Day of the Woman (1978)

Director:

Meir Zarchi

Writer:

Meir Zarchi (writer)

Release Date:

3 November 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

The ultimate day of terror!

Plot:

An aspiring writer is repeatedly gang-raped, humiliated, and left for dead by four men whom she systematically hunts down to seek revenge.

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Rape | Bruise | Degradation | Scream

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Camille Keaton	...	Jennifer Hills
Eron Tabor	...	Johnny
Richard Pace	...	Matthew Lucas
Anthony Nichols	...	Stanley
Gunter Kleemann	...	Andy
Alexis Magnotti	...	Attendant's Wife
Tammy Zarchi	...	The Children
Terry Zarchi	...	The Children
Traci Ferrante	...	Waitress
William Tasgal	...	Porter (as Bill Tasgal)
Isaac Agami	...	Butcher (as Isac Agami)
Ronit Haviv	...	Supermarket Girl

Also Known As:

I Hate Your Guts
I Spit on Your Grave (USA) (reissue title)
The Rape and Revenge of Jennifer Hill (USA) (poster title)

Runtime:

100 min | Argentina:95 min | UK:93 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R (edited for re-rating) | USA:Unrated (uncut video version) | USA:X (original rating) | Finland:(Banned) (cut) (1980) | Finland:K-18 (2006) | Australia:(Banned) (1997-2004) | Australia:R (2004) (uncut) | Australia:R (original rating) (cut) | Italy:VM18 | China:(Banned) | Malaysia:(Banned) | Philippines:(Banned) | Singapore:(Banned) | Thailand:(Banned) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Norway:15 (uncut) (2006) | New Zealand:(Banned) (original rating) | Sweden:15 (uncut) (2006) | France:-16 | South Korea:18 (DVD rating: 2002) (uncut) | Italy:T (DVD) (special edition) | Argentina:18 | Canada:(Banned) (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:(Banned) (Ontario) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) (video rating) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (1998) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | Iceland:(Banned) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 (re-rating) (2004) | Norway:(Banned) (video version) (1982) | South Korea:18 (heavily cut) | West Germany:(Banned) | UK:(Banned) (1984-2001) | UK:18 (heavily cut) | Ireland:(Banned) (2002) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Company:

Cinemagic Pictures

Trivia:

When this film was first released in 1978, the original title was "Day of the Woman" and was poorly received at the box office. In 1981 distributor Jerry Gross renamed it "I Spit on Your Grave" - after a 1959 French drama - for re-release. Under the new title the film received greater publicity and became a key target of Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel's campaign against films featuring women in danger.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jennifer hears Matthew knocking at the door, while she puts her clothes away, the drawer second down from the top opens itself between shots.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Jennifer Hills: Suck it, bitch!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Gutterballs (2008)

Soundtrack:

Sola Perduta Abandonnato

A pearl in this maligned genre

I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE is a straightforward rape/revenge drama with the tone of a documentary.

The coverage is plain, there is no music, there are no "stars", there are no concessions to a mainstream audience.

The exploitation film audience may be served, although the rape sequences are neither dynamic nor stylish.

Camille Keaton (Buster's granddaughter), a writer, drives to the country to stay at her house on the river. Local losers stalk her and rape her and rape her again.

The rest of the film details the victim's bloody revenge.

Labeled rubbish by the ignorant, this is very restrained exploitation that is often perversely effective and confronting.

The rape sequences are nasty and ugly, not enhanced by camera moves, rich sound effects or lurid angles.

On the other hand, the revenge sequences are more cinematically manipulative and poorly executed.

An intriguing document of merit.