The Female Prisoner Scorpion film series is
the story of one woman’s wrath in a world that often abuses, misuses and
attempts to control her. Most of the series takes place in a prison setting but
the movies do shake things up by having main character Nami Matsushima make
multiple escapes across the four movies. The movies themselves are bolstered by
the special features on display.
Those looking for the movies to be made
pristine by today’s digital technology are going to be disappointed, the films
contains just as much grain as they ever did. The films also look as visually
spectacular as ever. Female Prisoner Scorpion takes a lot of its design ques
from Japanese theatre and often sets its tone using little more than colour and
light.
This approach is reflected in the character
of Nami. She speaks very little and actress Meiko Kaji has to rely almost
entirely on her facial expression to convey her characters feelings and
intentions. Under a lesser actress this approach might not have worked but
Meiko Kaji fully conveys her character’s fury and manages to turn her into
something truly terrifying. The plot may be a little thin in the movies but it
serves its job as a structure from which the cast and the crew can work. If
there is any one thing to complain about of the design it is that the appearance
of the gore has not held up at all since these movies were made (during the
early 70s). At one point during the first movie a prison warden suffers an attack
that results in one of his eyes being gouged, but it looks as if the man has had
his face smeared with play dough. Still, this is more of a nitpick than anything,
it doesn’t crop up much and it doesn’t detract from the effectiveness of the
overall design on display.
When examining collections like this one it
is important to mention the special features. Collections like these are made
to commemorate certain movies and it would be disappointing if the collection
didn’t come with a decent set of extras. The history of the movies and how they
were made are presented to viewers from a range of angles covering everything
from the personal to the academic. Each movie comes with two or three such
discussions and as a whole they are very comprehensive.
While certain aspects of the series may be
off putting to newcomers but Female Prisoner Scorpion as a whole is tense,
theatrical and imaginative. There may be
shock, but there is also genuine suspense. There is cruelty, but also compassion.
These may be exploitation movies but they don’t torment their characters
needlessly and are worth seeking out.
Special
features: Newly
filmed appreciation by filmmaker Gareth Evans (The Raid)/ Shunya Ito: Birth of
an Outlaw, an archive interview with the director/ Scorpion Old and New, a new
interview with assistant director Yutaka Kohira/ Theatrical Trailers for all
four films in the series/ Newly filmed appreciation by critic Kier-La Janisse/
Japanese cinema critic Jasper Sharp looks over the career of Shunya Ito/ Designing
Scorpion, a new interview with production designer Tadayuki Kuwana/ Original
Theatrical Trailer and Teaser/ Newly filmed appreciation by critic Kat Ellinger/
Shunya Ito: Directing Meiko Kaji, an archive interview with the director/ Unchained
Melody, a new visual essay by Tom Mes on the career of Meiko Kaji/ Original
Theatrical Trailer and Teaser/ Newly filmed appreciation by filmmaker Kazuyoshi
Kumakiri (Kichiku: Banquet of the Beasts)/ Yasuharu Hasebe: Finishing the Series,
an archive interview with the director/ Japanese cinema critic Jasper Sharp looks
over the career of Yasuharu Hasebe/ They Call Her Scorpion, a new visual essay by
Tom Mes on the film series/ Original Theatrical Trailer
FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION: THE COMPLETE
COLLECTION / CERT: 18 / DIRECTORS: SHUNYA ITO, YASUHARU HASEBE / SCREENPLAY:
VARIOUS / STARRING: MEIKO KAJI, RIE YOKOYAMA, FUMIO WATANABE / RELEASED: OUT
NOW 
