Rape and revenge films
Encyclopedia
Rape and revenge films are a subgenre of exploitation film
that was particularly popular in the 1970s. Rape/revenge movies generally follow the same three act structure
:
In some cases, the woman is killed at the end of the first act, and the "revenge" is carried out by her family, as in The Virgin Spring
and the original The Last House on the Left
, which was inspired by the former movie. The Virgin Spring is particularly notable as being arguably the first in the genre as well as being directed by Ingmar Bergman
.
In 2006, Rogue Pictures finalized a deal to remake The Last House on the Left. Wes Craven
(writer and producer of the original film) produced the remake
, starring Tony Goldwyn
and Monica Potter
. The 2009 film Run! Bitch Run! is set in the late 1970’s. In 2010, the controversial film I Spit on Your Grave was remade
starring Sarah Butler
and Chad Lindberg
. It was released worldwide on Halloween by CineTel Films.
In Gaspar Noé
's 2002 film Irréversible, the structure was reversed, with the first act depicting the revenge before tracing back the events which led to that point. Roger Ebert
argues that by using this structure, as well as a false revenge, Irréversible cannot be classified as an exploitation film, as no exploitation of the subject matter takes place.
The genre has attracted critical attention. Much of this critical attention comes from feminist critics examining the complex politics involved in the genre and its impact on cinema more generally. More recently, a broad analysis of the rape-revenge genre and concept was published in Rape-Revenge Films: A Critical Study, by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. The book argues against a simplistic notion of the term 'rape-revenge' and suggests a film-specific approach in order to avoid generalizing films which may "diverge not over the treatment of sexual assault as much as they do in regards to the morality of the revenge act."
In addition to U.S. and French films, rape/revenge films have been made in Japan (e.g., Takashi Ishii
's Freeze Me
), Finland,, Russia, Argentina (e.g., "I'll Never Die Alone" (2008)(original title - No Moriré Sola), and Norway (e.g., "The Whore" (2009)(original title - Hora).
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
that was particularly popular in the 1970s. Rape/revenge movies generally follow the same three act structure
Three act structure
The Three-Act Structure is a model used in writing and evaluating modern storytelling which divides a screenplay into a three parts called the Setup, the Confrontation and the Resolution.- Structure :...
:
- Act I: A woman is raped/gang raped, tortureTortureTorture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
d, and left for dead. - Act II: The woman survives and rehabilitatesRehabilitation (neuropsychology)Rehabilitation of sensory and cognitive function typically involves methods for retraining neural pathways or training new neural pathways to regain or improve neurocognitive functioning that has been diminished by disease or traumatic injury....
herself. - Act III: The woman takes revengeRevengeRevenge is a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. It is also called payback, retribution, retaliation or vengeance; it may be characterized, justly or unjustly, as a form of justice.-Function in society:Some societies believe that the...
and kills her rapist or rapists.
In some cases, the woman is killed at the end of the first act, and the "revenge" is carried out by her family, as in The Virgin Spring
The Virgin Spring
The Virgin Spring is a 1960 Swedish drama film directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set in medieval Sweden, it is a revenge tale about a father's merciless response to the rape and murder of his young daughter. The story was adapted by screenwriter Ulla Isaksson from a 13th century Swedish ballad, "Töres...
and the original The Last House on the Left
The Last House on the Left (1972 film)
The Last House on the Left is a 1972 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Sean S. Cunningham.The story is inspired by the 1960 Swedish film The Virgin Spring, directed by Ingmar Bergman, which in turn is based on the 13th century Swedish ballad "Töres döttrar i Wänge"...
, which was inspired by the former movie. The Virgin Spring is particularly notable as being arguably the first in the genre as well as being directed by Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...
.
In 2006, Rogue Pictures finalized a deal to remake The Last House on the Left. Wes Craven
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
(writer and producer of the original film) produced the remake
The Last House on the Left (2009 film)
The Last House on the Left is a 2009 American film directed by Dennis Iliadis and written by Carl Ellsworth and Adam Alleca. It is a remake of the 1972 film of the same name, and stars Monica Potter, Tony Goldwyn, Garret Dillahunt, and Sara Paxton...
, starring Tony Goldwyn
Tony Goldwyn
Anthony Howard "Tony" Goldwyn is an American actor and director. He portrayed the villain Carl Bruner in Ghost, Colonel Bagley in The Last Samurai, and the voice of the title character of the Disney animated Tarzan.-Early life:...
and Monica Potter
Monica Potter
Monica Potter is an American film and television actress.-Early life:Potter, one of four daughters, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to an Irish American Roman Catholic family. Her father, Paul Brokaw, was the inventor of the first flame-resistant car wax, and her mother, Nancy, was a secretary....
. The 2009 film Run! Bitch Run! is set in the late 1970’s. In 2010, the controversial film I Spit on Your Grave was remade
I Spit on Your Grave (2010 film)
I Spit on Your Grave is a 2010 American rape and revenge horror film, and a remake of the controversial 1978 cult film of the same name. It was directed by Steven R...
starring Sarah Butler
Sarah Butler
Sarah Butler is an American actress. She stars in the 2010 film I Spit on Your Grave, a remake of the controversial 1978 film of the same title.-Biography:...
and Chad Lindberg
Chad Lindberg
Chad Tyler Lindberg is an American actor. He is best known for his film role as Jesse in The Fast and the Furious and for a rape scene in the 2010 remake I Spit On Your Grave.-Life and career:...
. It was released worldwide on Halloween by CineTel Films.
In Gaspar Noé
Gaspar Noé
Gaspar Noé is an Argentine filmmaker and the son of Argentine painter and intellectual Luis Felipe Noé. He graduated from Louis Lumière College and is the visiting professor of film at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland...
's 2002 film Irréversible, the structure was reversed, with the first act depicting the revenge before tracing back the events which led to that point. Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
argues that by using this structure, as well as a false revenge, Irréversible cannot be classified as an exploitation film, as no exploitation of the subject matter takes place.
The genre has attracted critical attention. Much of this critical attention comes from feminist critics examining the complex politics involved in the genre and its impact on cinema more generally. More recently, a broad analysis of the rape-revenge genre and concept was published in Rape-Revenge Films: A Critical Study, by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. The book argues against a simplistic notion of the term 'rape-revenge' and suggests a film-specific approach in order to avoid generalizing films which may "diverge not over the treatment of sexual assault as much as they do in regards to the morality of the revenge act."
In addition to U.S. and French films, rape/revenge films have been made in Japan (e.g., Takashi Ishii
Takashi Ishii
is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He has directed several pinku eiga erotic films, but his most notable feature was the 1995 nihilistic crime thriller Gonin starring Takeshi Kitano.-Director: is a Japanese film director and screenwriter...
's Freeze Me
Freeze Me
, or Freezer, is a 2000 Japanese film by director Takashi Ishii. This film stars Harumi Inoue as Chihiro, a rape victim who tries to live a normal life, only to be visited several years later by her three rapists in her apartment and raped again....
), Finland,, Russia, Argentina (e.g., "I'll Never Die Alone" (2008)(original title - No Moriré Sola), and Norway (e.g., "The Whore" (2009)(original title - Hora).
Examples in film
- I Spit On Your GraveI Spit On Your GraveDay of the Woman is a 1978 controversial rape revenge film. The film received a limited release, with a wider release in 1980. Prominent film critics condemned the film for its graphic violence and lengthy depictions of gang rape, and the motion picture remains controversial to this day...
- LipstickLipstick (film)Lipstick is a 1976 drama film directed by Lamont Johnson. Starring Margaux and Mariel Hemingway, it contains one of the most infamous scenes in motion picture history, showing an extremely graphic rape scene.- Plot :...
- Thriller - A Cruel Picture
- Death WishDeath Wish (film)Death Wish is a 1974 crime thriller film loosely based on the novel Death Wish by Brian Garfield. The film was directed by Michael Winner and stars Charles Bronson as Paul Kersey, a man who becomes a vigilante after his wife is murdered and his daughter is sexually assaulted by muggers.The film was...
- Straw Dogs
- Ms. 45Ms. 45Ms. 45, also known as Angel of Vengeance, is a 1981 American low-budget exploitation film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Zoë Tamerlis Lund...
- Sudden ImpactSudden ImpactSudden Impact is a 1983 American crime thriller and the fourth film in the Dirty Harry series, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood...
- Baise-moiBaise-moiBaise-moi is a French film co-directed by Virginie Despentes and Coralie Trinh Thi, released in 2000. It is based on the novel by Despentes, first published in 1999. The film received intense media coverage because of its graphic mix of violence and explicit sex scenes...
- ¡Dispara!¡Dispara!Dispara! is a 1993 Spanish film directed by Carlos Saura, starring Francesca Neri and Antonio Banderas. The story is a revenge tragedy.-Plot:...
- IrréversibleIrréversibleIrréversible is a 2002 French drama film written and directed by Gaspar Noé, starring Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel and Albert Dupontel. The film employs a non-linear narrative and follows two men as they try to avenge a brutally raped girlfriend...
- Coward of the County
- Thelma & Louise
- ExtremitiesExtremities (film)Extremities is a 1986 film starring Farrah Fawcett, Alfre Woodard, Diana Scarwid and James Russo. It was adapted from the successful, yet controversial, 1982 off-Broadway play by William Mastrosimone. Farrah Fawcett had also appeared in the play to great critical acclaim, taking over a role...
- The Last House On The LeftThe Last House on the LeftThe Last House on the Left is a 1972 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Sean S. Cunningham.The story is inspired by the 1960 Swedish film The Virgin Spring, directed by Ingmar Bergman, which in turn is based on the 13th century Swedish ballad "Töres döttrar i Wänge"...
- Kill Bill Volume 1