"I Spit on Your Grave" review

I Spit on Your Grave (1978)
AKA Day of the Woman

Directed by Meir Zarchi
Writing credits Meir Zarchi

Camille Keaton .... Jennifer Hill
Eron Tabor .... Johnny
Richard Pace .... Matthew
Anthony Nichols .... Stanley
Gunter Kleemann .... Andy

"I Spit on your Grave" is the greatest rape and revenge flick ever made. It is brutal, powerful, sleazy and exploitative. It is also quite effective and will probably leave scars on you. Obviously, it's a must see.

A female writer goes out into the woods to get some work done. Four locals start checking her out and decide they want more. Now, at this point you are expecting a rape scene. You know its coming. So the locals take her in the grass and have their way with her. It's not a very graphic rape. I was expecting to be shocked but I wasn't. It was at this point that the movie really began. As the writer walks away, she is pounced on and raped a second time. This scene was brutal. There is no music or editing done on the rape scene. It is shot as if you are really there watching it happen. She is pinned down on a rock and screams for her life. Does the movie want you to enjoy what you're seeing or would it rather have you be disgusted at the sexual violence? I don't know. I would imagine it wants it both ways. Horror fans will probably love the thrill of being shocked while others will be repulsed.

What really takes "I Spit on your Grave" over the top is the next rape scene. Yes, she's raped a third time. She crawls back to her house and is violated again. Now we know that these men are cretins and deserve everything they've got coming to them. The rest of the movie has the writer dishing out bloody death to the lecherous men. She knows the power her body has over them and decides to use it so that she can spit on their graves.

I found this movie to be a brutal gut punch. The rape scenes were tough to watch. "I Spit on your Grave" is not just some cheap horror flick. It is undeniably shocking and well made. For horror fans looking for something to really hurt them, "I Spit on your Grave" will do it.

SCORE: 3.5 out of 4 for the ultimate rape and revenge flick