As I stated before, the Female Prisoner Scorpion series is the ultimate in Women in Prison entertainment, mixing exploitation elements (gratuitous violence and sleazy sex) with stylish direction and convincing performances. This remains Meiko Kaji’s signature role, the seemingly impassive and almost mute Nami Matsushima, AKA Sasori.

But before going into further specific details, you must be attentive to the following (very) brief course in Japanese film history, mainly its erotic motion pictures. Yes, there are things to be learned here, so pay attention! You don’t want to flunk the quiz, do you?

If you have to understand one thing, just remember that since time immemorial no genital parts were allowed to be shown in any movie in Japan. Oh and this means, neither male or female, needless to say. Of course, you didn’t glimpse much genitals in world cinema in these times, but all these rules were specifically written in the Japanese Criminal Code! A 1962 film named Flesh Market remains the first production to include a naked breast. Two years later, Gates of Flesh displayed a full female nude body, without showing the private parts, of course. And that in full color! Remember that in Europe in the late fifties, nudity had finally started to be allowed in motion pictures, sometimes coming from world-acclaimed directors like Louis Malle or even Ingmar Bergman (we have mainly the wide popularity of Brigitte Bardot to be grateful for, as example). But the Japanese authorities had in their hands a censorship code that was very severe. So, no full frontal cutie honey action. Oddly, they didn’t put much restrain in graphic display of violence…

If we now go to the major studios (mainly Nikkatsu), we must understand that they shifted their agenda around 1971 or so to produce more spicy projects. Roman porn (romantic pornography) or pinku eiga (pink movies) are the most traditional terms to describe that special kind of erotic stories. The reason of that redirection: bankruptcy and/or other kind of hard financial distress, mainly box-office receipts. Many popular studios followed up on this trend, like Toho, Daiei and others.

In 1971, Meiko Kaji was mainly known for her participation in a rebellious female youth series, the Stray Cat Rock films. She was the perfect candidate to play a revengeful young woman capable of enduring severe physical and psychological torments, being kept alive with an unending thirst of vengeance. First time director Shunya Ito convinced her to become Nami Matsushima, an heroine that at first saw birth in a popular manga (comic book). Meiko suggested that the character become an almost mute presence and not the foul-mouthed heroine of the printed page. With the worldwide success of the spaghetti western, this approach was a wise decision, as viewers were already accustomed to mystical heroes of few words.

So Nami is wrongfully utilized by a supposed cop boyfriend in a fixed drug bust and is send to a brutal jail. After a failed attempt to escape, she’s day after day punished by the prison’s authorities, the typical bunch of screaming animal thugs. Not only that, but the other female inmates also torment her for her supposed stuck-up attitude. Can she realy hope to at last sate her thirst for vengeance?

Contrary to the many lurid WiP movies becoming popular at the time around the world, this first entry in the series was carefully shot in an imaginative visual style, mixing surrealistic color palettes and unexpected camera angle choices, putting this way ahead of subject-wise sleazy motion pictures coming out of the Philippines, the USA and others. Even witnessing the incredible violent scenes here, there’s an atmosphere of art-house production worthy of high-brow international critics.

Yes, this is an out of this world ballet of vengeance, with slow-motion sequences, quasi-oniric staging of flashbacks and a performance from the central actress that borders on the astonishing. To give you an idea of her character’s state of mind throughout, here are my two favorite quotes from Nami:

“To be deceived is a woman’s crime.”
“I cannot die until I fulfill my fate.”

Brutal beyond measure but still satisfying entertainment, Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion spawned three sequels again starring Meiko Kaji, who became one of the most fascinating heroine in motion picture history. Here are some screen grabs that I hope can give you an idea of the impact of this unique universe:

During this time, Meiko began shooting another worthwhile series, the Lady Snowblood films, also where her singing voice can be heard for the main musical theme. With these works, she’s now considered one of the main female action movie stars of all time.
Next on our discussion on WiP will be the sequel, Female Convict Scorpion Jailhouse 41.