'I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE' - re-make REVIEW


(Jennifer Hills takes revenge on one of her attackers)


Most of you should know the story. City girl, Jennifer Hills, goes to a remote lakehouse cabin to finish her second novel. Five men break into the house, attack and rape her. She then takes revenge on each of the men in turn, including an infamous castration scene.

I've just recently reviewed the re-make of the infamous, and at one time, banned, grindhouse exploitation revenge horror 'I Spit on Your Grave.' I've spoken to a lot of women about this movie, and would like to hear others thoughts.

Is the film empowering to women? Does it take a feminist viewpoint? Is it just vulger? Is it both? What's your opinion?

...............
in a word, manky

Lisa, how do you think it represents women though. Is it a good thing that she takes the revenge? Does it empower her? Or is as bad as the villains? I find this area of topic quite a grey one - though I do think she deserves her revenge.

I refuse to watch this movie. My boyfriend loves horror and seems to think this is cool. My feeling is it's not empowering. It would make you even more hateful in the end. I've heard the best revenge in any situation is becoming the best you can be. Moving on and living an amazing life despite something like this.

Have you seen that one with Gerard Butler (Law Abiding Citizen) where he takes revenge on his wife's killer? That was intense but I could totally see myself losing it like that if the crime involved a person I loved dearly.

I agree with Monica on this one.

That movie appears to be an excuse for gratuitous nudity, shameless violence, and mere spank fuel for *some twisted members of* the male population.

I saw the Siskel & Ebert episode where they reviewed the original "I Spit On Your Grave". I'm shocked this movie was remade.

I haven't seen the original nor will I see the current version. I try to steer clear of movies with rape scenes. Although, I will say I did watch "A Time To Kill" and the rape scene of a young girl (under 10) was handled with blurred views of the sky woods and trees.

I've seen 'Law Abiding Citizen' - so does that mean you're more comfortable with a man getting revenge, or that you can imagine getting revenge for a loved one but not for yourself? I don't think succeeding would do anything for the men in this movie Monica. The female character is already a successful novelist.

I actually said much of the same in my review Lisa, apart from the nudity. To take an alternative view though, all the men are brutally murdered by the woman - she even "rapes" one of them with a shotgun. So from the whole movie, but especially the second half, the male viewers are forced into seeing it from the womans point of view. Through gender crossover identification. So they're made to feel empathy for the woman. The woman is shown as stronger. Isn't there an argument that she is empowered? Especially in the original film.

I gather you haven't seen the films, and Monica says she hasn't. Anyone seen either the original or re-make?

Jeanne - I've seen that movie too. It's very good, and I personally feel that rape should only be suggested in film - never shown. They did that quite well I recall in that movie.

Monica, your b/f isn't right about this movie, but he has good taste in genres LOL. Horror films say more about our society and culture than any other type of film. They've also empowered women more than any other type of genre over the years (though in the last decade we haven't seen much of that.)

I don't think I have to actually see the movie if what you say is truly the premise. A woman reacting with violence and acting in the exact same brutal manner that was done to her is -not- empowering. She just degraded herself into behavior that she didn't like done to her.

I think it was Martin Luther King who said "an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind."

*olive branch*

I tried to search if you'd written on the movie Final Destination and I couldn't find it. Although horror movies aren't really my thing, I like the suspense ones like Final Destination 1 and 3. Have you ever seen them?

There was no disrespect meant at all. I just wanted to hear from anyone who's seen the films/either version - because then they're in a better place to judge IMO. They saw how the movie was shot, if it was gratuitous. If the script was good. How it dealt with the story line etc.

So, no direspect intended Lisa - I hated this movie for the most part anyway - but I've seen it. Because... actually I do think you should see a film before you judge/condem it to whatever your thoughts are on the plot. Reading the plot of a film, say for example - 'The Accused' doesn't sound good written down - it sounds awful and gratuitous. Then you watch it and it's brilliant, and you see that certain scenes serve a point, for you to have empathy for the character.

I disagree to an extent, in the fact that I think revenge is sometimes the only way to go, and I think it would make you feel much better (in honesty all honesty) - despite the PC world we live in. If someone killed someone I loved, I could completley understand getting revenge on that person.

Yeah, Lisa, of course I've seen the 'Final Destination' movies I have mentioned them quite a bit on the site and reviewed a few of them. I really like the first one because it was by miles the best IMO, but I also liked the third. They both had the strongest characters/ plot - and they were just awesome movies. The second one is okay but I think the fourth is just utter rubbish - they should have left it alone after the third movie, I think

Here is a feminist review of the original film I found on the net to give a better understanding of the original film, and to give an argument from someone else who has seen the original movie, which is also known as 'Day of the woman.'

"Director Meir Zarchi was inspired by two reasons to make "the day of the woman." Two reasons that came from one real life experience. In autumn of October 1974, New York City, Zarchi was driving past a park with his eight-year-old daughter and a friend, when he saw a young woman, naked and bloodied, crawling out of some bushes. He stopped the car to get out and help her, and learned that she had just been raped. After dropping off his daughter first, Meir Zarchi and his friend decided to take the traumatized rape victim to the police rather than the hospital; their way of thinking that, they did not want the attackers to escape and rape again. It was quickly apparent to them that they had made the wrong decision; they were shocked by the treatment of the woman by an officer Zarchi described as �not fit to wear the uniform.� She was delayed for considerable time to be taken to the hospital, while the incompetent officer showed little understanding by making her follow procedure; like getting her to state her full name even though she could hardly speak because her jaw was broken. How many women do we hear of who lose court cases because they�ve been wearing a short skirt, as if they were somehow asking for the rape to be commited? It�s a gigantic proportion of rape victims who get no justice at all. So taking the original from a feminist view, that�s a strong argument for the original films feminist point it wanted to make.

Not at one point at all is it raunchy or titillating; rape is sexual violence, not the joys of sex between mutual consenting adults. Meir Zarchi succeeds in his execution of making these sequences completely repellent in witnessing these inhumane acts � not once are the perpetrators portrayed as likable and sympathetic; they are what they are � disgusting ugly pigs! There is no way any sound-minded humane male viewers could identify with these animals.

I mean, I certainly do not have these feelings about these scenes; Meir Zarchi achieves with me in what he sets out to do � to make me feel immensely revolted! The extensive rape set-pieces are there as feminist cinema to show us the vulgarity of these evil acts committed on women. As I said before, they are not there to turn us on, and the rapists are just loathsome; also, Jennifer is shown intentionally to be an intelligent, strong, and a good-hearted woman and the men are depicted as the lower common denominator � basic intellect and a total lack of humanity. One character, Matthew, is even retarded.

Because of these portrayals of the characters and the grim violence of the rape sequences, we are constantly looking at it from the female gaze."

point made. I shouldn't offer opinions on a movie I do not ever want to watch.

Note - the poster requested that her post be removed from this thread.

Actually Deb,

I find what you say very offensive, old fashioned and sad. Firstly, why would I assume your crazy? Secondly, why would I not understand it? The only thing I don't understand is why you would think these two things. I'm gathering you didn't read my actual review where I stated many of the points you just did. I can't have a discussion on a film if no-one has seen the film.

Men and women are different to an extent. However, I don't think men and women are as different as you say they are. I do think the media would like us to think that, and perhaps in some areas and places in the world men and women are these huge polar opposites. I think everyones different, but I also think we're the same. There are huge exceptions in gender, especially these days where the lines are blurring more and more.

All women are different, and I know many women who aren't as you described at all: "Women, we are the softness, the nurturers, and the healers." That's a huge stereotype which can do as much damage as it can do good. It keeps women in a safe little box. What about women fighting in wars alongside men? Women who murder? Women who are abusive? I think women can be many different things. They can hold every attribute a man does, and vice versa. They can also hold everything negative that a man can, and vice versa.

Believe me, I do not have any lack of understanding of the female species, and I find that comment very, very insulting. I've been brought up by women, I've never had any male role models as a child or adult. All my family is female and all my heroes are female - so sorry, but you are grossly incorrect.

I'm actually glad I brought this subject up in one way, because it's got people talking. I'm hurt on the other hand, because it's meant to be a discussion on a fictional film. Everyone's giving opinions, but no-ones seen it. It's ironic. The question over this film being feminist or not has been going since 1978, I'm just asking the question again to get horror movie fans to discuss it.

Now, not only is my gender getting insulted for the second time, but I don't like the fact at all that you've personally insulted me several times. You're not painting the picture of this stereotypical "softness" of the women you talk about, just a sexist one, not only against men, but women as well - in my opinion.

Since we're not discussing an actual film. Which is, after all, the point of this forum. Perhaps Deb, you would like to see that women DO take revenge on their rapists - and I say, good for them.

Here are several news articles Deb on women who have taken revenge on their rapists. It seems to me this film is not so far fetched at all, thank-you for teaching me this. I never would have done so much research without your words.

Women's Revenge On Rapists

One man here was stabbed and stoned to death by a mob led by raped women. According to the women, he had raped young girls and pregnant women and sent his henchmen to extort money - he wasn't punished by the law. Prominent among their supporters were 100 lawyers based in Nagpur who issued a statement saying the women should not be treated as the accused, but as the victims.

In another case here, two men accused of extortion and sex abuse were killed after demanding a local woman hand over cash for protection. When she refused they tried to strip her. Before they could leave the area, both were attacked by a group of women and beaten. One man died instantly, the other later in hospital.

Woman gets ultimate revenge on Rapist

This woman castrated the man that tried to rape her.

Woman avenges rape by Tattoo

This woman drugged her attacker and tattoed rapist on his [censored].

Now, I think we can see that some women, actually - a lot of women take revenge on their attackers, and when the law does nothing. Why shouldn't they? It certainly makes a much more compelling argument for this film as realistic.

I have seen both movies, the original and the remake. My first question is what kind of woman would take a solitary retreat into the woods, miles away from anyone? First big mistake! Second mistake, sunbathing half naked and waving to strange men, in secluded woods etc. etc. Anyway...

The rape scenes were nasty! I agree they are jerk off scenes for perverts. The revenge scenes, just as nasty. Justified? How she managed to set up all the twists and traps... no idea. Would I go to the trouble... no! Sit back and wait for karma to happen. She must have lost her soul when they repeatedly raped and soddomised her and I can see why she took revenge. She was certainly empowered in the film, but realistically what woman would be left alive after facing that kind of brutality?

These films show how vulnerable both sexes are when our liberty is taken away and we are the subject of someone else's whims. They also show what sick minds human beings have.

DO NOT CALL MY FRIEND CRAZY FOR OFFERING HER GENUINE OPINION! Please do NOT invalidate her opinion, nor insult it. I accepted that you stomped on my opinion, but don't do it to my friends. If you edit this message, I'm still keeping this original saved for exact wording.
PLEASE RESPECT THE OPINIONS of all the people on this forum, not just the ones that agree with you. That's part of an editor's job is to accept others opinions--especially when in disagreement.

I edited what you said because it was extremley sexist. Where do I call her crazy, I asked her WHY would she think I thought she was crazy??????????? All I recall is constant insults coming my way for posing a question. I now see she has completley CHANGED her post at 1.45 today - if she can't stick by what she said she should apologise.

How very crafty/childish of you both. This is actually getting quite ridiculous. I don't know what you're reading, but it is not what is written.

Thank-you Linda, I completley agree. Maybe some of the other people here would see that if they actually read the review instead of making this about themselves and some ulterior motive.

Dear Lisa, Steve is not calling Deb crazy. He replied to her own statement, which was "Hopefully, there is a glimmer of insight for you other than I'm crazy, which I assure you - I am not." He is asking her "why would I assume you are crazy?" because she brought that up. Knowing Steve for as long as I have, he would not be so rude as to call anyone crazy in an open forum.

With all due respect to everyone in this discussion and their personal opinions, I must say I agree with Steve on many points.

Lisa, I so admire you and Deb for many reasons and you know I consider you a very good friend. We have had many chats and often help each other.

I also greatly admire Steve for the way he handles his forum. He is the moderator here and has the right to run this forum his way. It is unseemly I think for anyone to attack him and shout at him and threaten him. I do believe a private message to him about your feelings would have been more appropriate.

In my opinion, Steve is not disrespecting anyone. If I were him, I would be very frustrated and upset that all who have responded have not seen the movie and may have not even read his review on the movie. Only one person so far, (Linda), has seen both movies that Steve asked for an opinion on and answered his original question. I have been following this thread and find that Steve has been doing an excellent job of listening and responding to everyone. He is doing so in a professional manner and even thanks Deb for bringing up a point that motivated him to do further research. I believe he is respecting everyone's opinion even though they are different than his own. He, too, has the right to express his opinion.

It is unfair to attack an editor here who is doing what his job calls for. His reason for being here is to review movies then open a discussion on a movie to get opinions of horror movie fans. I think it admirable that he is able to conduct this discussion in the way he is doing even though he has been side-tracked and taken away from the purpose of this thread.

In all honesty and my apologies, Steve, I have not seen the remake or the original movie - but I do have an opinion on revenge due to what my daughter and I went through.

Lisa, if you feel I have offended you or Deb, please send me a private message and we can discuss it there so as not to take this thread any further off topic.

Thank you so much Phyllis for your kind words, you're a true friend and a very intelligent woman :)I highly respect your opinion.

It must have been very difficult to share that story and I'm upset that you had to. Very upset that you had to. I appreciate your brutal honesty with this though, it shows that people do have different reactions to this terrible form of attack. I also think you did an incredibly brave and kind thing by discussing it here. I appreciate it a lot. You don't have to justify your feelings and it doen't matter that you haven't seen the films as you had better intentions with your words, and we were already way off topic anyway. Thank-you again


I don't know why this topic has gone so crazy off track. I do obviously understand that rape is a very tender subject and that ppl have strong feelings about it. There is a forum to discuss rape & it's best discussed there instead of the horror movie section. However, we are meant to be discussing a fictional film. A film that only one person who commented has seen. If no-one has anything constructive to say regarding the actual films, then I see no point in debating if women should take revenge or not - that's a personal choice. Many women have taken revenge/many more haven't.

I would also like to say that I was hurt and angry at the remarks made toward me and my gender - which were either completley incorrect or very disrespectful and stereotypical. I will not have sexisim toward women or men in my forum though. I personally view both sexes as equal, and all humans as individuals - not stereotypes of any kind.

If anyone who has seen the film/s would like to continue this discussion of course that's fine. However, I really don't see the need for any more of this ridiculous behaviour which is completley off topic.

Hopefully that will be the end of the discussions about other things - which are better suited to other parts of the forum. I want to thank Phyllis once again for sharing her story which is obviously very personal to her. I respect you greatly

As you wish Phyllis.

I am brand new to the forums, and this is my first post. Firstly, I have seen both versions of the film, and I agree partially with your review of the remake. The lead character seemed almost superhuman when taking her revenge on the men. Now if she had been a physicist or some kind of mechanical engineer, the ending might have made sense; still, I thought the revenge scenes detracted from the realism in the film. The original film displayed a very realistic character who exacted her revenge in a very realistic way. Couple that with the newly burgeoning feminist movement of that era, and you have a rather haunting tale that leaves viewers wondering if it might be based on fact. Now to answer the questions posed: [quote]Is the film empowering to women?[/quote] I believe the remake of the film does not empower women. Viewers will simply throw it on the huge pile of graphic and sexually explicit films already exist (such as Saw, Hostel, etc). The original film is extremely empowering...in the wrong way. It empowers women to take matters into their own hands instead of bringing it to the authorities. [quote]Does it take a feminist viewpoint?[/quote] The remake does not take a feminist viewpoint, in my opinion. There are already thousands of horror movies that take mutilation and torture to a twisted, uncomfortable level; the idea that a woman could take vengeance on her attackers does not have the same shock value as it did back in the sixties and seventies. The original film, in my opinion, does not take a feminist viewpoint. If the lead character had tried to go to the authorities yet they did not take her seriously, then the vengeance might have had a feminist slant to it. A woman taking vengeance on her attackers simply demonstrates that her trauma pushed her to a psychological breaking point but not that she was empowered because she is a woman. [quote]Is it just vulger? Is it both? What's your opinion?[/quote] The remake was extremely vulgar; that was the point, I think. That was also another reason the remake was not very realistic. The traps were too clever, the men were too "evil"(by this, I mean there was no remorse at all, except that mentally retarded one), and the girl was too psychotic. The original film was also extremely vulgar; however, it was that very vulgarity that made it hauntingly realistic. The rape scenes were, indeed, extremely nauseating, and they seemed to go on and on; it brought the unwilling audience through that girl's humiliation, suffering, and fear, and helped the audience to understand why the girl took vengeance the way she did. My opinion is that the original "I Spit on your Grave" was a well-made film, aside from the fact that it was difficult to stomach; however, it sent the wrong message to women. The remake of "I Spit on your Grave" was just another horror movie and is not empowering at all.

For the sake of the peace I apologize to you and Phyllis.

I hope you don't think I wrote the above piece LMAO. I was thinking that perhaps you did or your friend? I'm going to ask Lisa or Jeanne to get the IP address of this "new" mystery person. I'm sick to death of this darn subject and this seems too covieniant for my liking.

If you are new to bellaonline, I apologise. This doesn't ring true to me though ATM.

Let me save you the trouble. I know and live with Lisa-Appalachia. She has been raving for a while about BellaOnline and how nice everyone is, but I wasn't really interested in joining a new forum. She started mentioning things such as ethnic beauty and Islamic spirituality, but these weren't topics in which I was interested. Today, she asked me about the movie you reviewed, and it peeked my interest, mostly because I have seen both versions of the movie. Not many people can step back from the controversial material and analyze it, and I was curious to know if you had that ability. So I read your review, and posted the above. Please don't take this as an insult or any kind of attack, but had I been a completely new individual, that kind of a "welcome" would have put me off to posting anything else on these forums.

Dear group -

I am making this post as the owner of BellaOnline. We are nearing our 10 year anniversary of running this site and forums as an editor-run website. A key aspect of our focus is on handling all topics, including challenging ones, with respect and appreciation for opposing points of view.

This was clearly a thread on a very sensitive topic. Yes, it's "just a movie" - however, movies help us think about and discuss real life issues that are important to us. A movie about whale hunting is not necessarily just a 1.5 hr entertainment we watch and forget. It can be something that stays with us for years and changes how we live our life.

We all have different opinions and points of view. I think when people talk about calm topics such as blue vs green or sweats vs jeans that it is easier to listen to opposing opinions. When the topic becomes emotionally stressful, then emotions are already wound so tightly that differences become trigger points.

I think it's fair to say that some women are soft and nurturing, while others are hard and sharp. Women come in a myriad of styles. Some love shooting automatic weapons. Some love playing Grand Theft Auto. Some abuse their children. Millions of women in Africa cut their daughters' genitals with glass and then sew them shut. Millions more iron their girls' breasts down flat. Women can tell their daughters they're fat, ugly, and stupid.

Yes, many women dream of gratuitous revenge. I've heard women say they've dreamt of becoming an assassin, that they'd love to be a female James Bond, and that they'd love to be a vigilante. I've heard many women say they're glad they never had kids because they simply don't enjoy them.

I've also of course heard many women say they adore kids, women say they love being a nurse or teacher, and women say they are happy staying at home and tending to the cooking and cleaning.

Women are multidimensional. They are a kaleidoscope. There is not one way of thinking about women. Only 100 years ago women were barred from attending college because their brains were "not up to the challenge." People thought men's brains and women's brains were enormously different. Now we know that much of it is related to training from infancy. If you give a group of adults an infant and tell them "this is a girl" then they will treat that infant demonstrably more gently and softly than a matching boy.

If you look at how girls are "expected" to play, their play is cooperative. A girl who is aggressive is ostracized and trained to fit in. In comparison, when you look at how boys are "expected" to play, they're expected to excel and taken on leadership roles. The top boy is celebrated. He becomes the captain and gets rewards.

All of these are great topics for other forum areas. We can talk at length about sociology issues in the Women's Rights area, for example.

In this thread, about this specific movie, then it makes sense for people to have seen the movie in order to be able to talk about it. The topic is the movie.

If forum members have different ideas about how girls and boys are socialized to behave a different way - and how that differs from culture to culture - that would be great! We have forums where that type of topic is handled and all points of view are welcome.

I'd ask that in a movie forum that we have the main focus on the movie in question. If someone hasn't seen that movie, then there are plenty of other movies under discussion in the forum system which can be chimed in on!

If anyone has questions, suggestions, or comments on my post, please feel free to email me personally! I'd ask that you email me rather than forum-PMming me - I do not frequently check the forum PM area.

I personally have not seen this movie.

Sincerely,

Lisa that was eloquent and succinct. Thank you for making the very point that I blundered around and botched. It's exactly how I feel, yet couldn't express except through anger. Sorry to derail the thread.

I want to thank Lisa Shea here. She has been able to communicate her thoughts and feelings regarding this thread and people's opinions brilliantly and with intellect and a ggod heart. I obviously agree with everything she has said.



That's fine. I haven't taken it as a personal attack & I wouldn't have liked a welcome like that either. I was 99% sure of your exsisting knowledge of the debate. It didn't exactly take a genius to realize that you were somehow involved with Lisa Appalachia LOL. I gather you didn't tell her you were joining from her shock? I would have gone through your thoughts and views on the film, but obviously, that isn't appropriate now.

If you're a horror fan however. It would be great to hear what your favorite horror film is and why? There's another thread for that here at the horror movie section.

One thing I will say is that 'I spit on your grave' is a brilliant film for bringing up people's opinons/feelings and thoughts on rape/revenge and womens place in society. Where at one time I looked completley down on the material. The opinions which were so passionately displayed here just at the topic name and plot alone, tell me that the film is very important, simply because of the way it gets people debating these subjects. Subjects which should be discussed and not hidden, as long as they are discussed calmly and with education of course. And not discussed in regards to a film in the movie section, but rather in the women's issues section.

The 'I spit on your grave' films even made you join the site "new."

This subject has gone far too off topic now however, and it is locked sadly.