I honestly feel insulted by how much better-recieved A Cruel Picture is as a rape-revenge film compared to I Spit On Your Grave. Especially considering that I Spit On Your Grave is the more significantly effective of the two. The big reason for that is how each film handles its rape and revenge segments.
I’m shocked by how a person could call I Spit On Your Grave exploitative and then turn around and call Thriller “artistic,” considering that there are multiple instances during Thriller’s sexual violence scenes where the film employs graphic close ups of penetration and even ejaculation. Worst part was learning that the film did this to cash in on the 70s porn craze. Hardcore stuff isn’t a problem in itself, but the issue is that it significantly reduces the visceral and punishing impact of the sexual violence. It’s more concerned with creampie shots than it is with having shots of the protagonist’s terrified expression, showing just how little the film respects its protagonist. Instead of feeling horrified and oppressed, you just feel irritated because there’s cum all over your screen. Compare this with I spit on Your Grave, where the camera focuses on the terror on Jennifer’s face and the sadistic pleasure the attackers recieve (and the fact that the film has a longer buildup around the rape, which increases dread), this makes it more effective and visceral on the audience.
Another issue with this film is that the revenge segment sucks ass (this is the phrase that most fits what I felt). The fact that they opted for some philosophical whatever after the over-the-top, in your face nature of the suffering that Madeleine receives. You can’t have your cake and eat it, sorry. The way she dispatches her aggressors is so unsatisfying with repetitive gunshots. The slow-mo doesn’t help either, making the violence feel detached. At least I Spit on Your Grave brought a little more variety and matched the explicitness of the rape.
Zeroing in on just Thriller, the film also makes very little sense. How does this girl randomly find a martial arts training centre, and all the other places/people she practices with for her revenge? Things just happens and the film doesn’t even care to explain any of it. There’s also just an overall lack of energy.
All this just makes Thriller a disappointing film that leaves a very icky aftertaste.
The few positives about this is that Madeleine’s costume was great, and the cinematography and atmosphere create that bleak, isolated vibe that I love in 70s horror.
The only reason I can think of , that this film is more well-received than its peers, is because it’s linked to Quentin Tarantino. Because apart from that, there really isn’t much to write home about.
I honestly feel insulted by how much better-recieved A Cruel Picture is as a rape-revenge film compared to I Spit On Your Grave. Especially considering that I Spit On Your Grave is the more significantly effective of the two. The big reason for that is how each film handles its rape and revenge segments.
I’m shocked by how a person could call I Spit On Your Grave exploitative and then turn around and call Thriller “artistic,” considering that there are multiple instances during Thriller’s sexual violence scenes where the film employs graphic close ups of penetration and even ejaculation. Worst part was learning that the film did this to cash in on the 70s porn craze. Hardcore stuff isn’t a problem in itself, but the issue is that it significantly reduces the visceral and punishing impact of the sexual violence. It’s more concerned with creampie shots than it is with having shots of the protagonist’s terrified expression, showing just how little the film respects its protagonist. Instead of feeling horrified and oppressed, you just feel irritated because there’s cum all over your screen. Compare this with I spit on Your Grave, where the camera focuses on the terror on Jennifer’s face and the sadistic pleasure the attackers recieve (and the fact that the film has a longer buildup around the rape, which increases dread), this makes it more effective and visceral on the audience.
Another issue with this film is that the revenge segment sucks ass (this is the phrase that most fits what I felt). The fact that they opted for some philosophical whatever after the over-the-top, in your face nature of the suffering that Madeleine receives. You can’t have your cake and eat it, sorry. The way she dispatches her aggressors is so unsatisfying with repetitive gunshots. The slow-mo doesn’t help either, making the violence feel detached. At least I Spit on Your Grave brought a little more variety and matched the explicitness of the rape.
Zeroing in on just Thriller, the film also makes very little sense. How does this girl randomly find a martial arts training centre, and all the other places/people she practices with for her revenge? Things just happens and the film doesn’t even care to explain any of it. There’s also just an overall lack of energy.
All this just makes Thriller a disappointing film that leaves a very icky aftertaste.
The few positives about this is that Madeleine’s costume was great, and the cinematography and atmosphere create that bleak, isolated vibe that I love in 70s horror.
The only reason I can think of , that this film is more well-received than its peers, is because it’s linked to Quentin Tarantino. Because apart from that, there really isn’t much to write home about.
