A young woman (Camille Keaton) is spotted by a group of men while writing near a river. Not much later, things go from tranquil to nightmarish for her... where do you go after you reach the lowest possible point in your life?
The director's commentary with Mier Zarchi begins by revisiting the history and controversy over the film -- is it a story that is sick and makes woman out to be nothing more than a sexual object, or is it a feminist film where the "day of the woman" allows the victim to strike back?
Zarchi finally reveals the film's inspiration: in the early 1970s, he and his friend Alex Pfau (a protégé of Roman Polanski) witnessed a rape victim after the fact, her body naked, bloody and broken. They brought the young woman to the police, but allegedly the officer on duty was not very concerned. At this point the director realized that being questioned by the police is not the solution to the rape -- at least not yet -- but the continuation of it.
The film is certainly the most explicit up to the time it was made, and some might even say up until today. Those who do not know what to expect may be very shocked by this film if they see it uncut. Then again, even cut, it is a shocking film -- what would be a two minute scene in some films goes on over an hour here.
Mike Mayo praises the film to a point, but considers it "crude and single-minded" and suggests viewers check out Abel Ferrara's "Ms. 45". Indeed, the film has a pretty thin plot, but its point is clear, and even the attackers get fleshed out a bit in the second half.
What should we make of the church scene? Can you reconcile Christian beliefs with murder or revenge? That is not a question I choose to answer, but certainly a question raised by this film, whether intentionally or otherwise.
The film is a natural step from "Last House on the Left", actually upping the ante. And Camille Keaton has to be honored for such dark subject matter and tackling it head-on. This could have been a career killer, and perhaps it was, though it has sealed her place in cult film history.
There is also a 29-minute special feature called "The Values of Vengeance" which is insightful, though does not cover much the commentary does not. Of course, if you want to actually see Meir Zarchi's face, here is your chance. And you will hear a nice story about Wizard Video's shrewd business dealings.
The director's commentary with Mier Zarchi begins by revisiting the history and controversy over the film -- is it a story that is sick and makes woman out to be nothing more than a sexual object, or is it a feminist film where the "day of the woman" allows the victim to strike back?
Zarchi finally reveals the film's inspiration: in the early 1970s, he and his friend Alex Pfau (a protégé of Roman Polanski) witnessed a rape victim after the fact, her body naked, bloody and broken. They brought the young woman to the police, but allegedly the officer on duty was not very concerned. At this point the director realized that being questioned by the police is not the solution to the rape -- at least not yet -- but the continuation of it.
The film is certainly the most explicit up to the time it was made, and some might even say up until today. Those who do not know what to expect may be very shocked by this film if they see it uncut. Then again, even cut, it is a shocking film -- what would be a two minute scene in some films goes on over an hour here.
Mike Mayo praises the film to a point, but considers it "crude and single-minded" and suggests viewers check out Abel Ferrara's "Ms. 45". Indeed, the film has a pretty thin plot, but its point is clear, and even the attackers get fleshed out a bit in the second half.
What should we make of the church scene? Can you reconcile Christian beliefs with murder or revenge? That is not a question I choose to answer, but certainly a question raised by this film, whether intentionally or otherwise.
The film is a natural step from "Last House on the Left", actually upping the ante. And Camille Keaton has to be honored for such dark subject matter and tackling it head-on. This could have been a career killer, and perhaps it was, though it has sealed her place in cult film history.
There is also a 29-minute special feature called "The Values of Vengeance" which is insightful, though does not cover much the commentary does not. Of course, if you want to actually see Meir Zarchi's face, here is your chance. And you will hear a nice story about Wizard Video's shrewd business dealings.