Ms. 45 (1981) (Blu-ray Review)

Ms. 45 (1981) (Blu-ray Review)
Directed By: Abel Ferrara
Starring: Zoë Lund, Bogey, Albert Sinkys
Rated: UR/Region A/1:85/1080p/Number of Discs 1
Available from Draft House Films

A timid and mute woman gets raped twice coming home from work and decides to take matters into her own hands. She dresses suggestively and roams the streets alone, wreaking vengeance upon anyone who tries to take advantage of her. Eventually, her secret life spills over into her regular life in the fashion industry.

Ms .45 starts off by showing us the worst day in the young life of a poor mute girl. A very attractive mute girl. This poor woman is raped, not once but twice in the same day. This, as it would anyone, messes her up pretty good and from then on out it becomes a downward spiral into insanity as she ends up taking matters into her own hands and then taking it way too far. There is a gritty tone to a film like Ms. 45 that helps set the table. There is just an unclean vibe that the setting gives in this 1981 setting that you couldn’t duplicate with the world today. Our lead doesn’t talk, but her reaction and at times lack of a reaction makes you feel bad for her, even when she clearly ends up being in the wrong. We go from seeing a woman who fights back to seeing a woman who decides she’s going to wag a war against the entire male gender. It really does become a sight to see.

I feel the late Zoë Lund is really what seals this one for me. I think whatever planets aligned up just right in order for her to land this role ended up the perfect person for this rather gritty part. While you can’t deny the looks of our lead, the film overall has nothing pretty about it and that is a good and effective thing. There is some dark moments of humor that I actually found funny, but other than that it is the perfect example of an exploitation flick in its purest form. I know director, Abel Ferrara, would go on to make some rather entertaining films, but having this follow-up such things as Driller Killer, I feel as if this film was his coming out party in a lot of ways. If you like smut, sleaze, violence, and an overall entertaining story, then this is a movie you’d want to see. A movie that wouldn’t feel that out-of-place along side a double feature with I Spit on Your Grave.

Extras

– Interview with Director Abel Ferrara
– Interview with Composer Joe Delia
– Zoë XO Short Film
– Zoë Rising Short Film
– Trailers
– Booklet

Quality of Transfer: 89%