it with traditional Japanese film-making sensibilities to create a style that somehow succeeded in being both artistic in style whilst retaining those cheap traditions such as gratuitous nudity and violence to result in something rather unique.

And it was with this, the first instalment in the ‘Female Prisoner’ series, that would influence a wave known as ‘Women in Prison’ films; with a strong theme of undercutting vengeance, the setting proved perfect to display sadistic prison wardens, gratuitous violence and more pairs of Asian breasts than ever before. What makes this film rather unique, however, is that not only was it amongst the first, but it also displayed an intriguing plot that would set up the anti-hero of Matsushima (later known as the local legend ‘Scorpion’), delving into her past and exploring the character in a realistic manner. This isn’t just cheap gore for the sake of it, nor is it some sort of softcore porno; this is a style that has only recently seen resurgence in popularity and with no Western equivalent, it combines female anti-heroes in a dramatic thriller of a vengeance tale.

Following the tale of Matsushima (Kaji), we explore her past and how she came to be a resident of the woman’s prison. Madly in love with police officer ‘Sugimi,’ she agrees to help him by infiltrating a yakuza gang and expose them. Cruelly set up by the corrupt officer, she goes mad with rage and is arrested attempting to kill him. Refusing to testify against him, Sugimi soon considers her a liability and recruits devious Katagiri (Yokoyama) to ‘accidentally’ kill her. Caught in the clutches of the sadistic police warden (Natsuyagi), fighting against the other in-mates to survive she embarks on her journey to escape from the nightmare in which she dwells in order to finish what she began.

It is the character played by Kaji that draws much of the attention – quickly rising to the status of ‘cult icon,’ to influence a variety of characters from the lead in ‘Lady Vengeance’ to the bride from ‘Kill Bill,’ (even singing the theme tune for this series, later to be used in Kill Bill) – without ever saying a word she displays an incredible determined glance, never flinching providing a respectful strength that makes you root for this apprehensible character. Perfectly performed, this strength at no point feels superhuman; she still flinches when pricked, recoils when attacked and tires when forced to do back breaking labour, and yet whilst she is there for a reason, you still root for her to succeed in her quest.

And yet this story wouldn’t be half as enjoyable if not for the wealth of support she receives, from the memorable sadism of the prison warden, the cook who garnered delight in her torture and the show-stealing smile of Katagiri, softly killing you with a devious smile. The action is cheap, and the effects everything we could expect from a film over 35 years old. The subtle political suggestions as to the womens liberation from a patriarchal Japan (watch for the flag), as well as the gore and nudity is always in advancement of the plot – to show humiliation of a character or the hardships that must be endured – and the result is a beautiful masterpiece of vigilante justice. I went into this film dubious of the outcome, but this has exceeded my expectations; colliding art-house with grind-house, forget the modern western exploitation films – the ‘saw’ and ‘hostel’ films – because this film is superior in every way.





Title: Female Prisoner: Jailhouse 41
Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Starring: Meiko Kaji, Isao Natsuyagi, Kayoko Shiraishi
Director: Shunya Ito
Language: Japanese

Picking up where the last film left off, we return to the infamous Scorpion in the next instalment of the saga, chronicling her final escape from prison, this is one film that I can’t help but be a little disappointed by. Featuring a highly experimental style – most noticeable in the camera work – and what appeared to be a notably larger budget making itself known through the more lavish choices of set, effects and soundtrack, it was the summation of small issues that – despite the sensational open and closing for the film – became something of a nuisance, detracting from the end result.

Opening once more with the delectable Matsushima (Kaji), her frequent break out attempts earning her the punishment of being imprisoned deep underground for over a year until the day of the prison inspection, allowed to see daylight once again it isn’t long before she begins to stir up trouble once more, eventually escaping with six other convicts. On the run, they constantly try to evade recapture by the prison warden (Natsuyagi), the constant tension between each of the escaped convicts, each with there own dark past. One by one they fall prey to the traps lay before them, until only Matsushima remains

Once more Kaji brings to the screen a spirited performance as the powerful character of the prison scorpion, living up to her title in a glorious display of strength and violence. Where before we learnt more of her past, here we explore her own character tendencies, free from the prison at last; once again refusing to speak, her actions speak far louder than her words could, and incredibly she allows us to get into her mindset without uttering a word. Her abilities prove exceptional once more, and certainly aren’t the issue here, rather, it is the reliance on the poorly fleshed out support from her fellow escapees. Pasts hinted at, character development suggested but never really coming into its own, and unlike the instantly memorable ‘Katagiri’ from the previous film, no replacement emerges (except perhaps in the unconvincing Oba) and the resultant tension between them – whilst still present – fails to feel quite so ominous.

There are also experimental features that break from realism; using almost ‘star-trek’ like visual effects at one point, or similar sound effects during certain scenes of shock which whilst feeling appropriately cheesy in such films, felt somewhat confused in this situation; as if incapable of deciding whether to be serious or silly. There are also small issues regarding attention to detail; the occasional subtitle issue (whilst annoying, hardly made the film unwatchable) and the noticeable absence of gun recoil resulting in a sharp break from the realism shown before.

Despite this unfortunate jolt away from realism, the level of gratuitous gore does indeed pick up in pace; not necessarily in frequency but certainly in severity (people were complaining of the sexual organ mutilation in “Anti-Christ”? HAH. No wonder this film was banned in the US), perhaps setting the stage for the likes of ‘Ichi the Killer’ at times. Often with a slight ‘tongue in cheek,’ sense of humour that might do ‘Evil Dead’ fans proud, whilst the plot did slow down in pace towards the middle, and whilst there were bizarre elements to the experimental style used, this still remains an excellent film; with an opening that will have you bouncing in your seat and ending on an inevitable bittersweet high note, this is another fine addition to the series.





Title: Female Prisoner: Beast Stable
Rating: 4.5/5
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Starring: Meiko Kaji, Mikio Narita, Reisen Lee, Yayoi Watanabe
Director: Shunya Ito
Language: Japanese

Kicking off the finalé to the saga (whilst there is a fourth, it featured a different director who didn’t carry the vision quite so well, and actually had Meiko Kaji refuse to continue afterwards, hence its non-inclusion in the special), I must confess some apprehension to this last film after the worrying direction seem to have been taken by the last, but the result turned out to be the most successful of the three. Taking the experimental attitude from before, only using the aspects that worked, they combine this with the violent sensibilities of the first and a more character driven multi-layered plot resulting in not only a feast for the eyes, but an iconic finish to a forgotten saga gem.

Once more picking up where the last left off, we find our protagonist Matsushima (Kaji) being hunted by the determined police detective Kondo (Narita). It isn’t long before she encounters the tragic life lived by Yuki (Watanabe), forced into poor living conditions, providing passionless sex for strangers to support herself and her mentally disabled brother, whom she also provides passionless sex in order to try and keep his animalistic tendencies in order. Bearing her brothers child, she is under constant threat from the local gangster Katsu (Lee), forcing the women working on her turf to pay, it is her that draws Matsu’s attention, seeking vengeance on the one person who showed her sympathy, all the while evading capture herself. With multiple sub-plots from Katsu’s cheating second-in-command to Matsu’s perhaps inevitable return to prison, despite the short running time, scenes are built to be effective, and at no point slow in pace or become confusing.

The strength of characters shown in the first film once again rears its head in a more powerful manner than ever before; the performance by Kaji building on her previous efforts, for the first time displaying both sympathy and compassion for another, as well as a glimmer of her weakness; her humanity shining through as she is pushed to new extremities. The new police figure perhaps lacking compared to the last still manages a distinctive role, and the hardships displayed in the heart-wrenching scenes of Watanabe all stand testament to their abilities in performing a piece that at times borders on the film-noir; the looming darkness and constant repetitive grinding despair presented at every turn providing a harrowing atmosphere of desolation.

Those looking for the more gore-filled side of things should take solace in the fact that once more, the scenes of depravity have gotten more extreme – from shots of incest to possibly the most horrific abortion sequence ever put to film – the body count has never reached a higher peak, and the care that has gone into the manner of their deaths is unprecedented. From the symbolic use of crows to the surgical knife, the constant theme of imprisonment represented most notably by the brother locked away for his own safety, every detail feels carefully thought out to retain a thoughtful and yet stylised, instantly memorable scene.

The experimental nature still presents itself, but less through the use of special effects (a major issue I had with the second film) and more through the use of unconventional camera angles, capable of accenting the mood of the scene and displaying the required tone. The soundtrack still used a number of perhaps cliché sounding synths, oddly fitting and not detracting from the end result. This is a film that builds on what made both before it successful, combining them both and pushing forward the boundaries once more of what was acceptable. A trilogy that has shown an innovative style and themes that will emerge in a plethora of films – such as ‘Kill Bill,’ Wook-Park’s ‘Vengeance Trilogy,’ and ‘The Crow’ – this conclusion proves to be the bloodiest, darkest and most dramatic of the trilogy, and a more than fitting end to the legend of the Scorpion.