Summary:
The second entry in the Female Prisoner Scorpion series. After being locked in solitary confinement for a year, Matsu the Scorpion escapes with a van full of prisoners and flees across a surreal landscape.
My Thoughts:
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.
The first film ended with Matsu (Meiko Kaji, “Lady Snowblood”) getting her revenge on her ex-boyfriend, a corrupt detective whom had betrayed her, landing her in prison in the first place. After Matsu’s revenge, she returned to prison, where, we learn at the beginning of this film, she was kept bound in solitary confinement for a year as punishment for her actions. Shortly after this film begins, Matsu is released from solitary confinement, but is placed in a labor camp with other inmates. One day, when returning from the camp, Matsu strangles a guard and the others take control of the van. They decide to make a run for it, and set off across a surreal landscape, and the vicious prison warden follows behind.
So, I think one of the things liked most about this film was the way that it expanded Matsu’s world beyond the prison. In the first film, the places outside the prison that we do see seem to be relatively normal, but in this film, many of the exterior locations are actually built on sets and soundstages, giving everything a sort of surreal look. What makes the film even more surreal is the way that those surroundings will sometimes change to fit the moods of Matsu or the other prisoners; for example, there’s an almost dreamlike scene where Matsu receives a knife from an old woman, and the old woman vanishes, leaves kick up and the lighting changes. The way the scene plays out feels almost like Matsu receiving the blade has world-altering consequences, it’s like something out of legend, as if Matsu were not just some convict getting a knife from an old woman in the woods, but instead King Arthur receiving the fabled Excalibur from the Lady in the Lake.
There are so many fantastical moments in this film like the one I mentioned above that really just make the movie stand out. While the story is still relatively simple, it is made a bit more complex than the first by some of the characters that Matsu is traveling with. They are all convicts, and some of them are in prison for some pretty horrendous crimes, and the film details some of those crimes in some interesting stylized flashbacks.
I mentioned above that this film isn’t as violent or exploitative as the first film, and I’ll expound upon that a bit. I’ve watched the first film twice now, once showing it to my brother, and that second time through, I noticed just how much runtime was dedicated to assaulting/ raping Matsu- a fair amount of the film is spent degrading her, so that, when she finally rises up and strikes back, it feels very justified. As much as I enjoyed that first film, I do admit that it has some moments that are pretty rough, and this film, while it still has rough moments, is actually a bit tamer than the first film, a bit more artistic, and I’d say even a bit more accessible.
Verdict:
Matsu the Scorpion still has her sting, and I can’t wait to see the final entries: “Female Prisoner Scorpion: Beast Stable” and “Female Prisoner Scorpion: 701’s Grudge Song”.
End Note: Having watched all the entries in the FPS series, I have to say this one is my favorite. It’s the most artistic, and also still stylishly violent in an incredibly fun way.
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