TRUE STORY OF A WOMAN IN JAIL: SEX HELL
(1975)
D. Koyu Ohura
D. Koyu Ohura
This is the second release in the
Impulse Pictures line of Nikkatsu Romano Porno releases after the
intense and outrageous DEBAUCHERY. This one is not as outright
bugfuck crazy as that one, but still manages to climb some heights of
sexuality that are unseen in American product, so it will hit the
spot for sleaze fans. But what SEX HELL does indeed offer is a more
complex story, and richer characters than the standard fair, making it the odd film out in the Women in Prison genre.
The film takes its ques from the
FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION films that were popular at the time in Japan
(and I believe also being made at Nikkatsu) where a tough,
unbreakable women enters a woman's prison and all hell breaks loose with lots of action ensuing. Here we have a similar story, where a
quiet, unshakable woman entering with a group of new criminals into a
all female prison, only to soon clash with the gritty already
established criminal hierarchy there. In a very early scene (after of
course a nude cavity search and the obligatory showers) there is a
topless fight and our lead gal is held down and has her face pissed
on to show she has been dominated. I can't recall having ever seen
that in any other WIP movie from any other country! Another girl is
put into solitary confinement for days on end as her toilet backs up
and we clearly see her shit all over the room.These are the kinds of boundaries being pushed here.
The first half of the movie is where
the majority of the sex happens, we get some of the the expected
lesbian romps, with lots of nipple close ups filling the screen, and
a few flashbacks to give us some hetero couplings as well. But about
the middle of the movie it shifts gears and we start getting
flashbacks to why the girls are actually in the prison. The movie
starts to become rather tragic, as we learn the most of them are
victims of circumstance. Men have fucked them over, used them and
abused them, letting them take the fall. By the third act it becomes
a women on the run/revenge pic with the sex taking a back seat
completely, and a pretty satisfying little revenge picture at that.
SEX HELL is a great example
of why the Nikkatsu Romano Porno films were successful. They took
formula ideas such as the Women In Prison pictures and infused them
with the over the top sexuality the studio was known for, but then
went way out of the way to make sure they delivered as films too. They
delivered characters you could care about, with performers that could
carry those characters (even though SEX HELL has no real name stars
from the Nikkatsu stable) and in this case threw in a hefty dose of crime
action as well. These movies are just trying to make you love them,
and most of the time if you aren't easily offended (and why would you
buy this title if you are) you WILL fall for their charms.
Review © Andrew Copp
Review © Andrew Copp
We took a significant risk licensing 26 of these films. But the films are just so damn good! I am so happy to see that you enjoy them Andy. Thanks for the great review(s).
ReplyDelete