Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 (1972) User Reviews

Exploitation meets art-house.

[BA_Harrison · 8/10 · 19 June 2008]

Effortlessly cool, visually stylish, and brutally violent, Female Convict Scorpion Jailhouse 41, the sequel to Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion, opens with Meiko Kaji's Matsu locked in an underground cell, where she has been imprisoned by her vengeful one-eyed warden. However, after attacking the warden once again, she is taken to a quarry for some extreme punishment (strapped to a tree and gang-raped by three guards); it is here that she seizes her opportunity to escape, along with six other desperate women.

As the seven fugitives race for freedom though a barren Japanese landscape, they are closely pursued by the warden and his men, who are hell-bent on recapturing their prisoners.

Part shameless exploitation flick and part experimental art-house classic, this film has 'cult' stamped all over it: the film features plenty of scenes of rape, murder, and general gratuitous violence for those who enjoy extreme cinema, yet still finds time to include some amazing cinematography, a few wonderfully surreal and trippy hallucinogenic moments, and a beautiful haunting soundtrack. Something for everyone!

With a totally entrancing central performance by the beautiful Kaji, plus great support from the rest of the cast (especially the woman who plays the psycho child killer with the scarred stomach), Female Convict Scorpion Jailhouse 41 is an unmissable treat for fans of 70s Japanese cinema.

7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

Even less exploitive than the previous

[petermckn · 7/10 · 7 August 2016]

Considered by most as the pinnacle of the series Meiko Kaji revises her role as prisoner 701: scorpion. She has become a bit of legend in prison as she has been kept underground for over a year in solitary. The cycloptic warden ( whom blames her for the loss of his eye) is being promoted and has an example made of her consisting of 4 people raping her in front of the other prisoners. She is then transported to another prison with several other prisoners whilst on route they escape thus the story begins.

The film focus even more on the art-house area of the film with underlying themes of feminism, human rights and is quite psychedelic in parts which can be expected from an early 70s film. The nudity is toned down a lot but there is still enough violence and action to keep people entertained throughout and quite a few twists. Sasori speaks even less than in the previous film uttering only a few lines throughout the film. Its highly enjoyable and well written and beautifully shot i particularly liked the waterfall of blood which was done with practical effects and looks great it is quite similar to Suspiria in terms of lighting but I actually enjoy this more. so check it out if you haven't already.

Prisoner Scorpion: Django Edition

[jimniexperience · 8/10 · 1 May 2018]

The Western of the series; Scorpion breaks out of a prison van with six other girls and they're all on the run from newly promoted Inspector Goda. Their adventure takes them through wooded forests, cursed witches, stakeout cabins in mountains, rapists by the rapids, bus jacking, police shootouts, and a second breakout

Less boobage, more humiliation, dumber cops, less violence, more anime, still sexy, still bloody, still art-house

The CITIZEN KANE of crypto-post-feminist splatter movies

[itoll · 8 September 2000]

Meiko Kaji plays the title role, a stone-faced badass in the Man With No Name mode, in this bizarrely stylized adaptation of a popular _manga_, brimming over with gore, nudity, gratuitous sadism, bad-trip fantasy scenes, chain-fu, spoon-fu, dog-fu, bus-fu, anything-they-can-get-their-hands-on-fu, and more castration imagery than one can -- pardon the expression -- shake a stick at.

And I'm not even going to TRY to describe the musical numbers.

Truly this has to be seen to be believed, and even then it's going to take some effort.

Surreal Female Convicts' Road trip!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 11 March 2008]

The first film in this acclaimed Japanese exploitation cycle, entitled "Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion", literally perplexed me because it was such an atypical W.I.P accomplishment. It had a great story, a likable heroine character, stylish photography and - shockingly enough - only a minimal amount of nudity and perversion. The second entry in the series, entitled "Female Convict Scorpion: Jailhouse 41", actually astonished me even more! This time because it's such an atypical sequel. The formula of the original film clearly worked, so you would expect and even respect director Shunya Ito and his crew to embroider on the same successful elements, but they don't. In fact, the concept is completely different and easily the most innovative one ever used in a W.I.P film. Most of the action takes place outside the prisons' walls, during an escape that gradually changes into a wild and surreal 7-headed girl-power road trip across the desolate Japanese countryside. Seen from a certain viewpoint the script's drastic change of direction is actually rather logic, since the protagonist's engaging background story properly ended in part one. Scorpion successfully extracted her vengeance and returned to prison to serve a deserved sentence this time. But still, the completely alternative set-up is courageously ambitious and not just the story lines vastly changed, but nearly everything else as well, including atmosphere, imagery, editing, the depiction of violence and even the Matsu's entire persona! She now fully embodies bitterness and ferocity, which is masterfully illustrated through Ito's visionary direction. Matsu barely speaks five complete sentences during the whole film, yet her stares penetrate through the thickest skulls and she catches each suspicious sound in massive stereo. Since her virulent escapades, which even cost the headmaster's eye, Matsu spent the last year in a moist pit underneath the prison. She's allowed one day of daylight when a government inspector comes to visit and this is already enough for her to cause a major hoedown. Severe punishment ensues, but Matsu and six others manage to escape. Their journey turns into a crusade of retaliation against all (male) foes. The convicts' "road trip", if you can refer to it like that, is truly surreal and artsy and often nightmarishly macabre! They encounter a witch who eerily narrates the women's stories, rapists on tour, numerous abstract and depressing tableaux and – last but not least – collective hatred. Especially the vicious Oba battles Matsu for the honor of most respected jailbird. There's a lot of dreamy and addictive weirdness going on during the escape, but nonetheless the actual prison and revenge footage remains the best and most exciting. Both the opening and climax are tremendously brilliant, and even though everything in between is quite uniquely experimental and accomplished, it occasionally gets in the way of the good old exploitation themes. Meiko Kaji's performance is once again marvelous and she receives excellent support from Kayoko Shiraishi (who's overacting actually works) as Oba and Fumio Watanabe as the sadist head warden. Great stuff!

A beautiful assault on the senses in both story and images

[freakus · 9/10 · 19 January 2001]

I think the substance of the story has been well described by others already but the look of the film has only been hinted at. It's a wonderfully psychotic vision, I often sat there thinking "Where the heck is the camera? How did they get that angle?". The opening shots of Matsu and the warden in her cell were simply incredible. Throughout the film there are surreal interruptions of the narrative in a "Theatrical" style where the location turns into an obvious backdrop and the lighting becomes more intrusive. These scenes usually highlight what's happening behind the eyes of the silent Matsu.

I won't give it away, but near the end of the movie there is a transition between shots that is so incredible and unexpected that the audience broke out into applause just for a TRANSITION! If you are a fan of surreal film or 60's/70's psycho-cinema you owe it to yourself to seek out this film. It is available on DVD now as well.

Female Prisoner Scorpion, Take Two

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 25 July 2016]

Matsu, known to the prisoners as Scorpion, is locked away in the bowels of the prison as revenge for disrupting the smooth operation of the prison and for her disfiguring attack on the warden. Granted a one day reprieve due to the visit of a dignitary, she takes advantage and attacks the warden again. This leads to more brutal punishment and humiliation. But the punishment gives her an opportunity to escape along with six other female prisoners.

Jasper Sharp notes that while the 1970s were full of women in prison films all around the world, the Scorpion films were "far better made and far less exploitative, and adopting an almost fantastical approach to the material". He also notes that this second part, interestingly enough, spends a great deal of time outside of the prison.

There is is a definite shift from the first film. We still get a sense of color, letting us know the director actually cared. But we also have the exploitation angle toned down a bit. If you're counting the naked bodies, you will notice they have decreased sharply this time around. Whether that makes this a better film is open to debate, but it indicates the people involved believed they had something to sell besides naked bodies.

Visually exciting...

[carrienations · 10/10 · 29 April 2001]

I was fortunate to see this film on the big screen and I was very impressed with the cinematography. There isn't much character development, but the simmering hatred between Scorpion and a rival inmate creates significant tension. Those who enjoy Eastwood's "man with no name" films, other unusual Japanese films from the same time period (Black Tight Killers, Ecstasy of the Angels, etc.) will find this interesting... my only caveats have to do with the rape scenes, which for some reason often find their way into offbeat Japanese films. Some of the scenes aren't entirely fulfilling... at times I wished for more (unbelievably) violence so the characters are more fully able to avenge themselves. Some of the editing is a little awkward, but there are a few scenes that have breathtaking cinematography... particularly in the hut toward the end of the film where the camera focuses on Scorpion as the contents of the hut rotate around her... and the amazing transition "dream" scene on the bus. Great stuff... I thoroughly enjoyed it. Will be buying on DVD....

___________________________________________________________________

I wrote that review in 2001, but thought I'd add a comment four years later. This film has worked it's way into my subconscious and has become one of my all-time favorites. Not only do I own the U.S. DVD, but the Japanese Region 2 as well (the print quality is much higher... no English subtitles, though). I have since seen all four of the Sasori films, and this film (Joshuu sasori: Dai-41 zakkyo-bô), the second in the series, is the best one.

Ramen Western

[dave13-1 · 7/10 · 19 July 2008]

Another Sergio Leone influenced film in which the protagonist is the sort of character who would traditionally be a villain - a steely eyed, unsmiling killer (lead actress Meiko comes off like a female Charles Bronson) - who happens to be the only principled person in the film's bleak landscape of casual, opportunistic violence. In fact, the whole setting reads like an allegory for the breakdown of moral responsibility: authority figures are motivated not by honor or a desire for justice but by petty revenge. And out of this world (the prison) the main character escapes into something worse: the real world!

Tatantinoesque? This is from 1972: Tarantino is Joshuu sasori-esquire!

[JFrawley032759 · 9/10 · 4 February 2007]

It is unfortunate, but nearly unavoidable, that what is innovative and successful will be copied until new viewers find the original unchallenging or even imitative of the successive work they have already viewed. Tarantino has been entirely forthright in acknowledging his debts to the innovators in this and other genres. The primary difference between the approaches of this film and Tarantino's "tributes" is that these intend very little irony or parody, while his work is hyper-aware of such things. I think it is important to view the Scorpion films in the proper context: They are excellently produced potboilers which are very pleasing, and their use of Meiko Kaji as an unapologetically aggressive and vengeful woman looking out for herself, while praiseworthy today, was particularly innovative 35 years ago.

A superior sequel

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 19 November 2017]

JAILHOUSE 41 is the second of the FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION films and sees Meiko Kaji returning to the role of Matsu, a prisoner dominated and abused by both prison guards and her jealous, vengeful peers. I found this to be a superior film to the first, because the story is more action dominated and there's more backside-kicking from the empowered females rather than endless torture and humiliation.

There's a jailbreak at the film's outset and the rest of the narrative follows the plight of a bunch of women on the run. They encounter various sadistic men and usually end up getting the upper hand over them, while all the while the authorities close in behind them. The film boasts incredibly stylish direction with some really outlandish scenes - the psychedelic bit where they meet the weird old woman being a personal favourite moment. The violence comes thick and fast and is exceptionally gruesome in places, but the writer never loses track of the psychological of his characters, making this a film loaded with a gritty realism.

More than decent follow up to the masterpiece original

[The_Void · 9/10 · 21 January 2008]

I saw the fantastic Female Prisoner #701 Scorpion recently and was thoroughly impressed by it. Jailhouse #41 is the first sequel to said masterpiece and sees the successful reunion of director Shunya Ito and star Meiko Kaji. I'm guessing that the first film was a big success in its native Japan (and rightly so) as the pair obviously wasted no time in making this sequel, seeing as it was released the very same year! The two films have obvious similarities and follow something like the same plot formula, but the two couldn't be much different in terms of style as while the first film was your 'by the book' women in prison flick, this one takes a more risky approach! The film starts as the last one left off with a scene that sees our heroine Matsu (a.k.a. Scorpion) being tortured by the merciless prison guards - lead by the one eyed guard that Matsu had a hand in disfiguring in the first film. She's brought out of the dungeon to attend the visit of a high ranking official, but after a riot breaks out, Matsu takes her chance to escape along with six other prisoners...

As was the case with the first film, this one excellently straddles the line between trash and art. The story and the action is largely very sleazy, but it's shot in such an artful way that you'd be forgiven for thinking otherwise. The sleaze comes mostly by way of character actions and violence rather than nudity - of which there is very little. The film is not as bloody as the first film either, though the focus here seems to be more on surreal hallucinations and the film features plenty! I'm undecided as to how much I liked this element of the film, although the hallucination sequences are largely very memorable and serve in giving the film its own unique style. Meiko Kaji excellently steps back into her role, and this time she is required to look daggers more often and speak less often as she has very few words in the film. She fits the role like a glove, however, and is easily one of the main standouts of the film. The revenge theme goes on throughout once again, and climaxes well (although familiarly) at the end. Overall, I can't say that I liked this film as much as the original; but it's certainly a good follow up and comes recommended to anyone who enjoyed the first in the series.

Ridiculous

[sas-18 · 1/10 · 17 April 2006]

I just watched this on DVD (which IMDb doesn't seem to know is available) as I've become a big fan of Kaji Meiko. I enjoyed Lady Snowblood, and the first movie in the "prison" series. But this movie is a hack job. There is no sensible plot, the editing is beyond shoddy, and the acting consists almost entirely of staring (by Kaji), or hysterical screaming (by everyone else). There are apparently a few "dream" sequences that suddenly appear early in the movie without any obvious connection to the story. Sometimes the scenery changes from rocks and dirt, to leafy greenery, to red leaves in the course of about 30 seconds.

There's not a shred of explanation given why the warden hates the main character enough to abuse her so much. Nothing about why the other prisoners hang out with her, but seem to hate her too. Kaji's character says her first line at about 80 minutes into the movie, and her last line at 81 minutes. Not counting the soundtrack, which she sings most of.

I didn't expect much from a cheap women-in-prison exploitation flick, but this film would barely be a passable effort by a high-school film class.

Second Entry in the "FEMALE SCORPION" series...

[EVOL666 · 8/10 · 22 February 2006]

FEMALE CONVICT SCORPION: JAILHOUSE 41 - the sequel to the equally excellent FEMALE PRISONER #701: SCORPION - is another winner in the 70's Japanese exploit-style genre. I have yet to see one of these type film that I didn't like, and at this point I've seen a pretty good amount. There's something about this era in Japanese exploitation cinema (and exploitation cinema from other areas as well...) that is so refreshing. Along with having fun, sleazy, violent, sexy story lines and characters - there is still a real emphasis on QUALITY cinematography and storytelling that is lacking from a lot of modern shot-on-video, micro-budget, "underground" and exploitation films. This added dimension gives these 70's films a quality of "respectability" and seriousness, despite usually containing some pretty off-the-wall subject matter...

FEMALE CONVICT continues the tale of Matsu (aka Scorpion by the other prisoners and guards)- a hard-ass, unbreakable inmate who's short on words and long on action, and has a penchant for violence and creative jailbreak. In this installment, Scorpion has been in the "hole" for a year since we last saw her in the FEMALE PRISONER film. A prison Official is coming to check up on the prison Warden (the guy that Scorpion stabbed in the eye in the last film) - so they decide to dust Scorpion off as the prison Official wants to do a meet-and-greet with the convicts. This doesn't turn out to be such a great idea, because even in her weakened state Scorpion is still a formidable foe, and attacks the warden. This leads to a riot, and of course Scorpion is blamed for the disturbance. As punishment, Scorpion is subjected to a public gang-raping from some of the other prison guards. Afterward, during a prison transfer, Scorpion and six other prisoners cause a disturbance that inadvertently allows them to escape. Taking refuge in a small abandoned village, the group tries to remain one step ahead of the warden and his henchmen. Here we get a little background on the other prisoners - including a particularly nutty broad who is in prison for drowning one of her children and performing a harakiri-abortion on her other unborn child. Scorpion and this chick don't get along so well, and the tension between the two is palpable. Continuing their trek, the group have a run-in with a group of traveling businessmen on a bus - and problems arise when one of the girls is raped and accidentally killed. The girls hijack the bus and the occupants and continue on their run from the law. At a road-block, Crazy-Harakiri-Lady throws Scorpion off the bus as a diversion, but ends up being cornered by the cops anyway. Scorpion tells the cops that the hostages on the bus were all killed (which isn't true...) which prompts a shoot-out between the cops and the hijackers. Scorpion is carted BACK to jail - but a bungled attempt to kill her in transit to the jailhouse offers her ANOTHER chance for escape. Free again, Scorpion exacts revenge on the sinister prison warden in much the same fashion as the end scene of the first film...

There's all kinds of stuff going on in FEMALE CONVICT. The storyline is solid, the acting is good, cinematography is excellent - everything that I love about this genre of films is present. This entry is a little more "stylized" that the previous, with a few trippy dream sequences thrown in. This doesn't impact the film negatively - in fact, they're kinda cool - it just gives FEMALE CONVICT a little less straight-forward feel then FEMALE PRISONER. Overall - another winner for fans of such films as SEX AND FURY, FEMALE YAKUZA TALE, LADY SNOWBLOOD, of course FEMALE PRISONER #701: SCORPION, or pretty much any 70's era Japanese pinky/exploit-style films. 8.5/10

Dark, Grim and Surreal

[jmaruyama · 17 September 2000]

If looks could kill, then Meiko Kaji would win hands down. The Toei Series Joshu Sasori (aka Female Convict Scorpion) is based on a 70's comic series which ran in the Japanese Adult Manga Magazine Big Comics. Joshu Sasori Dai 41 Zakkyobou (Female Convict Scorpion-Jailhouse 41) is the second movie of the series (Kaji would star in two additional sequels). Matsu (Meiko Kaji) is the Scorpion of the title and is the near silent heroine of the movie. In classic Japanese exploitation fashion she is subjected to all sorts of cruelty and punishment at the hands of a sadistic prison warden and his equally sinister underlings. Matsu as we learn in narration was wrongly imprisoned and must fight to survive and escape imprisonment. During the course of the movie She joins a gang of other female convicts and escapes from prison. The gang creates all sorts of violent mayhem with Matsu silently watching on. Very bloody, grim and violent, Jailhouse 41 is atypical of the violent, sexploitation movies Toei released during the '70s. Directory Shunya Ito presents the movie in a surreal narrative that is both haunting and inventive. Kaji is captivating as the heroine although her character allows little for her to develop. For those who are fans of girls-in-prison movies this may be your cup of tea. On the other hand for those who are wanting more story and character development you might be better served to avoid this.

Amazingly Beautiful and Funny... Evil Dead meets Stalag-17

[Tom-116 · 8/10 · 22 November 2000]

It's difficult to describe a movie like Female Convict Scorpion Jailhouse 41. First let me say that I saw it in a film class that concentrates on the visual styles of several films. In this same class I have seen Touch of Evil and several other "classics." I was amazed to see that this film only had 6 votes(7 including mine), so I had to add my own comment.

This film is masterfully shot in a classic Japanese style that emphazises color and full use of the widescreen presentation. The film also has a bit of a campiness to it that adds a flavor that is unusual for a foreign film. Most foreign films that are thought of as being campy usually are just not well done. This is not the case with Female Convict Scorpion Jailhouse 41. The campiness that I refer to is the same campiness that has made the Evil Dead series such a success. Exaggeration of many shots and the characters themselves.

The story itself is very unique, following a group of escape female convicts lead by an awesome character named Scorpion. The filmmakers gave her a near godlike respect when shooting her, and she is very well developed even though she doesn't speak. She doesn't speak because she knows that actions speak louder than words.

Anyway, I highly recommend this film for anyone who is a fan of foreign films, and I also recommend it to those who like stories based on comic books. I believe that this film is based on a series of Japanese comics; it is put together like a comic book, so it is obvious that many shots and the story are out of this world, as movies such as The Matrix have proved to the main-stream audience.

Best of the Series

[truemythmedia · 8/10 · 18 February 2020]

I was such a huge fan of "Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion" that I went out and bought the Arrow Boxset with all four films, and I've been burning my way through this series rather quickly. You have to keep in mind that these films are exploitation movies, and as such, they have plenty of sleazy and ridiculous moments. While this film isn't as violent or exploitative as the first film, it's actually a lot more interesting as far as some of the artistic flourishes and visuals go, and the story is a bit more original than your average revenge flick, which was essentially what the first film was. I found myself really enjoying how Shun'ya Ito expanded the world he created in the first film, and though this entry wasn't as action packed (something I usually look for in exploitation movies), I found myself more attached to Matsu and the other convicts' characters than I ever expected I would.

Incredible!

[BandSAboutMovies · 10/10 · 19 March 2019]

"You're a beautiful flower" - his words flatter you today

But once you're in full bloom, he'll just toss you away.

Foolish, foolish, foolish woman's song.

Her song of vengeance.

"Sorrow is my fate."

So you've given up on men.

Show him your tears and he'll bring you grief again.

Tearful, tearful, tearful woman's song.

Her song of vengeance.

A bright red rose has thorns that you might not see.

I don't want to pierce you, but how else will I get free?

Burning, burning, burning woman's song.

Her song of vengeance.

With these words, we have returned to the world of Female Prisoner #701 Scorpion. When we first see our heroine, Nami Matsushima (Meiko Kaji, truly the queen of all revenge movies), she is bound and stuck in solitary confinement, but her eye stares directly at us, the viewer. It is not a look of sadness or fear. It is a look that this jail is temporary, as are all things, and as we hear the scraping of metal against concrete, we notice the spoon between her teeth being turned into a shiv.

Inspector Goda, the warden of the prison that Matsushima, or Matsu the Scorpion, walked back into in the last film is due to be promoted to a higher position. As another inspector comes to the jail, he brings Matsu out of confinement so that she may be inspected. Of course, this is when our heroine attacks, scratching his face and inciting a riot.

The punishment? Four guards are sent to brutally assault Matsu and then she and six other inmates are sent to a labor camp. On the way, the six women beat Matsu mercilessly. The guards are told that she may be dead, so when they stop the van, they're shocked. She's still alive and the women murder the guards and blow the van up.

As the women escape, they reveal their crimes to one another. Oba discovered that her husband was unfaithful, so she drowned their son and stabbed herself, which led to her killing their unborn child.

Then, an old woman with a dagger shows up and the further crimes of the gang are shown as the old woman gives Scorpion her blade before dying and turning into leaves that blow away in the wind! I love that the Scorpion films can seemingly be based in reality in one moment and then become strange art films with no warning at all.

After stealing clothes and hiding in an abandoned home, the prisoners wait for nightfall. One of them, Haru, finds her own home and son, but is found by two of the jailers. They offer her freedom if she reveals where the others are. Matsu kills one of the guards, but one of the convicts is also killed and the other guard makes his way back to Inspector Goda.

A tour bus passes through the same area and everyone is warned that the convicts are on the loose. That doesn't make three of the men on the bus any less leering and lecherous. They end up finding one of the convicts, who they assault and throw into the river for dead. The other girls find her body and attack the bus, holding everyone hostage while taking their revenge on the three men.

As they approach a police checkpoint, the de facto gang leader Oba throws Scorpion out of the bus. The roadblock also has Haru's son on it, so she runs toward him and is killed by a sniper. Oba and the convicts kill the bus driver and plow through the roadblock. However, the police soon corner them and Goda sends Scorpion to learn of the hostages' status.

She lies and states that everyone is dead, so the police attack. The women throw the three evil men outside, who are all killed by police bullets. Everyone except Oba is killed. As the police capture both her and Scorpion, they plan to kill our heroine on the way back to the prison. Oba saves her and gives up her life, finally freeing Scorpion.

Inspector Goda has been promoted and is now in the city, where Scorpion finally tracks him down. She repeatedly stabs him and her dagger is passed to the ghosts of all the convicts, who pass it back and forth as they run wild through the streets.

Made just months after the original, this film posits that Scorpion spent an entire year in solitary confinement, just waiting for her revenge. Well, she gets it. She might have to go through hell, but she gets it.

Meiko Kaji is, of course, beyond amazing in this film. She made 26 movies between 1970 and 1972, which is some feat of endurance that I don't see many capable of doing these days. In each of these, she often faced excruciating scenes of torture and emotional pain, yet she never loses her dignity nor willingness to come back and decimate all in her path. In 1973, she'd make two more Scorpion films and Lady Snowblood, so it wasn't like she was about to slow down any time soon.

I love that despite the antics of the gang of women, Scorpion remains separate from them. Her goal throughout is her own solitary revenge and whatever it takes to get it.

The final scenes, where we go from Scorpion staying with Oba as she dies in a garbage dump to her finally tracking down Doga in the city are beyond amazing. Her vengeance is such that even the screen can't contain it, as she slices through the fourth wall and splits it asunder. The once powerful man has become weakness in Scorpion's arms, as she has assumed her true form, the black-clad destroyer of worlds, as she repeatedly stabs him without expression. Only when his false eye falls out and we see inside it do we get to watch her laugh and smile as she leads the women's spirits out of death and through the streets. It brought tears of joy to my eyes. Such a pure moment of cinema!

Heavy Use of Symbolism

[Uriah43 · 4/10 · 7 February 2015]

In this sequel to "Female Prisoner #701-Scorpion", the inmate known as "Matsu" (Meiko Kaji ) has been captured after her escape and placed into a harsh isolated confinement by the warden. However, due to the arrival of an inspector she is allowed to make one brief appearance outside of her jail cell. She uses this opportunity to attack the warden and cause a riot among the prisoners after which she is tortured and then raped. Although humiliated and thoroughly despised by everybody she continues to endure and nurses her hatred for the day when she will be given a chance to obtain her revenge. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was an artistic "Women-in-Prison" film unlike anything else in the genre. Unfortunately, the heavy use of symbolism severely clashed with reality and in my opinion this caused the film to lose much of its credibility. In essence then, I would have preferred that it stayed more in line with the standard format. That said, although this certainly isn't a bad movie necessarily, I still have to call it like I see it. Slightly below average.

Wow

[mmushrm · 8/10 · 5 May 2011]

Meiko Kaji rocks as the Scorpion.

This movie is great. I am watching this in 2011, 39 years after it came out and I am still entertained and think its awesome. Wonder where Tarantino gets his ideas and visuals from? Its movies like these.

This movie is a mix of art and exploitation. The visuals and lighting are very well done. Some of the shots made me go "wow". The acting by Kaji aka Matsu/Scorpion is great. She says nothing until the 72minute of the movie and those 6words are the only words she speaks throughout.

Story is rather formulaic (especially in 2011) but its a visually good and exciting movie. I highly recommend.

Just that look

[christopher-underwood · 8/10 · 14 November 2018]

Second in the series and another extreme and eventful exploitation film with much imaginative innovation. I feel the first one is just a bit more outrageous and more focused but this is certainly exciting both in its action and in the way the camera and editing suite are used. Maybe the sequence on the coach is a little drawn out but then you wouldn't want to loose the surreal scenes of trampled naked bodies. Wild and brave film making with another excellent performance from Meiko Kaji, although come to think of it, I don't think she says very much. Just that look.

The Second, And Most Surreal "Sasori" Film - Ingenious!

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 10/10 · 2 February 2008]

After beginning the brilliant "Sasori" series starring the great Meiko Kaji, with "Joshuu 701-gô: Sasori" in 1972, director Shunya Ito carried on to make this first sequel, "Joshuu Sasori: Dai-41 zakkyo-bô" aka. "Female Convict Scorpion Jailhouse 41", which comes very close to the brilliance of the first part. "Sasori: Jailhouse 41", as it is called where i live, is easily the most surreal of all Sasori films. As the first part, this is THE perfect proof that it is possible to make Exploitation and Art-house cinema at the same time. Brutal and beautiful, sleazy and visually stunning, full of violence as well as full of symbolism, "Jailhouse 41" is another true gem of Exploitation-Art.

After disrupting a prison ceremony, which was to impress a government official, Female prisoner 701, Nami Matsushima aka. "Sasori" (Meiko Kaji) is tortured and abused even heavier than usual on behalf of the sadistic Inspector Goda (Fumio Watanbe). Sasori endures the torture with her usual stamina, and takes the first chance to escape with six other female prisoners...

As the first film, "Jailhouse 41" is again very violent. This film, however, is by far the most surreal of the entire series. Brutal tortures, murders and rapes are featured as well as visually stunning artistic elements, symbolism, and dream-like sequences. The stunningly beautiful Meiko Kaji is once again brilliant in her role of Sasori, I simply lack the words to express my admiration for this wonderful actress. Fumio Watanbe is also excellent and wonderfully sadistic as Inspector Goda. The rest of the performances are also great, especially the women who play the six other escapees are very good in their roles. As the first part and the sequels to follow, the main theme song is the iconic "Urami-Bushi", which Kaji, who is not only a brilliant actress but also a wonderful singer, sings herself.

Personally, I still prefer the first "Sasori" film, and the third part "Joshuu sasori: Kemono-beya" aka. "Female Prisoner Scorpion: Beast Stable" (1973), which is arguably the best of them all. However, "Jailhouse 41" is doubtlessly a masterpiece too, and there probably little point in arguing which of these fantastic films is No. 1. The entire "Sasori" series is an absolutely outstanding highlight of exploitation cinema, and "Jailhouse 41" is ingenious in every aspect. This is a must-see for my fellow fans of Exploitation cinema and Art-house cinema alike, and a cinematic highlight that is highly recommendable to all lovers of cult-cinema!

A decent sequel to the first Scorpion film

[mevmijaumau · 7 August 2016]

Meiko Kaji returns as Nami Matsushima aka Scorpion, this time singing two theme songs (one of them being the classic "Urami bushi") and saying only two lines of dialogue, continuing to suffer abuse and humiliation only to slaughter everybody with her knife. Jailhouse 41 is the second film in the Scorpion series, way more surreal than the first one (also directed by Shunya Ito).

This film has far less nudity and seemingly lower production values than the first one, but it's a bit more violent in comparison. The story takes place mostly outside the prison but it isn't anything special. Matsu escapes with six more convicts and is trailed by the vengeful warden whose eye she has stabbed in the first film. The dialogues could've been better, and I really don't understand why the other inmates hate her in this film. The surreal sequences are hit-or- miss. Some of them, like the waterfalls in a national park (?) turning red after a corpse is thrown into the water, are pretty memorable, while others, like the part where they come across an old woman who sings their backstories in the "He Had It Comin'" from the movie "Chicago" fashion, before dying, making Autumn come prematurely and getting buried with leaves, are just baffling.

Some of the supporting characters include the two guards from the first film, the slightly Mexican one and the slightly nerdy one, who serve as second-to-final bosses. There's also a busful of rapey tourists, some of them being WWII veterans who brag about having raped women in Manchuria, which makes this one of the rare films to mention Japanese war crimes in Manchuria. The final scene has one of the coolest screen transitions I've seen; Matsu simply slices the screen in half and moves to a different location.

The story to this film is a lot weaker than the one in the first film, and there is some awkward editing, but it's still entertaining and worth a watch.

The Female Prisoner Scorpion series:Part 2: Jailhouse 41.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 10/10 · 19 September 2019]

Since catching the first FPS (also reviewed),I've been keen to return to the franchise,but had to keep pushing it back due to offline things. Shoving everything else to the side,I got set to glance at the scorpion again.

View on the film:

Unlike the first film, Eureka present an unbelievably poor transfer.Clearly a VHS rip,the hard English subtitles don't translate scenes where songs are sung, and the image is studded with blotches and black lines.

Opening by looking down into the solitary confinement pit Matsu has been in for a year, returning co-writer/(with Fumio Konami and Hiro Matsuda) director Shun'ya Ito returns to the series he made his debut on,and with debuting cinematographer Masao Shimizu takes the outline of the prison sentence in the first,and extends it into the truly startling. Tracking Matsu and her fellow six convicts on the run from cops across a mountain wilderness which leaves them standing out like figures in a landscape, Ito and Shimizu lock the blunt-force violence of the WIP genre behind bars of hyper-stylisation surrealism, exploding with waves of ravishing colours weaving a fantasy atmosphere (!) hitting in bullet shots of blistering blues,oranges and reds peaking at the past of Matsu's fellow convicts, all captured in bewitching rolling Dutch angles, shotgun-fired whip-pans/first person take-downs,and surrealist dissolves.

For a genre not known for being subtle, the writers slice their WIP adaptation of Tooru Shinohara's Manga with a distinctively raw feminist cut, via a focus on the plight of Matsu and her fellow convicts, whilst turning the (all-male) hard-nosed cops and guards of the first film into mocked, weakly minded, attempted rulers of their lives. Speaking just five words in the whole film, returning Meiko Kaji gives an immense performance as Matsu, bringing out in her simmering body language and downcast face the hurt, but still resilient spirit of Matsu to attack the guards with her scorpion sting.

Not sure what this movie is trying to be..

[JoeB131 · 5/10 · 24 April 2022]

... and neither are they, I think. I guess it's one in a series.

Some parts of it look like a typical women in prison series of movies that were very popular in the 1970's. All that was missing was Pam Grier playing either a prisoner or a sadistic guard. But other parts of the movie had supernatural elements, which were also strangely out of place.

So the titular Prisoner Scorpion is released from solitary, where I assume is where she ended up in the last movie. She takes the opportunity to attack the warden and inspire a riot, which causes her to be raped in front of the other prisoners.

She and six other prisoners escape in probably the most half-baked escape plan ever, which involves the authorities using the child of one prisoner as bait, and busload of hostages.

You should never go into a Japanese movie expecting it to make sense.