The Film (4/5)

A troubled ex-prostitute turned barkeeper falls head over heels for a down-on-his-luck singer named Kenichi.  Romanced by his singing voice and his youthfulness, she ponies up cash against her bar to fund his self-made record and places her trust into the empty promises of a violent junky who said he would introduce the album to his record producing friends.  After splurging her money on drugs and then attempting to rape her, she murders him with a skull-cracking bash over the head while in the violent scuffle.  The rest of her days are spent in a woman’s prison with aggressively territorial and intimately withdrawn inmates and as the longing for her young Kenichi motivates her survival, she is given hope when word from the outside that Kenichi is now a well-known and famous singer.  When she escapes with another inmate during an uprising skirmish, she quickly realizes that being out is a lot more dangerous than confined with estrogen angst, even when coming face-to-face with her past lover.

“Female Prisoner 101: Suck” has a very peculiar, if not eye-catching, title.  Known also as Joshuu 101:  Shaburi, in its native Japanese, the experienced pink director Koyo Ohara (director of “Zoom Up: Rape Site” and “Sins of Sister Lucia”) helms the second of two in a title only related film series.  The 1977 pinku-sploitation is more violent and shocking than overly kinky as conventional pink films tend to be, but Ohara’s has a prose like a Shakespearn tragedy in the life-trodden female prisoner 101.  “Fairy in a Cage’s” Seiji Matsuoka’s first screenplay is a remarkable, and compulsively sexy, first impression that courses through a once promiscuous woman’s string of misfortune and when she’s finally able to achieve a brief moment of relived happiness, dredging through her unscrupulous past, the sexual assault, the inmate-on-inmate violence, adversity strikes again…hard.

“Flower and Snake’s” Naomi Tani epitomizes the titular role of complete and utter tragedy while still delivering a full-bodied sexual intoxication.  Tani has a great body that can speak for itself, but the Fukuoka born actress has a face for television; Tani can convey a hardship scene with her piercing eyes and stoic structured face.  She's joined by "Angel Guts High School Co-Ed's" Tokuko Watanabe as a saucier, more aggressive, contrast whose hot for the feminine snatch.  Th two are forced to make quick amends upon their escape from prison and defend themselves in the outside world.  Michio Murakami plays in the middle of it all; the lover emitting an unbreakable connection with prisoner 101.  Tani and Murakami's sweaty embrace reflect the passion than overcomes any humiliating deviance from those you couple. Murakami is a good enough actor for the role, but a little weak compared to the two strong actresses baring all for an exploitive feature. 

What's curious about "Female Prisoner 101: Suck" is not the title itself, but rather the perception of men.  The men featured are a poor excuse of an example of such, being degenerate scum from rapists, treacherous murderers, and even go as far as conducting some necrophilia.  Yup, one guy has sex with a dead chick he just strangled.  The Impulse DVD's back cover description suggest the prison guards are "violent," but thats misleading as the guards were genuinely portrayed as atypical guardians of a prison.  No real essence is expressed from the male characters; they're either severe lowlifes or mindless blue collars.  The women have the power despite being the victims of men and being behind bars guarded by them.  Their voluptuous and sensual bodies have more influence, driving men crazy to the state of the simple animal. 

Audio/Video (2/5)

"Female Prisoner 101: Suck" comes courtesy of Impulse Pictures who presents the title on DVD as part of the Nikkatsu Erotic Films Collection.  The feature is presented in a rare 2:1 aspect ratio, more common in the early 1990s and later, and not so much in the mid-to-late 1970s.  However, straight off the back cover, is a Lego sized box stating, "while the video master provided by Nikkatsu Films for Female Prisoner 101: Suck was not up to our usual standards of quality, Impluse Pictures feel it is an important film that should be seen by the fans.  Nikkatsu Films did not provide us with any better quality master materials for the feature."  Impulse is right, the master isn't great.  Its like watching the film through the mesh screen of a screen door with a consistent fuzziness and blotchy night time scenes.  The coloring, during the entire 71 minute runtime, is a bit washed cause of this very issue.

The Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 mono track with English subtitles is fair considering the master video difficulties.  No imperfections were detected and the levels are well balanced with dialogue upfront.  The newly translated and optional subtitles sync well with the action and didn't show any obvious typos and grammar mistakes. 

Extras (0/5)

There are no extras included.

Overall

Koyo Ohara's "Female Prisoner 101: Suck" is an important film for the fans, as stated by Impulse Pictures.  The unique parallelism to classical work is evident and also flatteringly compassionate.  Naomi Tani is memorizing with a mile long stare and inviting softy dirty pillows to go with them.  Perhaps not as sexually charged and gratuitous as other pink films, but the Ohara film basks in a captivating women in prison narrative with undeniable sexy parts along the way.  Recommended.