DVD Reviews

I Spit on your Grave (1978) - Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll Feb 8, 2011, 17:00 GMT

UNCUT. UNCENSORED. AND STILL UNPRECEDENTED.Some condemned it as \'vile\', \'depraved\' and \'degenerate entertainment\'. Others acclaimed it as \'disturbing\', \'misunderstood\', and \'the ultimate feminist movie\'. Now more than 30 years later, re-experience one of the most hated, debated and controversial movies of all time: Camille Keaton stars as Jennifer Hills, an attractive city woman who rents a backwoods cabin to begin writing her first novel. She is soon attacked by a ...more

The ultimate in feminist revenge gets a Blu-ray release to coincide with the remake of the same.  I guess I should cringe when those guys get theirs, but face it those hillbilly rapists deserve all they get. 

Jennifer Hills (Camille Keaton) travels from the big city to an isolated cabin in the country.  She’s going to work on her novel in the secluded location.  She asks for directions from gas station manager Johnny (Eron Tabor) and is eyed by Stanley (Anthony Nichols) and Andy (Gunter Kleemann) who hang out at the station. 

When she finds the cabin, her groceries are delivered by Matthew (Richard Pace), who is a bit slow so she treats him kindly so Matthew develops a crush on her.  Matthew is friends with the trio from the gas station and they begin to stalk Jennifer. 

They decide that Jennifer will be Matthew’s first sexual encounter, but not before they have their way with her.  They leave her for dead, but Jennifer recovers and returns do dish out her revenge. 

I Spit on your Grave does for single ladies going on isolated, lone getaways what Deliverance did for Southern river rafting.  I Spit on your Grave was given the grindhouse treatment, hence the changing of the original title of the film (Day of the Woman) to something a bit more gruesomely grabbing.  Day of the Woman almost sounds like an art-house film. 

You also have a poster that could hint at something a bit naughtier since you’ve got a picture of a nearly naked lady… if it weren’t for the knife and the grimy look of the lady.  Hollywood had made revenge films before but most likely the wronged lady would be killed and then a male figure (possibly played by Charles Bronson) would step in and deliver vengeance in her name. 

What made this film a bit different was that it was the wronged lady that rose up and brought down the hammer, or knife in this case, on those that did her wrong was the victim herself.  Certainly, we see enough to realize that the people she kills are in need of killing - although she skips the legal system entirely and takes the law into her own hands. 

If not the novelty of the female revenge, striking a cord with feminists, there’s the novelty of the gory way she extracts her vengeance.  Probably pretty shocking for the time period I’d say.  I don’t know that I’d call the film a classic, but it does seem to venture away from the prescription of Hollywood. 

Hence it was done as a low budget, off the radar feature.  That does not mean that it’s still not brutal and will still have some looking away.  The rape scene is especially intense, especially since we think it’s over several times yet the violators return for another brutal scene. 

I Spit on your Grave is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (1.85:1).  Special features include a commentary from writer/director Meir Zarchi, a commentary from Joe Bob Briggs, the 29 minute (SD) “Value of Vengeance” interview with Zarchi, the 16 second (HD) alternate main titles, 12 minutes (SD) of trailers, 90 seconds (SD) of TV spots, 90 seconds of radio spots, and a still and poster gallery. 

I Spit on your Grave is certainly a film to divide.  Some will be repulsed at its violence, others at its feminist leanings (not every man is a hillbilly rapist as nearly everyone in this film is), or the rape scene may again be too intense for some. 

I don’t mind horror violence but I was still sorta ashamed at watching Hill get abused.  It may be a film that if you admitted of being a fan of it you might get some strange looks.  However, Anchor Bay has produced a nice special edition whatever the case may be. 

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