Rating: **
Review Date: 3/31/19
Cast: Miki Sugimoto, Reiko Ike, Ryoko Ema
The film opens with a group of high school girls from the Disciplinary Committee torturing one of their classmates named Michiyo by stripping her naked and slowly draining her blood. She somehow manages to break free, but is killed in the ensuing chase. That sets the tone for all of the nastiness that follows in this bleak and violent film. An important anniversary is approaching for the seemingly prestigious School Of Hope, and it's critical to make sure all of the female students are properly disciplined and well-behaved. That's what the Disciplinary Committee is charged with doing, but they're a corrupt group of cruel and sadistic girls who are just as dirty and rotten as the school's sponsors. The strained peace is shattered when three delinquent girls are admitted to the school, including "razor blade" Remi Kitano, lesbian slut Kyoko Kubo, and gang leader Noriko Kazama (Miki Sugimoto), the notorious "boss with the cross." Michiyo was Noriko's closest lieutenant, and Noriko's mission at the school is to investigate the circumstances surrounding Michiyo's death, which was covered up as a suicide. She recruits Remi, Kyoko, and a few other girls to help her, but the school's leaders are too powerful and quickly ruin their plans. Things become even more complicated when a rival gang leader named Maki (Reiko Ike) shows up looking to settle a grudge from an incident five years ago. After a tense meeting, Maki agrees to let Noriko get her revenge before exacting her own, and she becomes an unlikely ally in the process. The girls finally step up their game by disgracing the high ranking executives of the school along with several corrupt politicians and policemen through seduction and blackmail with the help of a goofy and greedy Yakuza loner. Eventually, the school's principal can no longer cover up all of the scandals, and a riot breaks out among the students, aided by Maki's all-girl gang. The coup meets its objective and ruins the school's reputation, but Noriko and Maki will have to continue their feud in prison.
This film is complete cinematic anarchy and everything about it is nasty and unpleasant. It's an ugly and mean-spirited movie that boldly flaunts gratuitous scenes of sex, rape, torture, suicide, violence, misogyny, cruelty, extortion, corruption, shame, and humiliation. A defiant Miki Sugimoto is stunning throughout and gives one of her finest performances. She never backs down from a challenge and asserts her dominance early in the film by not wearing panties. Reiko Ike is wonderful as a tough biker chick, but sadly has very little to do, and the anticipated showdown between her and Miki never happens. Thematically, it's interesting that the honor and trust among gangsters is more sacred and genuine than anything exhibited by the so-called "respectable" members of society. It's competently made, although the camera work is a bit sloppy. However, one could argue that it matches the chaotic tone of the film. At one point, you can clearly see one of the camera operators shooting a different angle of the same shot. Overall, I found the movie distasteful and it offended me on multiple fronts. It's definitely not for everyone, and is a prime example of the extreme end of the "pinky violence" spectrum.