From Week 3 to Week 10
Week 5, 2/1 Pinku Eiga
Film
Female Convict Scorpion: Jailhouse 41, Ito Shunya (1972) CW [reserves]
Reading
Sexing Up Post-War Japanese Cinema: Looking at the 1960s/1970s Pinky Violence Films, Laura Treglia (2018)
Bad Girls of Japan, Introduction, Laura Miller and Jan Bardsley (2005) [reserves]
In your groups, I would like you to:
1. Respond to the question posed at the end of Tuesdays lecture
2. Ask at least one question that you have about the topics or ideas addressed in the lecture, a
a scene from the film, or the reading
3. Respond to at least one question in the discussion.
Credit will only be applied to those who have fulfilled these three requirements.
As we are learning asynchronously, your participation grade will be calculated based on your weekly group discussion posts for weeks 3 through 9. Group discussion posts should be short, informal responses to the questions I pose in Tuesdays lectures. They are due on Thursday each week by 9 PM and cannot be made up for credit.
Lecture Link(WATCH IT PLEASE!!!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWLyUueh2TQ&feature=youtu.be
Discussion Question (Pick One):
1. Discuss how you would define a feminist film? According to your definition, is the Sasori series feminist?
2. Consider the context in which the Sasori series was made. What events do you think contributed to its portrayal of the dynamics of violence, sex, and gender? How does the film portray these influences through its semiotics?
Discussion Post from A Peer:
Question 1: Feminism is defined as the advocacy of womens rights on the basis of equality of the sexes. Taking that definition a step further, I would define a feminist film as something that empowers women and inspires them to make a difference in both global and local levels. In my opinion, Female Convict Scorpion Jailhouse 41 is an anti-nationalist protest, advocates the womens liberation movement uman ribu, and offers critiques on social issues (gender roles, police brutality, and sexual violence). Although feminism is an underlying theme, I would not consider Female Convict Scorpion a feminist film. Feminism is rather a sub-genre. Other than Female Convict Scorpion, I have seen Suffragette, On the Basis of Sex, and Battle of the Sexes. Suffragette is about womens voting rights, On the Basis of Sex is about the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and Battle of the Sexes is about a historical tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. All three films are based on true stories and portray feminism in a better light. Female Convict Scorpion, on the other hand, shows the ugly side of feminism and how much further we have to fight in order to achieve true equality.
