Ms .45

i hate the idea of rape revenge movies. dressed in their feminist appeal, they frame women as strong only in response to male violence; a woman becomes bold, cold and murderous only when a man violates her, his strength is passed onto her through a vicious deed. that said, ms. 45 was brilliant and progressive for its times. set in the NYC of the 1980’s, a mute seamstress gets raped twice one day and begins her killing spree. the rape scene is deliberately unbearable. thana is written as a victim with psychological continuity, not as a narrative device that vanishes once revenge begins. the assault scars her for the rest of the film, most clearly in moments where imagined hands crawl over her body or when she is unable to face her reflection. every line of dialogue feels earned, and the park scene is especially effective [the park scene!!111!!], balancing tension and absurdity in a way that makes the film compelling. crazily enjoyable