Joshuu 701-gô: Sasori (1972)

Director:

Shunya Ito

Writers:

Fumio Konami (writer)
Hirô Matsuda (writer)

Release Date:

25 August 1972 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | Crime

Plot:

After being cruelly set up and deceived by Sugimi (Natsuyagi Isao), a conniving and crooked detective...

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Prison | Mafia | Mob | Love

Cast

Meiko Kaji	...	Nami Matsushima (aka Matsu the Scorpion)
Rie Yokoyama	...	Katagiri
Isao Natsuyagi	...	Sugimi
Fumio Watanabe	...	Warden
Yayoi Watanabe	...	Yukiko Kida
Yôko Mihara	...	Red-Haired Bully
Akemi Negishi	...	Otsuka
Hideo Murota	...	Okizaki
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kôji Hio
Emi Jo		(as Emi Jô)
Chie Kobayashi

Also Known As:

Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (Japan: English title)

Runtime:

87 min | France:83 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:18 (JK/SPIO) | UK:18 (2006)

Quotes:

Nami Matsushima: To be deceived is a woman's crime.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Another Great Japanese Exploit/Pinky Film...

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