Product: Day of the Woman (1978)
Rating: 5.0
Day of the Woman
Surely you've heard the hype, but does this film live up to its reputation? Well that depends on whether you are expecting a sleazy trashy exploitation flick or a shocking cult classic.Is it a good movie? By conventional standards like budget, dramatic acting, star power ect, this film is a dismal failure, a cheap exploitation flick nothing more many will tell you. Most people would read the title and just assume it's bad. But really this film is brilliantly directed, does it matter how much it cost to make? Is it still an exploitation flick when the director married the actress who is being 'exploited'? Why is it that films like this which use more naturalistic acting as opposed to dramatic acting are automatically classed as being poorly acted? Weren't the cast convincingly real especially Camille Keaton with her brave and harrowing performance? So what if everyone involved never went on to bigger projects or never appeared in any other films, this film will live in infamy forever and the stunningly beautiful Camille Keaton is already an immortal icon in cult horror. If it was better known under the more noble title "Day of the Woman" and not "I Spit on Your Grave" (which is about as campy as titles "Surf Nazis Must Die" and "Nude for Satan") would it be treated more seriously.The real question isn't whether this is a good moive, but is this good cinema? Love it or hate it, how can you deny the power of a film that has such an effect on it's audience. The realism in the rape scenes, the lack of any musical score and voyeuristic yet artistic camera work deliver the kind of shear visceral power that big budget movies these days can only dream of possessing. So yes, this is undeniably spectacular cinema.Why do people hate it? Roger Ebert would have you believe it's sick and pure garbage. However read his initial review and you will find he largely justifies his views by reactions from nonthinking audience members which he found appalling and not what was happening on screen. Still there is no shortage of people who call this film sick. Even more sad is how some people out there want to censor or ban this film (book burning religious zealots no doubt) just check, theres like two yahoo groups dedicated to this childish cause (pathetic though as they only have about a dozen members between them). This film is not made to be an enjoyable viewing experience, it pulls no punches, just because you don't like it does that mean it must be sick? Rape is a horrible crime, would it be more acceptable to portray it any other way?What would posses someone to make such a film? Meir Zarchi wrote and directed the film after a real life encounter with a rape victim who he took to a police station (in retrospect he admits she should have gone to the hospital) and the cops were unsympathetic. This genuine horror he saw which existed in the real world which doesn't require werewolves or zombies, is the inspiration for the film. The revenge half of the film obviously an expression of the rage he felt at how the victim was treated, in the real world justice is rarely served. He uses in your face realism to get his message across. Just because his story is simple doesn't mean it's unintelligent. He dodges the one dimensional rapist stereotypes seen in other movies early on by humanising them with crude but still humorous personalities, one even has a family, the message: villains are real people too not comic book characters. One rapist while pleading pathetically tells Jennifer she asked for it by he way she walks and dresses, a damning criticism of some real life attitudes which state women are themselves to blame if they are attacked. The sequence of Jennifer after the attack is brilliant in displaying the traumatic detachment and loss of self suffered by real victims. It's the inclusion and excellent handling of the small details that elevate this movie beyond its low budget limits.Why would anybody like this film? I personally admire powerful films, films that are unique whether they are shocking or thought provoking. One reviewer complained that the violence wasn't disturbing in comparison to some other films, hey if you have seen Dead/Alive like you claim (although I own and prefer the uncut version called Braindead) then you must know that the most goriest movie ever is a comedy. The gore isn't the real focus of this film anyway. I own uncut copies of Cannibal Holocaust, Men Behind the Sun, Cannibal Ferox, Anthropophagous, Flowers of Flesh and Blood and just about every notorious gore film out there. The only gore films more disturbing than ISOYG are Cannibal Holocaust and Men Behind the Sun, simply because like ISOYG these films are made by talented directors. Besides how could any amount of gore be disturbing when you want Jennifer to carry out her vendetta?So does it live up to the hype? This film is something you experience not just another movie. It's definitely a well deserved cult classic and one of the original cornerstones of the video nasties. While the more jaded viewer might not find it as disturbing as some, this is still a film you won't soon forget. The Millennium Edition DVD is outstanding, the film has never looked better and you get two excellent commentary tracks. It's a shame they didn't get any input from Camille Keaton when putting the extras together on this DVD, but you can't have it all I guess. I wish I lived in the USA so I could go to a horror convention and ask Camille Keaton for her autograph.Final thoughts? This is a challenging and outstanding cult masterpiece, it's a shame that this genuinely great piece of cinema is so universally misunderstood and under-rated.