A surprise in many ways is this little seen but clearly influential thriller. Extremely violent and explicit with several rapes, beatings and torture scenes as extreme and varied as I have seen. It's not all blood and guts, there is humour too and wonderful cinematography with fine close-ups and dramatic angles, plus a fine stylised performance from the leading lady in red. A thrill a minute and ever violent this movie still has time for jibes at Japanese culture and politics. 'You can't just kill me like this' screams one of the baddies to a cop whilst his grave is dug, 'It makes you as bad as us' Recommended for those with a strong stomach.
23 Reviews
Classic ultra-violent crime drama
Falconeer19 November 2006
Yukio Noda's 'Zero Woman-Red Handcuffs' lives up to it's reputation, featuring a truly impressive level of violence mixed in with it's artistic style. I made the mistake of trying to watch this one in the morning. I had to stop it during the scene where a gang member is getting his skin burned off with a blowtorch, by a police detective. When I watched it all the way through I found this to be a very impressive 'pink' film, dealing with revenge, kidnapping, and torture. A gang of thugs who get their kicks raping and killing random people, believe they hit the big time when they kidnap the daughter of an important political figure. The amazingly sexy and tough Miki Sugimoto, the Zero Woman, is hired to bring back the girl, and to her delight, she is given an order to leave none of the kidnappers alive. This sets up the stage for some truly impressive scenes of brutality, and Rei, the Zero Woman has an almost religious devotion to 'justice'. We see this at the films amazing first sequence, where she allows herself to be taken to a hotel room by a wanted rapist/killer, and hands out her own brand of 'justice'. One reason that the film is so disturbing is that everyone, including the cops, is portrayed as wild animals with no compassion for human life. The gang especially, seem like a pack of savage hyenas. And much of the violence is directed at the Zero Woman herself; she is on the receiving end of many beatings and ugly rapes. I actually felt a little queasy in the stomach at times, but Miki Sugimoto is a gorgeous heroine, pure eye candy, and this visual beauty made the films ugly scenes a bit more bearable. Not that 'Zero Woman' is an ugly looking film; This is filmed with a great level of style, and utilizes garish colors especially well. Rei sports a red gun and red handcuffs, and the whole thing is quite surreal. This is the only thing that i have seen from director Yukio Noda, but judging from this one, the guy is a maniac. 'Zero Woman-red Handcuffs' is a fine 'pink film', and should not be confused with the vastly inferior 'Zero Woman' trash films from the 90's. This 1974 classic has absolutely nothing in common with those later films, other than the name. Essential viewing for fans of 'pink' cinema and violent cop dramas, this is a real assault on the senses!
If You Want Blood
unbrokenmetal13 June 2008
An hour after I watched the movie, I calmed down enough to write this. One hell of a roller-coaster ride. Wow! The story is simple: a politician's daughter is kidnapped. He does not only want to get her back alive, but also the kidnappers must disappear completely so they can't talk to the press and everything can be hushed up. Scandals aren't good for his career. So who would do the job secretly, but with maximum violence? Zero Woman (Miki "Girl Boss Guerilla" Sugimoto)! The ex-detective who loves to strangle bad guys with the red chain of her favorite handcuffs is released from prison, goes to work and whatever she does from now on doesn't stand a chance on a PG rating. She looks great, talks even less than Arnie in "Terminator 1" and is as cold blooded as a snake in Antarctica. Got to love this woman, that is, from safe distance... staying on the other side of the screen. Recommended if you think Stallone was too sweet as Rambo.
Satisfying Japanese grindhouse cinema
chaos-rampant22 July 2008
Miki Sugimoto is Rei; undercover cop who dresses in a very cool red overcoat and delivers her own brand of vigilante justice that would be in good company with a certain Inspector Harry Callahan. She's sent after a bunch of crooks who have kidnapped a wealthy and up-and-coming politician's daughter and soon all hell breaks loose. While not as sleazy as something like Terrifying Girls Highschool or as exhilarating fun as Girl Boss Guerilla, fans of the genre will not be disappointed. It's (very) bloody, it has the requisite rape and nudity scenes that make any film of this sort work and just enough of a plot to keep you from glancing at your watch. It kind of drags in the middle but makes up for it with a blistering final act that involves among other things, blood gushing from gunshot wounds, a man burnt to a crisp and handcuff strangling.
One of the problems I had with it is that the first scene establishes Rei as this uber-cool badass cop chick with a style all her own; red handcuffs, gun and overcoat. A comic-book character that you can see kicking all sorts of butts. But then for the next hour she becomes this very passive character that gets tossed around and abused by a bunch of hoodlums. She's obviously trying to be as Meiko Kaji circa Lady Snowblood as possible (cold stare, silent, all that) but I like her better when she goes wild. All in all a decent pinku with a central character that could have been a lot better, but enough gore and sleaze to keep me happy. There's also a cameo by Tetsuro Tamba.
One of the problems I had with it is that the first scene establishes Rei as this uber-cool badass cop chick with a style all her own; red handcuffs, gun and overcoat. A comic-book character that you can see kicking all sorts of butts. But then for the next hour she becomes this very passive character that gets tossed around and abused by a bunch of hoodlums. She's obviously trying to be as Meiko Kaji circa Lady Snowblood as possible (cold stare, silent, all that) but I like her better when she goes wild. All in all a decent pinku with a central character that could have been a lot better, but enough gore and sleaze to keep me happy. There's also a cameo by Tetsuro Tamba.
High style / Low, Low Sleaze
ChungMo24 September 2006
Once again the Japanese tantalize with extremely well made trash. Nothing like this is apparently possible from American cinema. Excellent photography and art direction go hand in hand with horrific human behavior.
The plot is well summarized elsewhere. The deviance is graphically portrayed with several extended rape/torture scenes. The kidnapped girl is frequently beaten. Zero Woman's police tactics seem to include being beaten and raped until the point she can pull out the deadly red handcuffs. The criminals are crazed and the politicians/cops are crooked and conniving. What a wonderful world.
Much of the film is set in sleazy areas or abandoned neighborhoods giving the film an atmosphere much like Mad Max. Sometimes the colors are vivid to the point of unreality. At one point the director does some very unusual color lighting tricks that work well. Depending on your stomach this is a very well made exploitation film.
The weak points are the ridiculous flying handcuffs that do things that would be unacceptable in a cheap kung fu picture, what was easy to draw in the original manga was obviously hard to reproduce in real life. And the big car chase/shootout that looks like they are driving 15 miles per hour.
The lead actress is very good and has no problem delivering serious lines unclothed. The other actors are good or hammy in a way that fits with the over the top tone of the film.
Recommended for hard exploitation fans.
The plot is well summarized elsewhere. The deviance is graphically portrayed with several extended rape/torture scenes. The kidnapped girl is frequently beaten. Zero Woman's police tactics seem to include being beaten and raped until the point she can pull out the deadly red handcuffs. The criminals are crazed and the politicians/cops are crooked and conniving. What a wonderful world.
Much of the film is set in sleazy areas or abandoned neighborhoods giving the film an atmosphere much like Mad Max. Sometimes the colors are vivid to the point of unreality. At one point the director does some very unusual color lighting tricks that work well. Depending on your stomach this is a very well made exploitation film.
The weak points are the ridiculous flying handcuffs that do things that would be unacceptable in a cheap kung fu picture, what was easy to draw in the original manga was obviously hard to reproduce in real life. And the big car chase/shootout that looks like they are driving 15 miles per hour.
The lead actress is very good and has no problem delivering serious lines unclothed. The other actors are good or hammy in a way that fits with the over the top tone of the film.
Recommended for hard exploitation fans.
More "Fun" J-Pinky Sleaze...
EVOL6662 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I just can't get enough of this stuff. Every one of these 70's era Japanese sleaze films are a blast. Though not quite as fun as say, FEMALE YAKUZA TALE, or the FEMALE CONVICT/PRISONER films - ZERO WOMAN: RED HANDCUFFS - is still another solid entry for the genre.
Rei is a cop who ends up in jail after killing an American diplomat to avenge a friends death. Meanwhile, a high-ranking Official's daughter is raped and kidnapped to be sold into prostitution by a gang of thugs. When the thugs realize who the girl is, they hold her for ransom instead. The police decide to use Rei to infiltrate the gang, in return for her freedom - but things don't always go as planned...
Plenty violent, and of course throwing in the expected sleazy rape scenes - ZERO WOMAN is a great addition to any 70's pinky-fan's library. It does tend to drag a little through the middle, but there are definitely enough rape, torture, and gunfight scenes to keep ya interested. Not the strongest of the genre - but definitely worth a look. 7.5/10
Rei is a cop who ends up in jail after killing an American diplomat to avenge a friends death. Meanwhile, a high-ranking Official's daughter is raped and kidnapped to be sold into prostitution by a gang of thugs. When the thugs realize who the girl is, they hold her for ransom instead. The police decide to use Rei to infiltrate the gang, in return for her freedom - but things don't always go as planned...
Plenty violent, and of course throwing in the expected sleazy rape scenes - ZERO WOMAN is a great addition to any 70's pinky-fan's library. It does tend to drag a little through the middle, but there are definitely enough rape, torture, and gunfight scenes to keep ya interested. Not the strongest of the genre - but definitely worth a look. 7.5/10
70's Japanese exploitation at its best!
gtstang484 January 2006
Don't confuse this with those 90's Zero Woman films, this original film is the cream of the crop! Long unavailable on DVD anywhere in the world, Discotek has finally made it available to Western audiences. Red Handcuffs is based on the original manga series written by Toru Shinohara, who also created the Prisoner Scorpion manga.
This movie is ruff, nasty, raunchy, and as over the top as you can get! Nudity, violence, and sex fills the film from beginning to end. Zero (played by the beautiful Miki Sugimoto) is a rebel cop that is not afraid to shoot first and ask questions later. This kind of behavior gets her thrown in jail with the same trash that she is used to cleaning off the streets. Given a chance at redemption, she is brought back on a secret mission to rescue a high ranking politician's (played by the legendary Tetsuro Tanba) daughter from a gang of crazed rapists.
All hell breaks loose once she's undercover and the blood, clothes, and Red Handcuffs start flying! In order to keep her cover she must endure everything this sick gang of psychos can throw at her. Keeping cool she stays close to the kidnapped girl and close to her weapon of choice while waiting for her opportunity to strike. Climaxing in a blood filled showdown in a windy deserted Navy base, this film is a nonstop ride from beginning to end. The video quality and packaging are top notch. Inside the limited slip cover is an alternate cover that features some of the nastier and naughtier scenes. I've read that these limited versions will be sold out very soon and the packaging won't be duplicated once gone. Highly recommended and a must-have for fans of Japanese cinema!
This movie is ruff, nasty, raunchy, and as over the top as you can get! Nudity, violence, and sex fills the film from beginning to end. Zero (played by the beautiful Miki Sugimoto) is a rebel cop that is not afraid to shoot first and ask questions later. This kind of behavior gets her thrown in jail with the same trash that she is used to cleaning off the streets. Given a chance at redemption, she is brought back on a secret mission to rescue a high ranking politician's (played by the legendary Tetsuro Tanba) daughter from a gang of crazed rapists.
All hell breaks loose once she's undercover and the blood, clothes, and Red Handcuffs start flying! In order to keep her cover she must endure everything this sick gang of psychos can throw at her. Keeping cool she stays close to the kidnapped girl and close to her weapon of choice while waiting for her opportunity to strike. Climaxing in a blood filled showdown in a windy deserted Navy base, this film is a nonstop ride from beginning to end. The video quality and packaging are top notch. Inside the limited slip cover is an alternate cover that features some of the nastier and naughtier scenes. I've read that these limited versions will be sold out very soon and the packaging won't be duplicated once gone. Highly recommended and a must-have for fans of Japanese cinema!
A Provocative and Sexually-Explicit Japanese Crime-Drama
Uriah4324 April 2016
"Rei" (Miki Sugimoto) is an undercover police officer who is working on a case involving the brutal murder of a young woman. One night at a nightclub she makes the acquaintance of a foreigner who buys her several drinks and then takes her to his apartment room where he intends on dispatching her in the same manner he murdered his other victim. Fortunately, she turns the tables on him and kills him first. Unfortunately, when it is discovered that the man was a foreign dignitary the police chief decides to throw her into prison without a trial or charges being preferred to avoid a possible scandal. Her situation changes, however, when the daughter of the incoming Prime Minister is kidnapped and Rei's services are required to rescue her at all costs. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a provocative crime-drama which featured plenty of action along with two attractive actresses in Hiromi Kishi (as the Prime Minister's daughter "Kyoko Nagumo") and the aforementioned Miki Sugimoto. On the flip side, some of the acting was a bit over-the-top as were some of the special effects as well. I should probably also mention that this is an extremely violent film which had several brutal scenes involving rape and nudity which might not appeal to all audiences. In any case, it's an interesting movie and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
Very Sleazy, Very Very Violent And Even More Awesome!
Witchfinder-General-66612 May 2008
As an enthusiastic fan of Japanese exploitation cinema from the 70s I was full of anticipation to see Yukio Noda's "Zeroka no onna: Akai wappa" aka. "Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs", and the film certainly deserves its cult status. "Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs" is an extremely violent and sleazy exploitation gem that even surpassed my expectations. The film which stars the ravishing exploitation goddess Miki Sugimoto as the eponymous heroine, is explicit from the very beginning. Gory murders, rapes, tortures and all kinds of sleaze and sexual violence are omnipresent in the film, and yet the film has way more to offer than only gore and sleaze, as it is immensely stylish and brilliant in all respects. The incredibly sexy Miki Sugimoto is great in the lead, as Rei (aka. Zero Woman), a beautiful female undercover cop who is assigned to infiltrate and eliminate gang of sadistic and perverted criminals who have kidnapped the daughter of a prominent politician... I will not go into detail any further, as I don't want to spoil any of the fun, but I can assure that "Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs" is a must-see for every fan of Japanese exploitation cinema.
The film is based on the manga comics by Tooru Shinohara, who also created the manga series that the brilliant "Joshuu Sasori" (aka. "Female Prisoner Scorpion") films are based on. The film has a delightfully black sense of humor, and an enormous level of sleaze and violence, even for Japanese 70s exploitation standards. The camera work is excellent and the supporting cast includes several familiar faces for Japanese cinema fans, such as Tetsuro Tamba, or Yôko Mihara, who is known for her female bully characters, most prominently in Shunya Ito's exploitation masterpiece "Joshuu 701-gô: Sasori" aka. "Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion" (1972), the first of the brilliant 'Sasori' films. The funky score in "Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs" is also very good, even if it admittedly resembles the score of the 'Sasori' films a lot, especially the theme song performed by star Miki Sugimoto is very similar to the Sasori-theme 'Urami Bushi' sung by Meiko Kaji. The great Toei Company released quite a number of excellent exploitation films in the 70s, and "Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs" is one of them. A bunch of new Zero Woman films, none of which I've seen so far, were released in the 90s, but they can't possibly reach the greatness of this 1974 original. "Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs" has everything great exploitation cinema needs, lots of sleaze and female nudity, an enormous dose of violence and gore all brought to you with immense style, and a super-cool and stunningly beautiful heroine played by the sexy Miki Sugimoto. In short: This is exploitation-gold and an absolute must-see for all lovers of cult-cinema! Awesome!
The film is based on the manga comics by Tooru Shinohara, who also created the manga series that the brilliant "Joshuu Sasori" (aka. "Female Prisoner Scorpion") films are based on. The film has a delightfully black sense of humor, and an enormous level of sleaze and violence, even for Japanese 70s exploitation standards. The camera work is excellent and the supporting cast includes several familiar faces for Japanese cinema fans, such as Tetsuro Tamba, or Yôko Mihara, who is known for her female bully characters, most prominently in Shunya Ito's exploitation masterpiece "Joshuu 701-gô: Sasori" aka. "Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion" (1972), the first of the brilliant 'Sasori' films. The funky score in "Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs" is also very good, even if it admittedly resembles the score of the 'Sasori' films a lot, especially the theme song performed by star Miki Sugimoto is very similar to the Sasori-theme 'Urami Bushi' sung by Meiko Kaji. The great Toei Company released quite a number of excellent exploitation films in the 70s, and "Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs" is one of them. A bunch of new Zero Woman films, none of which I've seen so far, were released in the 90s, but they can't possibly reach the greatness of this 1974 original. "Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs" has everything great exploitation cinema needs, lots of sleaze and female nudity, an enormous dose of violence and gore all brought to you with immense style, and a super-cool and stunningly beautiful heroine played by the sexy Miki Sugimoto. In short: This is exploitation-gold and an absolute must-see for all lovers of cult-cinema! Awesome!
Utter balderdash, but...
vogonify25 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I'd loved Preparations for a Festival which had Miki Sugimoto in a key role. Zero Woman, I expected to be better. This is an utterly ludicrous film. There is Ms.Sugimoto as some weird cop who has her own methods of producing justice, fair enough. What this means is she's a two-trick pony; she allows herself to be disrobed off her beautifully-iconic red dress and lets rip a magical red handcuff at her victims. Apart from that, she just smolders, says practically nothing and watches over some of the most inhuman acts as if she can't be bothered with lives of extras or her own. The plot is nonsensical, and like the filmmakers, let's not go there. Instead, let's focus on why I gave it 6 stars. Miki Sugimoto is excellent in a role where she has something to do and say for about 3 minutes. The rest of the time, she is just there looking pretty. She does those 3 minutes and the rest very well indeed. I feel she would have done a good job in mainstream roles too had she had the opportunity and desire. But this is her turf and she mixes anger and gorgeous quite well. The other thing that works is the film-making itself. Ignore the story and script and you have, dare I say, a very interesting piece of art. Some of the scenes are just so powerful. There is a particularly brutal scene which Yukio Noda cuts and shoots in a way that is eyeopening. The use of freeze frames and other visual tools make it a worthwhile exercise to just study some of them as individual vignettes. I wish this had a better story and a less contemptuous plot.
arghhhhhh....
chaoskosmos17 April 2007
This is my first attempt at reviewing a film and I was inspired after watching a terrible film 2 nights ago.
I am a fan of exploitation films for their often high camp and equal parts high entertainment values. Having watched and enjoyed all of the Pinky Violence dvds that have been made available with English subtitles, Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs has got to be the worst in this genre that I've seen. It is not just a weak entry in the genre but a very weak film in general.
The redeeming points? This being a Pinky Violence film, you do get your share of blood, mayhem and T & A. But they hardly make up for the excruciating pain you are about to go through.
First, the acting is bad. Not the kind where it makes you laugh but the kind that makes you cringe and is very painful and awkward to watch. I'm all for bad lousy acting when it's campy but this is not. They look like they are actually TRYing to act badly.
The film is very choppy and a lot of what went on was rather unnecessary and makes no sense at all. Again, many exploitation films make little sense but this is just too much. Nothing makes sense in the film.
Zero Woman doesn't seem very powerful or ass-kicking. I was expecting her to kick ass but then again, with this plot, if she did, it would be over in 10 minutes. But she's just too weak.
And Miki Sugimoto isn't even that attractive. Reiko Ike has that sexiness, Meiko Kaji has the coolness but Miki Sugimoto has a fairly average body and a face that is barely good enough for a supporting role. Sorry Miki fans.
This film had the potential and it actually had a really good opening scene. But after that, the film went downhill all the way.
Watch this if you are a Miki fan or a Pinky Violence completist. If you are looking for a entertaining film or at least one that isn't painful to watch, then stay clear of this. However, if you have already watched this and actually enjoyed it, then do check out all the other pinky violence films that are available as they are all many times better than this one.
I am a fan of exploitation films for their often high camp and equal parts high entertainment values. Having watched and enjoyed all of the Pinky Violence dvds that have been made available with English subtitles, Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs has got to be the worst in this genre that I've seen. It is not just a weak entry in the genre but a very weak film in general.
The redeeming points? This being a Pinky Violence film, you do get your share of blood, mayhem and T & A. But they hardly make up for the excruciating pain you are about to go through.
First, the acting is bad. Not the kind where it makes you laugh but the kind that makes you cringe and is very painful and awkward to watch. I'm all for bad lousy acting when it's campy but this is not. They look like they are actually TRYing to act badly.
The film is very choppy and a lot of what went on was rather unnecessary and makes no sense at all. Again, many exploitation films make little sense but this is just too much. Nothing makes sense in the film.
Zero Woman doesn't seem very powerful or ass-kicking. I was expecting her to kick ass but then again, with this plot, if she did, it would be over in 10 minutes. But she's just too weak.
And Miki Sugimoto isn't even that attractive. Reiko Ike has that sexiness, Meiko Kaji has the coolness but Miki Sugimoto has a fairly average body and a face that is barely good enough for a supporting role. Sorry Miki fans.
This film had the potential and it actually had a really good opening scene. But after that, the film went downhill all the way.
Watch this if you are a Miki fan or a Pinky Violence completist. If you are looking for a entertaining film or at least one that isn't painful to watch, then stay clear of this. However, if you have already watched this and actually enjoyed it, then do check out all the other pinky violence films that are available as they are all many times better than this one.
The original 0 Woman
ebiros21 January 2012
Based on a comic by Tooru Shinohara who also penned the comic "Sasori" that was also made into a movie (imdb: Joshu Sasori: 701-go urami-bushi) starring Meiko Kaji. Meiko Kaji was the original Princess Blade (which was also based on a comic by Kazuo Kamimura), so you can see that Zero Woman has its roots in very edgy comic book genre.
Screen play was done by Fumio Kounami who also did the screen play for Sasori, and director is Yukio Noda is the one who did most of the delinquent themed movies for the Toei studio. With all the right characters in place, this movie was made to satisfy the adult audience of Japan at the time.
Zero Woman is a story about a lady cop who holds nothing back to get her job done including having sex with the criminal. In the Japanese police force, ichi-ka (The first division) is the homicide division. Then ni-ka (second division), san-ka (third division) has other specialized fields of investigation. Zero-ka (zero division) of course does not exist in the real Japanese police force. It's a fictitious creation by Shinohara, that handles assignments that needs to be taken care of covertly. Mio (Miki Sugimoto) is the only investigator in this division.
Mio was framed by her superiors and was sent to jail on a bad wrap for killing the culprit of the unsolved crime that ended in the death of her friend Amy. Around the same time Kyoko - a daughter of next prime minister candidate Zengo Nagumo was raped and captured by a gang run by Nakahara. Nakahara discovering that Kyoko is Zengo's daughter decides to blackmail Zengo for 30 million yen. Hearing about this, Mio's superiors decides to use Mio as an undercover detective to infiltrate Nakahara's gang. Since wide spread scandal would be ruinous to Nagumo's career, gag order has been laid so no information about the investigation will leak out. To solve the case in secrecy, Mio is ordered to rescue Kyoko, and kill all the members of the gang, so they wouldn't talk.
Toei studio made many good adult themed movies in the '70s. Some actually became bona fide classics such as Princess Snowblood, School of Holy Beast, Jeans Blues, and this one. The concept was good enough that remake has been made in recent years. This is the original, and although bit cheesy by today's standard, is very good for Asian movie of that era (compare this to some of the Shaw Brothers movies from the same era and you'll know what I mean). This movie is filled with exciting scenes depicting the under belly of Japanese society.
This is a fun movie, and is recommended for anyone who's a fan of Asian cinema.
Screen play was done by Fumio Kounami who also did the screen play for Sasori, and director is Yukio Noda is the one who did most of the delinquent themed movies for the Toei studio. With all the right characters in place, this movie was made to satisfy the adult audience of Japan at the time.
Zero Woman is a story about a lady cop who holds nothing back to get her job done including having sex with the criminal. In the Japanese police force, ichi-ka (The first division) is the homicide division. Then ni-ka (second division), san-ka (third division) has other specialized fields of investigation. Zero-ka (zero division) of course does not exist in the real Japanese police force. It's a fictitious creation by Shinohara, that handles assignments that needs to be taken care of covertly. Mio (Miki Sugimoto) is the only investigator in this division.
Mio was framed by her superiors and was sent to jail on a bad wrap for killing the culprit of the unsolved crime that ended in the death of her friend Amy. Around the same time Kyoko - a daughter of next prime minister candidate Zengo Nagumo was raped and captured by a gang run by Nakahara. Nakahara discovering that Kyoko is Zengo's daughter decides to blackmail Zengo for 30 million yen. Hearing about this, Mio's superiors decides to use Mio as an undercover detective to infiltrate Nakahara's gang. Since wide spread scandal would be ruinous to Nagumo's career, gag order has been laid so no information about the investigation will leak out. To solve the case in secrecy, Mio is ordered to rescue Kyoko, and kill all the members of the gang, so they wouldn't talk.
Toei studio made many good adult themed movies in the '70s. Some actually became bona fide classics such as Princess Snowblood, School of Holy Beast, Jeans Blues, and this one. The concept was good enough that remake has been made in recent years. This is the original, and although bit cheesy by today's standard, is very good for Asian movie of that era (compare this to some of the Shaw Brothers movies from the same era and you'll know what I mean). This movie is filled with exciting scenes depicting the under belly of Japanese society.
This is a fun movie, and is recommended for anyone who's a fan of Asian cinema.
Zero Woman:Red Handcuffs
Scarecrow-8818 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
After she kills an American diplomat known for leaving dead women after rounds of sadistic sex, undercover cop Zero(Miki Sugimoto)is thrown in the pen to rot(..she is attacked by female prisoners during the credits!). When a public political figure's daughter is raped and kidnapped by a group of hoods, Zero is offered a chance to redeem herself..by infiltrating their gang, assassinating them, and retrieving the girl. It will not be easy considering their leader was just recently released from prison and is clearly unstable..his face often twists into a homicidal rage when completely provoked. We witness just how uncontrollable his mania can be when a young member of his gang attempts to help their prisoner escape, bashing a bottle over the kid's head as blood squirts from the wounds. Zero is able to earn the gang leader's trust by helping him escape the clutches of cops who had him surrounded, getting access into the brotherhood, but suffers through a series of sexual attacks and physical abuse, while holding an amazing resolve, focused on the task at hand. Meanwhile, Zero's boss, President Nagumo's man in charge, follows the leads she provides, accompanied by a host of cops who plan to do what's necessary to quiet any type of possible scandal. If the idea that a scandal might come out, Nagumo will order the unthinkable to help his political career remain untainted. Zero may very will have to not only contend with the unhinged group of thugs, but those who hired her just so that a politician can keep his life free of scandal.
One thing's for certain, director Yukio Koda knows how to deliver brisk action set-pieces featuring startling amounts of bloody violence. There's a definite amount of unpleasant sexual abuse towards female victims thanks in part to the nasty gang who often attack on a whim..in fact, they only discover that they have raped and kidnapped the daughter of a major political giant only after consulting their "sis", Sesum(Yôko Mihara)who provides them with a place to stay(..she's also one of the prisoners who attacks Zero in the opening). We see how unpredictable they can be when they besiege a group of school girls studying for a Shakespearian play, raping and abusing them in a very hostile manner, even setting the house on fire with them tied up and unable to escape. Miki Sugimoto is a rock of strength, an ice-queen avenger who is able to withstand quite a bit of punishment because of her profound devotion to fulfilling her duty as required. She's also stunningly beautiful and carries a confident, cool disposition which defines many heroine undercover assassins in Japanese action crime thrillers. The use of the red handcuffs is preposterous..Zero is able to throw the cuffs locking whatever body part she so wishes as if a magician with an unprecedented marksman's skill. Lots of thick textured blood pours from bullet riddled wounds during shootouts and the hand cuffs even stab a throat causing gushing red. A pretty cringe-worthy torture scene also occurs as we witness techniques used to coerce information from one amongst the group(..using a blow torch, vice-grip, and water hose). This is over all far less disturbing than it could've been because of how director Koda lenses the attacks, cleverly showing less than appears yet still stirring up a reaction from the viewer. Such as the rapes, you witness the clothes ripped away, but Koda is able to keep actual penetration away from the screen, yet you still feel the intensity and terror felt by the victims and the despicable thrill captured on the faces of the tormentors. Shooting in some incredibly difficult angles, Koda also impresses with his impeccable camera-work. Despite familiar trappings we are accustomed to(..undercover operation to get a victim out of the hands of criminals using a cop with unorthodox methods), Koda films it all with style and skill.
One thing's for certain, director Yukio Koda knows how to deliver brisk action set-pieces featuring startling amounts of bloody violence. There's a definite amount of unpleasant sexual abuse towards female victims thanks in part to the nasty gang who often attack on a whim..in fact, they only discover that they have raped and kidnapped the daughter of a major political giant only after consulting their "sis", Sesum(Yôko Mihara)who provides them with a place to stay(..she's also one of the prisoners who attacks Zero in the opening). We see how unpredictable they can be when they besiege a group of school girls studying for a Shakespearian play, raping and abusing them in a very hostile manner, even setting the house on fire with them tied up and unable to escape. Miki Sugimoto is a rock of strength, an ice-queen avenger who is able to withstand quite a bit of punishment because of her profound devotion to fulfilling her duty as required. She's also stunningly beautiful and carries a confident, cool disposition which defines many heroine undercover assassins in Japanese action crime thrillers. The use of the red handcuffs is preposterous..Zero is able to throw the cuffs locking whatever body part she so wishes as if a magician with an unprecedented marksman's skill. Lots of thick textured blood pours from bullet riddled wounds during shootouts and the hand cuffs even stab a throat causing gushing red. A pretty cringe-worthy torture scene also occurs as we witness techniques used to coerce information from one amongst the group(..using a blow torch, vice-grip, and water hose). This is over all far less disturbing than it could've been because of how director Koda lenses the attacks, cleverly showing less than appears yet still stirring up a reaction from the viewer. Such as the rapes, you witness the clothes ripped away, but Koda is able to keep actual penetration away from the screen, yet you still feel the intensity and terror felt by the victims and the despicable thrill captured on the faces of the tormentors. Shooting in some incredibly difficult angles, Koda also impresses with his impeccable camera-work. Despite familiar trappings we are accustomed to(..undercover operation to get a victim out of the hands of criminals using a cop with unorthodox methods), Koda films it all with style and skill.
One of the best and bloodiest exploitation films ever made
fertilecelluloid16 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Yukio Noda's best film by far and one of the best rape/action//exploitation films ever made. In all seriousness, this is stupendously fantastic. It is incredibly bloody, real mean-spirited, ultra-nasty and filled to the brim with vicious beatings, torture, brutal rape and gory shoot-outs. It's everything most exploitation posters promise but never deliver.
Miki Sugimoto is Rei, the "Zero Woman" of the title, and she is released from jail to kill the kidnappers of a wealthy politician's daughter. But when the kidnapping, raping, vicious miscreants prove to be tougher foes than first expected, the situation changes and Rei's life is jeopardized. Sugimoto is very sexy and dangerous as Rei. Her red coat, handcuffs and panties (!) are dazzling, as is her brave, physically taxing performance.
"Red Handcuffs" never lets up on the action and nastiness. Noda directs like his life depends on it and throws in a giddy amount of dutch tilts, gorgeously framed close-ups and crashing zooms that always enhance the material. Yoshio Nakajima's cinematography has a fiery, rough-edged, ultra-rich look to it and the score is packed with energy. Special mention must also go to the gory make-up effects of burnt bodies, exploding chests and smashes skulls.
This amazing work goes a couple of steps further than almost every other film of its genre and stands as an all-time great.
True exploitation fans will appreciate its bloody magic.
Miki Sugimoto is Rei, the "Zero Woman" of the title, and she is released from jail to kill the kidnappers of a wealthy politician's daughter. But when the kidnapping, raping, vicious miscreants prove to be tougher foes than first expected, the situation changes and Rei's life is jeopardized. Sugimoto is very sexy and dangerous as Rei. Her red coat, handcuffs and panties (!) are dazzling, as is her brave, physically taxing performance.
"Red Handcuffs" never lets up on the action and nastiness. Noda directs like his life depends on it and throws in a giddy amount of dutch tilts, gorgeously framed close-ups and crashing zooms that always enhance the material. Yoshio Nakajima's cinematography has a fiery, rough-edged, ultra-rich look to it and the score is packed with energy. Special mention must also go to the gory make-up effects of burnt bodies, exploding chests and smashes skulls.
This amazing work goes a couple of steps further than almost every other film of its genre and stands as an all-time great.
True exploitation fans will appreciate its bloody magic.
Bosoms, bottoms, blood, and bad boys
moo-V-Nut22 July 2006
My first Netflix rental and what a surprise it was! Starting with the subtitles for the opening lyrics: (paraphrasing) "Life is so hard. You want to be back on your mother's breast. You poor puppy. Life will get better." The opening scene is Rei, dancing seductively at a disco and then being greeted and seduced by what must be a Japanese nightmare version of a German dirty old man. It goes on from there. Yoko Mihare, as the female gang boss is pretty good. The crazy gang members are also well suited for this trashy movie.
My summary captures it all think pretty well. There are ample bosoms exposed, butt cheeks galore (both male and female), copious amounts of spurting blood (including great oral discharges that signify a fatal wound I suppose), and the bad guys are really bad. Actually the good guys are pretty bad too.
Not the best but worth a look.
lots of groping
My summary captures it all think pretty well. There are ample bosoms exposed, butt cheeks galore (both male and female), copious amounts of spurting blood (including great oral discharges that signify a fatal wound I suppose), and the bad guys are really bad. Actually the good guys are pretty bad too.
Not the best but worth a look.
lots of groping
Excellent Japanese exploitation thriller!
The_Void9 January 2008
I'm not big on Asian cinema, but I went into this film with high expectations anyway considering all that I'd heard about it, and the film certainly didn't disappoint! It reminded me a lot of the Mario Bava masterpiece (and fellow 1974 release) "Rabid Dogs" and it's interesting to consider the difference in style between what are probably the world's two biggest cult film producing nations; the films handle similar topics, yet the style and execution couldn't be much more different. Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs is an exploitation thriller with themes of comedy, action and horror thrown into the mix. The central themes are rape, kidnap and murder and the film excellently blurs the lines between the good and bad guys. The central character is Rei; a lady cop who finds herself in jail after murdering an American diplomat as an act of revenge. Shortly afterwards, a politician's daughter is raped and, after realising who she is, the rapists turn kidnappers and hold the girl for ransom. The Government then has no choice but to send Rei in to kill the gang and rescue the girl...
The film kicks off with a gory cold blooded murder sequence and less than five minutes later there's a brutal rape sequence; which gives a good impression of what this film is all about! Director Yukio Noda really doesn't hold back where violence or blood is concerned and the film features several brutal scenes, most of which result in heavy blood loss - the spraying blood effect is a particular highlight! The central role of course goes to the beautiful Miki Sugimoto, who plays the 'zero woman' of the title. She's a very cool character and looks awesome chewing scenery in her long red coat; although I have to say that she becomes a bit of a disappointment as the film goes on - considering her introduction sequence, the character would have been put to much better use if she were given the upper hand over the kidnappers, rather than being constantly beaten down. Her weapon of choice is a pair of red handcuffs, which she somehow manages to kill people with...the result being 'interesting'. The mellow music really tops the film off; providing a stark contrast to the on screen action. Overall, this is not a perfect film by any means; but its good gory fun and certainly comes recommended to my fellow cult fans!
The film kicks off with a gory cold blooded murder sequence and less than five minutes later there's a brutal rape sequence; which gives a good impression of what this film is all about! Director Yukio Noda really doesn't hold back where violence or blood is concerned and the film features several brutal scenes, most of which result in heavy blood loss - the spraying blood effect is a particular highlight! The central role of course goes to the beautiful Miki Sugimoto, who plays the 'zero woman' of the title. She's a very cool character and looks awesome chewing scenery in her long red coat; although I have to say that she becomes a bit of a disappointment as the film goes on - considering her introduction sequence, the character would have been put to much better use if she were given the upper hand over the kidnappers, rather than being constantly beaten down. Her weapon of choice is a pair of red handcuffs, which she somehow manages to kill people with...the result being 'interesting'. The mellow music really tops the film off; providing a stark contrast to the on screen action. Overall, this is not a perfect film by any means; but its good gory fun and certainly comes recommended to my fellow cult fans!
one of the biggest accomplishment in Japanese exploitation cinema
clementtuffreau7 May 2006
When you discover Japanese exploitation cinema, it can give you headaches, cause there's so much of it, and people who love it tend to consider every piece of crap as a masterpiece, so its' really confusing. Its' hard to go into it. Nobody wrote a complete history of Japanese exploitation masterpieces, most of them are simple lists of hundreds of movies. Surely Female Scorpion 1, Stray Cat Rock 3, Criminal Woman and every Seijun Suzuki movies are at the center core of it, but i'm no specialist. And Red Hancuffs was perhaps the one that really convinced me even more than the others. Cause of its pure graphics (red upon green upon black upon red), and cause of its pure violence, which is less gratuitous than in other, ore included in the narration, more believable, and less grotesque than in Norifumi Suzuki's movies. Editing is as experimental as in other Japanese movies of the time : sometimes the sound disappears, sometimes it comes back, you got zooms and jump cuts and rotating cameras, but in the same time, you got also a true story that, despite its chaotic aspect, is quite good and nihilistic. Part of the anti-American thing is a little bit boring, but the movie is so graphic, so full of energy, so original, so beautiful and the music so brilliant that we have to consider this as a masterpiece. And Miki Sugimoto, who's playing a very blasé and cold femme fatale, is playing here what might be her best role.
Classic sexploitation
lastliberal29 July 2008
Slam Bang action at it's best. Finally, a Zero Woman I can enjoy.
It started off with action as she blasts a sicko in the groin, and the action doesn't let up as a thug gets out of prison and joins with his gang to rape a woman and turns her over to a whorehouse. They find out who she is and go for ransom.
Zero Woman is sent undercover to rescue the victim and kill everyone involved. What? Cops killing the bad guys? Yes, we can't let this kidnapping leak as it is the daughter of what could be Japan's future President.
As things progress, we see Bush's water-boarding, blow torches, vices, lots of blood and lots of breasts and many more rapes as these guys are pure scum.
The ending is not very pretty for Japan as it really shows politicians in a bad light. But, that is no different than here.
It started off with action as she blasts a sicko in the groin, and the action doesn't let up as a thug gets out of prison and joins with his gang to rape a woman and turns her over to a whorehouse. They find out who she is and go for ransom.
Zero Woman is sent undercover to rescue the victim and kill everyone involved. What? Cops killing the bad guys? Yes, we can't let this kidnapping leak as it is the daughter of what could be Japan's future President.
As things progress, we see Bush's water-boarding, blow torches, vices, lots of blood and lots of breasts and many more rapes as these guys are pure scum.
The ending is not very pretty for Japan as it really shows politicians in a bad light. But, that is no different than here.
Zero Woman practises zero tolerance.
BA_Harrison22 April 2012
Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs is 70s Japanese exploitation cinema at its finest, delivering everything that one could ask for from the genre—revenge, rape, murder, torture, gore, and a sexy under-cover policewoman in knee high leather boots with custom built red handgun and matching cuffs—all presented with a serious sense of cool by director Yukio Noda. If your tastes run to the sleazy, super-brutal, and ultra-stylish, this no-holds-barred slice of deliriously demented Asian entertainment will satisfy your cravings and then some.
Locked up by her bosses for avenging the death of a friend, Rei AKA Zero Woman (Miki Sugimoto) is asked to take on a high-risk mission in exchange for her release: rescue the kidnapped daughter of a top politician and eliminate the ruthless criminals involved. In order for her to complete the mission, Rei must go undercover to infiltrate the gang, thereby exposing herself to a dangerous world of sexual degradation and extreme violence—all in a day's work for Zero Woman!
Like many Pink films of the 70s, Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs is brimming with sex and violence, but what makes this film one of the best is that it continually tops itself in terms of jaw-dropping deviancy and eye-watering nastiness: just when you think it can't get any harsher, along comes another scene to prove you wrong; by the end of the film, all the women have either been raped or killed (or both) and blood is gushing everywhere.
One particularly chilling scene sees the cops torture a criminal for information, crushing his hand in a vice, almost drowning him with a hose pipe down the throat, and burning him with a blowtorch. Another sensational piece of nastiness involves the killing of a young member of the gang by his own brother, who cracks him over the head repeatedly with a bottle, the result being a gush of blood from his fractured skull. Other random violence includes assorted gory shotgun wounds, death by handcuffs (Rei's red cuffs designed to double as a weapon), and the burning of a room full of women taken hostage by the kidnappers (for fans of Shakespeare, however, the most disturbing scene will probably be the cold-blooded murder of Romeo and Juliet by a young Japanese actress: 'Lomeo, Lomeo, why are you call, Lomeo?').
The film's impressive, action packed climax takes place in a windswept ghost-town, where Rei settles the score with the last of the criminals AND her corrupt boss, before fulfilling her mission by escorting the traumatised kidnap victim to police headquarters, thereby earning her own freedom.
Locked up by her bosses for avenging the death of a friend, Rei AKA Zero Woman (Miki Sugimoto) is asked to take on a high-risk mission in exchange for her release: rescue the kidnapped daughter of a top politician and eliminate the ruthless criminals involved. In order for her to complete the mission, Rei must go undercover to infiltrate the gang, thereby exposing herself to a dangerous world of sexual degradation and extreme violence—all in a day's work for Zero Woman!
Like many Pink films of the 70s, Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs is brimming with sex and violence, but what makes this film one of the best is that it continually tops itself in terms of jaw-dropping deviancy and eye-watering nastiness: just when you think it can't get any harsher, along comes another scene to prove you wrong; by the end of the film, all the women have either been raped or killed (or both) and blood is gushing everywhere.
One particularly chilling scene sees the cops torture a criminal for information, crushing his hand in a vice, almost drowning him with a hose pipe down the throat, and burning him with a blowtorch. Another sensational piece of nastiness involves the killing of a young member of the gang by his own brother, who cracks him over the head repeatedly with a bottle, the result being a gush of blood from his fractured skull. Other random violence includes assorted gory shotgun wounds, death by handcuffs (Rei's red cuffs designed to double as a weapon), and the burning of a room full of women taken hostage by the kidnappers (for fans of Shakespeare, however, the most disturbing scene will probably be the cold-blooded murder of Romeo and Juliet by a young Japanese actress: 'Lomeo, Lomeo, why are you call, Lomeo?').
The film's impressive, action packed climax takes place in a windswept ghost-town, where Rei settles the score with the last of the criminals AND her corrupt boss, before fulfilling her mission by escorting the traumatised kidnap victim to police headquarters, thereby earning her own freedom.
Excellent noir-crime movie with a worship worthy goddess as the protagonist
TooKakkoiiforYou_32127 March 2021
Which is what you're mostly interested in when watching this kind of movies. The rape scenes are mostly implied than factual, like I think it applies to most of the output of this genre, and that is perfectly ok if you're like me and don't generally like rape as a plot point. Excellent camerawork and good acting overall complete the package. Recommended.
SLEAZY & BLOODY
themidnitekrawlr-299186 January 2021
Classic Japanese Crime Flick
sydneyswesternsuburbs12 August 2011
Director Yukio Noda has created a gem in Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs 1974.
Starring Miki Sigimoto.
Also starring Eliji Go who has also been in other classic Japanese crime flicks, The Yakuza 1974 and Graveyard of Honor 1975.
Also starring Tetsuro Tanba who has also been in another classic flick, Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky 1991.
I enjoyed the violence.
If you enjoyed this as much as I did then check out other classic Japanese crime flicks, American Dragons 1998, True Vengeance 1997, American Yakuza 1993, Blue Tiger 1994, Branded to Kill 1967, Brother 2000, Crying Freeman 1995, Fudoh: The New Generation 1996, Hypnosis 1999, Ichi the Killer 2001, The Machine Girl 2008, Outrage 2010, Showdown in Little Tokyo 1991, The Streetfighter 1974, Tokyo Gore Police 2008 Outrage Beyond 2012, Darc 2018 and Violent Cop 1989.
Starring Miki Sigimoto.
Also starring Eliji Go who has also been in other classic Japanese crime flicks, The Yakuza 1974 and Graveyard of Honor 1975.
Also starring Tetsuro Tanba who has also been in another classic flick, Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky 1991.
I enjoyed the violence.
If you enjoyed this as much as I did then check out other classic Japanese crime flicks, American Dragons 1998, True Vengeance 1997, American Yakuza 1993, Blue Tiger 1994, Branded to Kill 1967, Brother 2000, Crying Freeman 1995, Fudoh: The New Generation 1996, Hypnosis 1999, Ichi the Killer 2001, The Machine Girl 2008, Outrage 2010, Showdown in Little Tokyo 1991, The Streetfighter 1974, Tokyo Gore Police 2008 Outrage Beyond 2012, Darc 2018 and Violent Cop 1989.
See also
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