thekiller

FEMALE PRISONER #701 SCORPION

As a fan of exploitation cinema I've seen my fair share of women in prison films. American films like The Big Bird Cage (with the lovely Pamela Grier), were humorous, campy fun with some T & A thrown in. Leave it to the Japanese to make a W.I.P. film that makes The Big Bird Cage look like Sound of Music. The stunning Meiko Kaji is Nami, a woman who falls for a slick vice detective that uses her as bait to catch some Yakuza who end up raping her. Her lover instead makes a deal with the Yakuza and throws her a cut of the money and then walks away. Nami then fails to stab the detective outside the police station and gets thrown in prison. First time director Shunya Ito takes a film that should be trashy (and is on many levels) but films it so deftly and creatively it could almost be an art film. Want exploitation? How about 30 or so naked women being marched up a caged staircase having to lift their legs over bars while male guards inspect/watch/get their kicks? That's just the opening credits! There's a surreal knifefight/shower room sequence, bondage, rape, burning, shooting, genital torture (implied), hair pulling, uniform ripping, rioting, gambling and general cattiness. There's even a scene in which an undercover female officer sent to get a confession from Nami in Solitary is turned into a lesbian by her! In the sense of equal opportunity during a riot some male guards are raped by the women! Many of the scenes are shot in bold colors much like an Italian horror film of the 70s/80s. Meiko Kaji has maybe 3 lines in the whole film, but she speaks volumes with her facial expressions. As she's being tortured she has a look like she's fading away inside herself, or she'll shoot an enemy a glance that speaks untold stories of hate and bile. One scene where she's forced to dig a huge pit and her fellow prisoners are ordered to fill it, one girl won't do it.. and Kaji gives her this little half smile and nod that conveys way more than any words could. Her performance along with the direction make this film an enduring classic. Does she pay back her lover and his Yakuza cohorts? You'll have to watch this gem to find out! Kaji went on to play Lady Snowblood in the film of the same name that was credited as inspiring Tarentino for Kill Bill. Female Prisoner 701 Scorpion definitely can be seen as an influence as well. If you love exploitation films, W.I.P. films, Tarentino, Japanese films or strong female characters give this a look!