Colibel Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Leofwine_draca FEMALE PRISONER #701: SCORPION is the first film in the cult series of women in prison films from Japan. This outing is an eclectic mix of exploitation values, with all of the inmates appearing nude with some frequency, and a plot that involves heady doses of sadism both on the part of the guards and the sadistic inmates. There are debts of inspiration to COOL HAND Luke in the escape attempts and the rivalry inside the prison, but this is very much a Japanese film with nods at both the pinku and yakuza genres.The violence is hard-hitting and well-handled, and the pacing picks up towards the climax for some satisfyingly vengeful mayhem. I think my favourite sequence is the one where a rival prisoner goes crazy; the sequence is shot with the lighting of a lurid horror tale and ends with a scene of startling violence. Meiko Kaiji deserves plaudits for her intense turn as Matsu the Scorpion, and would dominate the 1970s with leads in this series as well as the LADY SNOWBLOOD and STRAY CAT ROCK franchises.

fertilecelluloid What's fascinating about the Scorpion (Meiko Kaji) character is her strength and resilience. She is not a traditional superhero with supernatural powers. She is a patient woman who doesn't forget. Her enemies are driven crazy by her incredible resilience. They can only wait in a state of misery for her inevitable revenge. This is the first "Female Prisoner 701" film and it's an exploitation classic. It provides standard WIP staples such as lesbianism, female nudity, cold brutality and escape sequences, but it rises to peaks way above its ilk because of its dazzling, theatrical surrealism and stunning lead performance. There is an extended torture sequence in which Scorpion is scalded by a hot light bulb while suspended; director Shunya Ito's staging of this is a testament to his rich, visual imagination and pitch black sense of humor. The reasons for Scorpion's imprisonment are detailed here, as are the origins of her personal conflict with prison authorities. A surreal, wild ride.

JoeKarlosi 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 ****

KuRt-33 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".