User reviews

I'm really starting to love this era in Japanese exploit film-making. As of this writing I've only seen slightly more than a handful of these films, but they all tend to be top-notch. I end up saying the same things about all of them, and FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION is not much different - excellent sets, interesting and deep story lines, good acting, beautiful camera-work - all the sorts of things that you wouldn't expect to see in an exploitation film, but the Japanese did it consistently in those days spawning plenty of truly excellent trash films...

The FEMALE PRISONER in question is a nice girl who just had a run of bad luck. Her scumbag boyfriend is an overly ambitious cop who uses her as bait in trying to bust a crime ring. When the bust goes to hell, the criminals and the ever chivalrous boyfriend/cop make a deal to hang homegirl out to dry. She ends up in jail and after a failed jailbreak, is abused in all kinds of fun and sleazy ways. A riot eventually ensues in the jail and this time our heroine makes it out to seek revenge on the man who scorned her...

I have to honestly say that FEMALE PRISONER is not quite as compelling and "beautiful" as say, LADY SNOWBLOOD (who is also played by our leading lady in this film...), or maybe SCHOOL OF THE HOLY BEAST, but it is still a very enjoyable, artfully sleazy film that definitely holds up on it's own. Recommended to fans of any Japanese exploit/pinky film - this one won't disappoint. 8.5/10

The woman in prison exploitation sub-genre doesn't exactly have the best reputation for example Bare behind bars and SS experiment love camp comes to mind but this is something different. Firstly It feels more like an art film by the way its shot. It uses interesting compositions and at lighting. The nudity in the film doesn't feel like its sexual well to me anyway maybe a sadist would see it differently. The initial rape scene in the film is done so it's not too graphic and hard to watch similar to the one seen in Lady Snowblood. On top of all that the writing is terrific, the motivation of the Sasori isn't revenge for the rape. It's revenge for the double crossing which drives her to put up with the struggles of prison life so that she might get out. What i love about the main character is that she hardly talks throughout the film and does all the communicating with her eyes. Which leaves you guessing what she will do next. The music is great and the movie is action packed with a satisfying ending the only part that didn't seem right was the random Lesbian scene which felt out of place but they justify it later. so give it a watch you won't be disappointed.

Some films, while not entirely believable are still able to pull you into them and make you invest your interest and full attention in them nonetheless. This is such a film. While it's not entirely believable, to me it's a film that is still extremely interesting and enjoyable. Of it's subject matter, this may truly be the best film of it's kind. Even with it's age and fairly low budget, somehow it still comes across to me as very poetic. Violent poetry no less, but there's certainly much more to it than just violence. This film inspired at least 6 sequels I believe, and it has been an inspiration for many remakes and imitators too. The Kill Bill films are two of them at least to some degree, they certainly draw inspiration from it at least. This is overall quite an amazing little film. It's brutal, yet still somehow it is also quite beautiful. These are not easy things to balance in the art of filmmaking, but here it is on wonderful display.

8.5/10.

A beautiful young woman is double-crossed by her corrupt cop boyfriend, raped by his Yakuza thug associates, and then--to add insult to injury--unjustly sentenced to a brutal women's prison. She becomes increasingly stoical, however, biding her time until she can have her revenge on all her enemies both in and out of prison.

This is an enjoyable movie which manages to be both a WIP film and a rape-revenge film. It's also probably the best of the "Female Scorpion" series because it focuses more on the WIP elements while the later films are mostly rape-revenge (or eventually just revenge)movies. To be honest, I've never quite gotten the appeal of these female action movies. While some of their fans are female, the vast majority are men, and it's beyond me the masochistic thrill these guys get out of the "butt-kickin' babe"(personally I prefer women that do NOT beat me up, shoot me, or run me through with a samurai sword). Meiko Kaji's Female Scorpion character is in a class by herself though in that her strength comes not so much from her ability to dish out extreme punishment as to quietly endure it until she has a chance to turn the tables. The epitome of this is when she is she is strung up by the other prisoners (quite naked of course) and tortured with hot lamp bulb--Ouch!

This is also the only film in the series where Meiko has nude scenes. They're pretty tame by WIP standards, but there are plenty of other naked Japanese girls (if you're into that sort of thing)including in one hilarious scene where the female prisoner "rape" a couple of male prison guards during a riot (poor bastards!). It's a matter of taste I guess, but I liked this better than the more famous "Lady Snowblood" (also with Kaji) and definitely better than "Kill Bill".

Brutal, evil, nasty and gory. Looking very much forward to the second film in the series.

Meiko Kaji is a beast. If you are into this genre then do not pass this one up I guarantee you will dig it.

Violent, sick, cruel, and completely sadistic – what more could I ask for? Starring Meiko Kaji, who would go on to the Lady Snowblood films the next year, this women in prison movie simply dazzles. Ito's direction is fantastic, and in some ways resembles that of Suzuki Seijun. It's funny that such great filmmaking is found in a w.i.p. movie, a sub-genre usually reserved for sloppy, direct-to-video work today. Just think, a direct-to-video movie really could be well made. There is an unfulfilled market here. Yet people just keep cranking out the same cliched garbage – an utter waste. The genre in America is too tame when you look at FP701. Actually, I'd almost say that this comes close to being the best prison movie ever made, approaching masterpieces like Don Siegel's undervalued Riot in Cell-Block 11 and Stuart Rosenberg's beloved Cool Hand Luke. Hell, Prisoner 701 makes Cool Hand Luke look like a total pussy. This movie is an absolute must-see for those who love Japanese films, exploitation, or cult movies in general. I'd go so far as to call it a masterpiece in its own way. I loved every damn second of it! 10/10.

After being set up and deceived by Sugimi (Natsuyagi Isao), a conniving and crooked detective she had fallen in love with, Matsushima Nami's desire for revenge knows no bounds. Her failed attempt at stabbing Sugimi on the steps of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Headquarters results in her doing hard time in a female prison run by sadistic male guards. To Sugimi's surprise, Matsushima refuses to testify against him, and now the sheer fact that she knows such secrets makes her a liability. So Sugimi and the Japanese mafia orchestrate a plan whereby Matsushima will succumb to an "accidental" death in prison. They enlist the help of Kagiri, another female inmate with ties to both Sugimi and the mafia, thus their formidable plan is quickly set in motion.

Amazingly, amidst so much gritty, dirty stuff, the film still has an artistic flourish, such as the loss of the heroine's virginity symbolized with a Japanese flag. What the message is, I do not know, but it is visually striking. We also have color-coded uniforms, which make it easy to tell the "good" guys from the "bad" guys and add an interesting balance.

For those less interested in the art and technique, and more interested in the exploitation aspect, they will be happy to know that there is plenty in the way of shower scenes... if you want to see a few dozen naked women scrubbing each other, you probably won't be disappointed.

Arrow Video has released this film and its first three sequels in a box set. I commend them for this and love the effort that went into the special features. Unfortunately, the picture looks really washed-out. Knowing Arrow, they were working with the best materials possible, so this may mean that a good-looking negative ceases to exist (or perhaps never did).

The "Women in prison" film is a subgenre with a nasty reputation and a devoted fanbase. Usually it's nudity and cruelty galore with a plot barely thin enough to veil the only reason to watch the film is to see the sadist and lesbian (or possibly the lesbian sadist) scenes. Whereas it's true that there are a few good prison films, most of them are only in it for the exploitation. Which is not necessarily a bad point: after all, most blockbusters are only in it for the explosions.

My first Female Convict movie was "Female Convict Scorpion: Jailhouse 41". Purchased as it was released in a series of cult films, most of them were excellent enough to convince you to buy the ones you'd never heard of. To my disappointment the movie turned out to be a sequel, the second film in a series of four starring the ravishing Meiko Kaji as Prisoner 701. One year later Kaji would star as Lady Snowblood in the eponymous films that 'influenced' Tarantino quite a lot whilst shooting "Kill Bill". The Female Prisoner tune "Urami Bushi", written by the director and sung by Kaji, was used in both Kill Bill volumes.

Shunya Ito, director of Female Prisoner 701, directed only 8 movies in 26 years, surprisingly few if compared to the output of other Japanese directors such as Koji Wakamatsu and Seijun Suzuki or if you look at the visual flair displayed in Ito's films. Three out of the eight movies were Female Convict films.

If you haven't seen a W.I.P. (women in prison) film before or don't like the edgier films, "Female Convict Scorpion: Jailhouse 41" (the second one) is the one to go for. It's the most regular film of the series: most of the sequel takes place out of the prison and follows a group of escaped convicts who try to stay away from the guards who're chasing them. It may still be an exploitation film, but it's not really a W.I.P. film. But never mind your difficulty to find a label for the film: just file it under 'good'.

"Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion", the first film, is definitely exploitation, though it must be said it's a classy exploitation film. Sure, the film may start with an escape attempt by Matsu (Kaji) and another prisoner, but one doesn't have to look further than the titles to see this is exploitation cinema: naked women running up and down stairs whilst being watched by guards. But whereas there are a few traditional exploitation scenes (and some of those are pretty nasty), the film never gets tacky.

Visually a masterpiece (impressive visuals and sets), a strong lead, an excellent director, beautiful settings... this is one of the best exploitation films you'll get to see. If you are too afraid to venture into the dark waters of exploitation cinema, watch the sequel first. You won't know why Matsu is seen as such a threat to the prison or why she's imprisoned, but apart from these details you won't be deprived from an enjoyable ride and find yourself hungry to see the other three films. And if you dare, go straight to "Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion".

It seems obvious now where Tarantino gained inspiration for Kill Bill. This first film in the Scorpion/Prisoner #701 series explodes with directorial creativity and style. The skillful cinematography would be key to the film, if not for scene after scene of deep and highly memorable raw acting. This is one where the actors go above and beyond. If it wasn't for the clothes and cars, it's easy to forget the action is set in 1972; much less filmed back then. It seems more modern. High quality cinema right here.

SPOILER: Many of the scenes with brutality can't help but come across as staged; but who cares.

Shunya Ito's "Joshuu 701-gô: Sasori" aka "Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion" of 1972 is an absolutely brilliant masterpiece of Japanese Exploitation cinema that is not quite comparable to anything else. The WIP (Women In Prison) sub-genre may have brought a bunch of highly entertaining flicks, but each of the four "Sasori" films (all of which were released between 1972 and 1973) outshines any other movie of the kind by a million times. Not only does "Joshuu 701-gô: Sasori", or "Sasori: Scorpion" as it is entitled here, outshine any other kind of WIP flick, this is one of the films that reign supreme in Exploitation cinema generally. More than any other movie, this film combines Exploitation and Art-house cinema, sleaze and artistic beauty in a most unique way. The absolutely divine Meiko Kaji is the star of this unforgettable film and nobody else could have played the leading role of Nami Matsushima aka. Sasori with such brilliance. Not only does she play the lead, Meiko Kaji also sings the beautiful theme song to this film, one of the greatest and most memorable pieces of Japanese film score ever, "Urami-Bushi", which became known to a wider Western audience when Tarantino used it for the soundtrack of "Kill Bill 2".

Raped, imprisoned tortured and abused, female prisoner #701, Nami Matsushima lives only for two things, escape from the hellhole of a woman's prison she is incarcerated in, and revenge on her former lover, who used her for his benefit and is responsible for all her misery. Due to her toughness and power of endurance, Nami, who is constantly tortured by sadistic guards in order to break her will, is referred to as "Sasori" ("Scorpion") by her fellow female prisoners...

The stunningly beautiful Meiko Kaji, one of my personal favorite actresses of all-time, plays her role with sheer brilliance. Sasori, who hardly says a word has an incomparably vengeful determination in her eyes, and Kaji's performance seems to become greater each time I see this movie. The rest of the performances are also outstanding, above all Riye Yokoyama, who is excellently sadistic as Katagiri, another female prisoner who hates Sasori, and Fumio Watanbe as the sadistic prison warden Goda. "Sasori" truly is an absolute exploitation highlight, and probably THE movie in which exploitation and art-house elements complement each other the most. The opening sequence, in which hundreds of naked women have to walk down a narrow hallway in a humiliating exercise (to the song "Urami-Bushi") alone is the best example for that, and furthermore one of the most memorable sequences ever in exploitation cinema. This movie is sleazy and often extremely brutal, with nasty scenes of rape, murder and sadistic torture, and yet so incomparably beautiful and often symbolic in its extreme violence and sleaze. The entire "Sasori" series with Meiko Kaji reigns supreme in the WIP sub-genre, and is a truly brilliant highlight of Japanese Exploitation cinema. Every fan of Exploitation and every lover of film in general MUST SEE this first "Sasori" film and personal favorite of mine, which easily deserves the highest rating of 10/10!

Great Japanese exploitation story featuring the incomparable Kaji Meiko ("Lady Snowblood"). Excellent cinematography and use of set pieces as well as exaggerated angles and lighting. As enjoyable as this film is, it's not the best in the series... the second chapter, also directed by Ito Shunya and starring Kaji Meiko ("Joshuu sasori: Dai-41 zakkyo-bô", aka "Female Convict Scorpion: Jailhouse 41") is a transcendent piece of filmmaking and eclipses the first film in every regard: cinematography, locations, acting, script, and music.

After being setup by her supposed boyfriend named "Tsugio Sugimi" (Isao Natsuyagi) to infiltrate the Yakuza, "Nami Matsushima" (Meiko Kaji) is double-crossed which results in her being gang-raped. When she realizes that Tsugio betrayed her she attempts to kill him only to be over-powered and sent to prison. Once there she becomes the target of the warden and finds herself being beaten, humiliated and repeatedly tortured but she endures all of it in the hope of one day getting her revenge. Now although this is a Japanese version of a "Women-in-Prison" movie what separates this from a number of other similar films out there is the manner in which the director (Shunya Ito) manages to present this movie in an artistic yet sadistic fashion. Possibly a bit too sadistic and unrealistic at times but effective all the same. Additionally, while there are several cute women cast in this film, the lack of sufficient character development and screen time was a definite problem. In any case, this movie is probably worth a watch for fans of this specific genre and I rate it as slightly above average.

Uttering as few words as possible, Nami Matsushima (played by the stunningly beautiful Meiko Kaji) dispenses with the pleasantries and builds a reasonably impressive body count by the end of "Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion," one of the premiere films in the women's prison genre of films.

Natsuyagi is a cop looking to move ahead in his life, and money, after all, is the root of all evil. He hatches a scheme to use his lovely girlfriend, Nami, to lure the local mafia bosses into a scheme. But when the gang feels something's amiss, they escort Nami into a back room and rape her. Breaking in, Natsuyagi realizes he finally has what he wants: ignoring his fallen girlfriend, he convinces the mob that he can make all of their problems go away if they pay him off. They agree, and Natsuyagi has Nami thrown into prison … where she undergoes the obligatory beatings, teasing, and other forms of degradation so common to 'girls behind bars' films.

What makes "Scorpion" different is the fact that Director Shunya Ito – in his debut film – decided to ride the fine line between art and trash. He combines the best elements of the vindictive woman's feature along with artsy lighting in order to achieve the effect of a car crash: the viewer really hates to slow down and watch, but there really must be something to see here, right? The violence is gratuitous, if not psychedelic, at times, but it all manages to flesh out (pun intended) before Nami manages to finally break out of prison and go on her murderous rampage, taking out the mobsters one-by-one until her final showdown with the unsuspecting Natsuyagi.

Also, in Kaji's graceful hands, Nami isn't so much a victim as she is an antihero, not at all unlike Clint Eastwood in Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns. The viewer is pulled into this world by means of a very beautiful woman who refuses to be a 'prisoner' to the genre. Instead, she's defiant and calculating at every turn, refusing to comply with the warden's demands of good behavior. She challenges every authority, instituting her own code of justice which applies to everyone: her fellow inmates, the prison guards, and even the police outside. Uncompromising in her dedication, she ignores the acts she endures for the sake of focusing on one sole objective: revenge.

… and that's an act she takes with complete seriousness.

I've seen a handful of women in prison films and before seeing this one, hadn't seen a really good one. It's a genre closely associated with lesbian sex, torture and general sleaze and is one of the staples of the oeuvres of Italian trash directors such as Jess Franco and Joe D'Amato. Female Convict Scorpion adheres to the trends of the genre, but it does it with so much more class than the majority of genre offerings and the result is a film that transcends its trash origins into masterpiece territory. Female Convict Scorpion excellently straddles the boundary between the two types of film - its trash shot as art! Like most women in prison films, this one focuses on one particular prisoner inside a women's prison. The prisoner is Nami Matsushima, a woman betrayed by her boyfriend (a police officer with mob ties) and wrongly imprisoned. She wants revenge on the man who put her in jail, and since she knows a lot of his secrets; he wants her dead. The policeman/mobster soon decides to have one of the other prisoners arrange an "accident" for Nami Matsushima...

The film starts as it means to go on; first we get a prison break that sees two prisoners hunted down and caught by the ruthless prison guards, and the next scene sees a bunch of naked women being directed about by said prison guards. There is not as much sleaze in this film as there is in my other women in prison flicks, but there's more than enough - and the fact that it doesn't go over the top means that the sleaze we do get is far more potent. The film is also rather gory, and although much of the violence is in a comic book style, seeing the blood spill is still a treat. The film features some stunning cinematography, and director Shunya Ito is obviously keen to get the art-house style across as much as possible. There's also several excellently shot sequences; the scene involving a disgruntled inmate rampaging through the showers with a shard of glass being particularly excellent. It's all topped off by a sensational performance by Meiko Kaji in the lead role, and overall; it has to be said that Female Convict Scorpion is a masterpiece that does not deserve to be missed!

Taking into consideration that the movie is made in 1972, then it is actually a movie that you can still watch today, and that alone is quite an accomplishment in itself.

For a 'women behind bars' type of movie, or whatever these movies are labelled as, then "Female Prisoner 701 Scorpion" (aka "Joshû 701-gô: Sasori") is fairly straight forward. Sure, it is entertaining, but it hardly a movie that really makes you go wow.

There is a lot of time spent on watching Matsu (played by Meiko Kaji) being delt harsh physical labor as punishment in the prison and having to watch her perform said punishment. While it is something that definitely sets a tone in the movie, it just got a little bit too tedious halfway through the movie.

As for the acting, then it was adequate. It was a shame that the Matsu character didn't have that much dialogue to perform in the movie, because I think that Meiko Kaji's true potential was not given the freedom to express itself that she deserved.

The dialogue in the movie wasn't really something that you should get your hopes up for. Sure, it was serving the movie well enough, but this was hardly Mark Twain material.

Director Shun'ya Itô was good at keeping the movie within a watchable perimeter where it didn't slip out into becoming too much with the nudity and rough scenes. It was actually done in a very good manner, I think, and that definitely kept the movie afloat a long way down the river.

While "Female Prisoner 701 Scorpion" is watchable and entertaining, it is not a movie that made me feel like I had been missing out on a great cinematic gem here, after all today in 2019 is the first time I am watching it.

My rating of the movie is six out of ten stars.

I'm still a novice when it comes to Asian cinema like this, but here is a solid Japanese "women in prison" film which, I'm told, was the first in a long-running series. What immediately struck me as a bonus was how well-directed this was by Shunya Ito, in his first feature film. It really felt ahead of its time and I would have believed it was a brand new movie. Slow motion effects are not always my cup of tea but they were strategically strong here and many other sequences were rendered with a flair for the surreal. It's a violent and sometimes bloody affair which I've encountered before as another wronged, disgruntled, and tough-to-crack pretty heroine (Meiko Kaji) is put into an all-woman prison and abused by its sadistic staff, who try everything they can think of to break her. It's easy to see, especially at the climax, that this movie was probably the 'inspiration' for THRILLER: A CRUEL PICTURE (1974). Its theme song was also borrowed by Quentin Tarantino thirty years later for inclusion in his KILL BILL epic. *** out of ****

Just watched Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion 39years after it came out and it is still a good movie.

This is the 1st of the Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion series (I had actually watched it backwards from 4 to 1), and it shows how the "Scorpion" ended up in prison and how hard she is. The Scorpion is HARD.

The movie has all the prison exploitation themes, sadistic guards, naked prisoners, mean prisoners, torture etc. But it also has the Scorpion; imagine Cool Hand Luke but who does not talk, with no humour, a willingness and readiness to kill/injure/maim her tormentors and a single mindedness quest for vengeance. Meiko Kaji (actress) is more widely known for her Lady Snowblood character and movies but IMO her Scorpion Character is way more awesome.

I recommend this movie just so you have a lead up to the second movie Female Convict Scorpion Jailhouse 41 which is a MUST watch.

It's as if its director was given a script for a pulpy, almost distasteful exploitation piece and decided to film it as experimentally and artistically as possible. 'Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972)' sits somewhere between exploitation and art, a distinct and ultimately successful blend of the trashy and the avant-garde. With a flashy visual style and a penchant for massive camera moves, the movie tells its tale of an imprisoned woman waiting for the right moment to get out of jail and exact revenge on the man who betrayed her. She's put through a lot of pain, brutally punished by spiteful prison guards at seemingly every turn. It's never clear if she'll make it through her ordeal, but you always want her to succeed. What happens to her genuinely feels unfair and it gets under your skin. Thankfully, it's always presented as unpleasant; though the movie features more than one rape scene, it never feels as though it relishes in its violence and everything is shot in a relatively restrained way. It's much better than some similar fare in that respect. In general, it's an energetic and entertaining prison film. It has its slower moments and isn't as conventionally exciting as it perhaps could have been, but it's an enjoyable and sometimes affecting experiment that's impressive in its construction. 6/10

Shunya Ito's debut film hits all the genre highlights of your standard Babes Behind Bars flick, but does it so much better than any other exploitation pic of the era.

Action queen Meiko Kaji stars the unbreakable "Scorpion." Betrayed by her slimy police detective lover Sugimi (Isao Natsuyagi), she winds up in a brutal prison run by the evil bureaucrat Goda (every directors favorite badguy Fumio Watanabe) where she endures tortures that would have reduced Cool Hand Luke to jelly in about five minutes.

A solid cast, excellent direction and occasionally brilliant cinematography make this perhaps the second best W.I.P. movie ever made. For the best, you'll have to see the sequel, "Jailhouse 41."

This first installment in the Sasori (scorpion) series featuring Kaji Meiko and is much more of a exploitation movie than the follow up. That means girls running around naked in punishment for whatever lack of discipline and getting raped by idiot prison guards.

Showing the making of Matsu the vengeful prisoner, we understand her motives quite well and it turns out to be a dense action movie.

In the end though this is more or less a display of sadistic torture in both a campy way and a more artistic way. As such it is not quite my cup of tea.

Kaji Meiko is not as developed as an actress as in her later movies here, but still puts up a good show, and a brilliant antihero although inferior to the more psychedelic Jailhouse #41 follow up.

Double-crossed by her very first lover, gang-raped by thugs, and unjustly thrown into a hellish prison, stoic and tough-as-nails Nami Matsushima endures endless torment and brutality at the hands of corrupt cops, sadistic prison-trustees, and her fellow convicts, all while awaiting her chance for sanguineous satisfaction. While the protagonist is a tough, resourceful woman, the film's frequent nudity, sexual violence, and borderline B'n'D, suggest that the film is not really intended as an exercise in female empowerment...but it is fun in a guilty-pleasure way. The extreme blood-letting is tempered by the extreme 'fakeness' of the violence (one man gets his head 'sliced open' by a shovel that misses him by inches and the resultant gout of blood looks like bright red food dye) and the nasty 'woman in prison' sthick is so over-the-top that the film is almost a parody of that frequently repugnant (and easily parodied) genre. Meiko Kaji is pretty good as the long-suffering Matsu, but the rest of the acting, along with the script, is border-line amateur (note: I watched an English-subtitled version on Tube). There are some strange celluloid moments as the background inexplicitly drifts into the surreal or when a knife-wielding killer spontaneously turns into a kabuki character while pursuing her prey in a (pleasingly crowded) women's shower room. All in all, an equal mix of entertaining and awful. Followed by three sequels, the first two of which supposedly pretty good (but less pink and simplistic).

Arthouse experimental movie with themes of sadistic prison tortures, eroticism, revenge on ex-lovers and inmates, and major boobage

Matsu (#701) is in jail for attempted murder after her cop boyfriend feeds her to the yakuza to get raped so he can bust them and get a promotion. While in jail, she receives abuse both from the prison guards and a five female inmate gang. She puts up with the abuse for one sole purpose - revenge.