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I Spit on Your Grave (1978)

Rate: 9
Viewed: 10/12

Spit
10/12: I Spit on Your Grave is a catchy title and sounds better than Day of the Woman which comes off as weak.

As for the film, I've never seen anything like it before and is one of the most unusual, being right up there with Pink Flamingos and Sleepaway Camp. It's the feminist Death Wish version of Deliverance.

Camille Keaton, who's although not the granddaughter but a distant relative of the legendary silent star Buster Keaton despite their uncanny resemblance, gives a brave, courageous effort to play the role of a woman who had been raped by four men, not all at once but four separate occasions. Not only is Camille naked, but she's also full-on naked throughout the film. She running barefoot through the woods is impressive.

For sure, I Spit on Your Grave is as gruesome and degrading as it gets. What's interesting is Jennifer, over the course of time, ceases to be a naked person but a thing that's all muddied up and discarded. It's good acting on Camille Keaton's part. The rape is what it is, but the aftermath is more interesting.

Now, was the follow-up revenge predictable? I'll say no. At first, I felt disgusted and shocked by Jennifer's approach, but the unconventionality of her actions adds more to the notoriety of the cult film which still resonates. Remember what Charlize Theron's character did in Monster? What Jennifer did is ten times worse.

All in all, I Spit on Your Grave is a unique picture because Camille Keaton did what no respected female actress would do.