Yes, this is an ugly film. Yes, it has all the earmarkings of trash. But beyond the obvious violent, rape/revenge exterior, lurks a truly thought provoking film. I recently rented the "uncensored" DVD, and I'm glad I did. Seeing this without the controversial hardcore shots would be a totally different experience. We've all seen nudity or sexual scenes used to "spice up" a cheesy film. This is obviously NOT the case here. When you have a beautiful lead actress, you could certainly make her abusive plight more attractive and titillating than what was done here.
***SPOILERS********
When you are confronted with the explicitly ugly closeups of penetration, you cannot simply look away, or laugh away, what you are seeing. The unexpectedness of these (few) jarring shots cannot be denied. They are meant to disgust and shock you, but not in a gratuitous way. When you compare the "in your face" directness of these shots to the extreme slow motion killing sequences, you can appreciate the directors intent. The very "slowness" of the violence the heroine exacts has only one effect: it takes you out of the moment, making her revenge, which should be the cinematic high point, seem meaningless and ineffective. The point is being made, I believe, that no amount of revenge can balance what has been done to her. Consider that the pimp's final moments are not even displayed! Wouldn't you expect to see some gory end to such a heinous character? By not even letting us see it, we are made to feel it is unimportant to what has preceded it. And what about her forcing seemingly innocent drivers off the road? Are we made to believe that she viewed all of society as guilty? Obviously this is not a perfect film, or necessarily even a GOOD film, but it is, IMHO, much more than just a "video nasty."
***SPOILERS********
When you are confronted with the explicitly ugly closeups of penetration, you cannot simply look away, or laugh away, what you are seeing. The unexpectedness of these (few) jarring shots cannot be denied. They are meant to disgust and shock you, but not in a gratuitous way. When you compare the "in your face" directness of these shots to the extreme slow motion killing sequences, you can appreciate the directors intent. The very "slowness" of the violence the heroine exacts has only one effect: it takes you out of the moment, making her revenge, which should be the cinematic high point, seem meaningless and ineffective. The point is being made, I believe, that no amount of revenge can balance what has been done to her. Consider that the pimp's final moments are not even displayed! Wouldn't you expect to see some gory end to such a heinous character? By not even letting us see it, we are made to feel it is unimportant to what has preceded it. And what about her forcing seemingly innocent drivers off the road? Are we made to believe that she viewed all of society as guilty? Obviously this is not a perfect film, or necessarily even a GOOD film, but it is, IMHO, much more than just a "video nasty."