Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 (2000)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

The second film in a series of Japanese exploitation features, this regales us with the further adventures of a sexy young female convict named Matsu (Meiko Kaji), who's earned the nickname "Scorpion", as well as awe and admiration from her fellow prisoners. One day, she and six others are being transported, and they seize a chance for escape.More of a "criminals on the run" picture than a "women in prison" feature, this is wonderfully trashy, with depravity and gore galore. (Although the unaware should know there isn't much nudity, and it's largely male nudity.) The seven gals on the run are an interesting bunch, and in one musical sequence, we learn the nature of their crimes, and see that they're not all THAT bad, most of them, and garner more sympathy than their lawmen nemeses. Their tale is somewhat episodic, as, among other things, they encounter a sickly old woman, come across an abandoned settlement, take a bus full of hostages, and attempt to punish some horny tourists / rapists.This is a very stylish film, and people will marvel at the sharp "dutch angles" used by the filmmakers, and the various oppressive visuals. The finale, in particular, taking place on a garbage heap, deserves credit for being rather unusual. Director Shun'ya Ito proves to be a master of atmosphere right from the beginning, as we see what it is like for Matsu as she does her time in solitary. The music by Shunsuke Kikuchi is also noteworthy, as it is accompanied by plaintive singing.The acting is right on the money, with gorgeous Kaji making for a compelling central figure, stoic and already hardened by experience. She does receive some heavy competition from some of her co-stars, though.Certain to appeal to cult film fans for its balancing act of arty and trashy elements.Eight out of 10.

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.

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!

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.