Female Prisoner: Jailhouse 41

Title: Female Prisoner: Jailhouse 41
Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Starring: Meiko Kaji, Isao Natsuyagi, Kayoko Shiraishi
Director: Shunya Ito
Language: Japanese

Picking up where the last film left off, we return to the infamous Scorpion in the next instalment of the saga, chronicling her final escape from prison, this is one film that I can’t help but be a little disappointed by. Featuring a highly experimental style – most noticeable in the camera work – and what appeared to be a notably larger budget making itself known through the more lavish choices of set, effects and soundtrack, it was the summation of small issues that – despite the sensational open and closing for the film – became something of a nuisance, detracting from the end result.

Opening once more with the delectable Matsushima (Kaji), her frequent break out attempts earning her the punishment of being imprisoned deep underground for over a year until the day of the prison inspection, allowed to see daylight once again it isn’t long before she begins to stir up trouble once more, eventually escaping with six other convicts. On the run, they constantly try to evade recapture by the prison warden (Natsuyagi), the constant tension between each of the escaped convicts, each with there own dark past. One by one they fall prey to the traps lay before them, until only Matsushima remains

Once more Kaji brings to the screen a spirited performance as the powerful character of the prison scorpion, living up to her title in a glorious display of strength and violence. Where before we learnt more of her past, here we explore her own character tendencies, free from the prison at last; once again refusing to speak, her actions speak far louder than her words could, and incredibly she allows us to get into her mindset without uttering a word. Her abilities prove exceptional once more, and certainly aren’t the issue here, rather, it is the reliance on the poorly fleshed out support from her fellow escapees. Pasts hinted at, character development suggested but never really coming into its own, and unlike the instantly memorable ‘Katagiri’ from the previous film, no replacement emerges (except perhaps in the unconvincing Oba) and the resultant tension between them – whilst still present – fails to feel quite so ominous.

There are also experimental features that break from realism; using almost ‘star-trek’ like visual effects at one point, or similar sound effects during certain scenes of shock which whilst feeling appropriately cheesy in such films, felt somewhat confused in this situation; as if incapable of deciding whether to be serious or silly. There are also small issues regarding attention to detail; the occasional subtitle issue (whilst annoying, hardly made the film unwatchable) and the noticeable absence of gun recoil resulting in a sharp break from the realism shown before.

Despite this unfortunate jolt away from realism, the level of gratuitous gore does indeed pick up in pace; not necessarily in frequency but certainly in severity (people were complaining of the sexual organ mutilation in “Anti-Christ”? HAH. No wonder this film was banned in the US), perhaps setting the stage for the likes of ‘Ichi the Killer’ at times. Often with a slight ‘tongue in cheek,’ sense of humour that might do ‘Evil Dead’ fans proud, whilst the plot did slow down in pace towards the middle, and whilst there were bizarre elements to the experimental style used, this still remains an excellent film; with an opening that will have you bouncing in your seat and ending on an inevitable bittersweet high note, this is another fine addition to the series.