Female Convict 701: Scorpion
| Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Shunya Itō[1] |
| Written by | Fumio Konami Hirō Matsuda Toru Shinohara (manga) |
| Starring | Meiko Kaji Rie Yokoyama |
| Music by | Shunsuke Kikuchi |
| Cinematography | Hanjiro Nakazawa |
| Editing by | Osamu Tanaka |
| Distributed by | Toei Company |
| Release date(s) | August 25, 1972 (Japan) |
| Running time | 87 minutes France: 83 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Female Convict #701: Scorpion (女囚７０１号 さそり Joshū 701 Go - Sasori)[2] is a film based on a manga by Tōru Shinohara in the "Women in Prison" sub-genre of Pinky violence Pink films made by Toei Company in 1972. The first in a series, the film starred Meiko Kaji and was Shunya Itō's directorial debut.
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[edit] Plot
After being cruelly set up by a crooked detective named Sugimi (Isao Natsuyagi), whom she loved, Nami Matsushima (aka Matsu the Scorpion) (Meiko Kaji) is sentenced to do hard time in a women's prison, which is run by sadistic and horny male guards. There are 700 other prisoners, making Matsu number 701. Her crime was making a failed attempt to stab Sugimi on the steps of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Headquarters because he used her to win favor with the Yakuza. While in prison she meets inmates like Yuki Kida (Yayoi Watanabe) who was committed for fraud and theft, Otsuka (Akemi Negishi), jailed for burglary and extortion, and Katagiri (Rie Yokoyama) who has been impounded for arson and illegally disposing of a body.
On the outside, Sugimi and the Japanese mafia orchestrate a plan in which Matsushima will succumb to an "accidental" death in prison. They enlist the help of Katagiri, pulling on her ties to both Sugimi and the mafia, and quickly set their plan in motion. Little do they realize, however, how hotly Matsushima's desire for revenge against Sugimi burns. After a riot, she escapes and kills all the Yakuza and Sugimi. The film ends with Matsushima walking alone back in prison.
This movie is extremely notable within the genre of women's prison films as it utilizes elements not often incorporated in such works. The camerawork and use of music is handled with a sense of artistry. For example, flashback sequences are realized by shifting colored spotlights on a live action stage, and the finale is filmed entirely by handheld camera, with impressive effect.[citation needed]
[edit] Character
Matsu herself portrays a powerful woman who refuses to give up on her ultimate plan for revenge against Sugimi. An extremely attractive prisoner, Matsu is constantly harassed by the guards and her fellow peers in attempts to completely humiliate her. Such scenes include:
- walking up and down see-through stairs completely naked with tons of male guards watching
- being hog-tied in a dungeon with soup poured on her
- getting into a fight in the shower
- being forced to dig dirt holes for two days and nights straight
- forced to sleep in a room with no beds (after digging dirt holes all day) with an undercover prisoner
- being constantly beaten by the sadistic male guards
- hung and tied from the ceiling while being beaten by her fellow prisoners (and also forced to sleep while hung from the ceiling)
Matsu is also raped by several drug dealers when she was still a free woman.
Despite all of these, Matsu never breaks and still eventually breaks out of the prison.
[edit] References
- ^ Infobox data from Joshuu 701-gô: Sasori (1972) at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Also translates to Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion
[edit] Sources
- Archive of "Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972)". Pinky-Violence.com. 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-03-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20080302101019/http://www.pinky-violence.com/female_prisoner_701_scorpion_1972.html. Retrieved 2007-12-02.. Original page
- Itō, Shunya (2006) (in Japanese, English subtitles). Female prisoner #701 Scorpion Collection. Tokyo Shock. ISBN 1-59883-090-2.
- Leyland, Matthew (April 2007). "Reviews: Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion". Sight & Sound 17 (2): 83.
- McKnight, Anne (2001). "Female Convict Scorpion --Jailhouse 41". In Patrick Macias. TokyoScope: The Japanese Cult Film Companion. San Francisco: Cadence Books. pp. 184–185. ISBN 1-56931-681-3.
- Thompson, Nathaniel (2006) [2002]. "FEMALE CONVICT SCORPION". DVD Delirium: The International Guide to Weird and Wonderful Films on DVD; Volume 1 Redux. Godalming, England: FAB Press. pp. 273–274. ISBN 1-903254-39-6.
- Referenced in the game, Killer7. "as the character Linda Vermillion". Capcom. http://killer7.3dactionplanet.gamespy.com/linda.htm. Retrieved 2005-11-04.
- Nelson, Chris. "Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (aka Joshū 701-go: Sasori) — movie review". dreamlogic.net. http://www.dreamlogic.net/archives/female-prisoner-701-scorpion-review. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
[edit] External links
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