I Spit On Your Grave (1978)
Directed By: Meir Zarchi
Where to get it: Anchor Bay
The Prologue
The thing about Blu-rays is everyone is now double dipping. Most of the classics that were on DVD have now made their way to Blu-ray and sometimes with the older titles (depending on the source) that isn’t a good thing. So I wasn’t really sure what to think when Anchor Bay took over the right for, I Spit On Your Grave aka Day of the Woman, and said they were going re-release it on DVD and on Blu-ray. For every Texas Chainsaw Massacre transfer, we get a Hills Have Eyes level transfer that makes you ask “what the *beep* is this??”. But being optimistic sometimes comes with a reward. So let’s take another look at this classic and it’s HD counterpart.
The Movie
So a female author heads off to be alone and write her first novel when she is attacked, beaten, and raped, by four men. Then she seeks revenge on those men. That’s really the simple way of putting into words what you get with I Spit On Your Grave but you really get a lot more with this movie than just that. Now what you get isn’t at all easy to watch but that’s probably due to how realistic it is, and lets be honest if something like this really happened (and it often does just minus the woman’s revenge) it would be just as awful to see. And if it’s this awful to see just think how the poor woman going through it feels?
When it comes to this movie a lot of people simply hate it, even Roger Ebert often said it was the worst movie ever made, then again no offense to Roger but that man was often full of shit. Female viewers hated it because of how the movies showed “weakness” in women. I must ask, are you watching the same film I saw?? Jennifer never once comes across as a weak or helpless woman, she’s an effin’ fighter! Until it’s four on one and she just can’t fight anymore, or until she gets knocked for a loop to the point this woman can’t defend herself she’s trying her best to fight back, that isn’t weakness, that is BAD ASS! And that doesn’t even take into account what she does later on for payback.
Some want to say that Jennifer asked for what she got by “flaunting” herself to the men before the rape happens. I beg to differ because when she goes to the gas station her dress is a very appropriate dress that even comes down to the knees. And she only lays around in a bikini and what not when she thinks she’s alone. Sure one could argue she made her only real mistake in this movie with her conversation with the towns “special” delivery boy Matthew but how could anyone have known Matthew would end up setting up what happens later? He does seem rather harmless doesn’t he? But keep in mind what happens next is only happening because the other three guys want to get her FOR Matthew.
And what is to come next is what makes a lot of people hate this film. If you count the moment they capture the boat Jennifer is on as the starting time of the torment, torture, and rape this women is about to suffer it goes on for a total time 25 minutes and 14 seconds, a time that feels like an eternity when watching. Of course after you see this woman go through all she goes through you’ll be ready to cheer on every awful thing she does to these guys in return. Brilliant film making, hard to watch, but brilliant none the less.
The Conclusion
The movie is what it is. I’m not sure there is anything else I could say about it that other people haven’t already said. But I will say this about the Blu-ray, it’s WELL worth upgrading. The outside shots are something to see at times. And really the only times I recall anything not looking up to par was during the campfire scene with our villains. Outside of that, I’d say it’s at a Texas Chainsaw Massacre level as far as transfers go.
The Rating (7.5/10)
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