Over the years, there have been movies that have attained controversy strong enough to have been banned, some because they are truly as horrific as people think, others because people only THINK they are truly horrific. Some of these movies have had such a stigma attached to them that I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to see them. Only recently have I started ‘braving’ those movies deemed too shocking. The latest? “I Spit on Your Grave.” In 1978, writer / director Meir Zarchi unleashed “I Spit on Your Grave” on an unsuspecting audience. Originally titled “Day of the Woman” this graphically violent film introduces us to Jennifer Hills (Camille Keaton), a magazine writer from New York who escapes the city in order to find a quiet, tranquil place to write her first novel. She finds solitude in a cabin out in the woods, far removed from city life, and settles in. Unfortunately, her seclusion is soon ripped away from her, not only physically, but mentally as well.

What starts out as just another calm, peaceful day ends with events that shatter her life forever. She is brutally assaulted, raped and left for dead by four ‘country boys.’ She survives, however, and exacts a revenge that is brutal and bloody.

I finally sat down to watch the new Millennium Edition of “I Spit on Your Grave” with some reservation. I had heard so much about it that I expected the worst. It had been labelled an ‘exploitation’ film with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. There were claims that the movie glorified rape and made it seem erotic. This couldn’t be further from the truth. What it did do was show how ugly the act of rape truly is. What these men, no… these animals do to this woman in incomprehensible. It is cruel and vicious, and indescribably hard to watch.

Considering this, I had to commend Keaton on her performance. The physical aspect alone of what she had to put herself through had to have been daunting. Beyond the rape itself, her reactions during the aftermath were superb. The way she walked, every movement, the look in her face; all of this showed a women who has been destroyed in every way possible. I have to also commend the actors who played her assailants for being willing to play out these acts of senseless cruelty on screen. This sequence had to be very hard to film.

As for the vengeance, I quote the original teaser line, “This woman has just chopped, crippled and mutilated four men beyond recognition… But no jury in America would ever convict her!” There are two ways of looking at the retribution. First I found myself cheering her on as she exacted her revenge. On the other hand, Zarchi allowed me to learn more about her assailants, in some cases making me wonder if the revenge was truly just, or if there could there have been another way.

This Millennium Edition DVD from Elite Entertainment is yet another great accomplishment in their growing line of titles. The THX transfer made the movie look almost brand new. Along with the obligatory TV Spots and Trailers, there is a still photo gallery and some of the foreign domestic art. The commentary is what’s really good on this DVD. While director Zarchi’s commentary is interesting, there is another track by noted Cult Film Reviewer Joe Bob Briggs (John Bloom). His commentary, while light-hearted, really opens the movie up for discussion. His views are fascinating and allow you to see the film in a different light.

Bottom line, “I Spit on Your Grave” is most definitely NOT a movie for everyone. It lives up to its horrific reputation, but not for the reasons you might think. I didn’t see any reason why it should have been banned, as I’ve certainly seen worse. I found very little about the film that I would call exploitive, what I found was a movie brave enough to give an unflinching look at the utter repulsiveness of rape, and the consequences that should befall anyone who commits such an act.

For more information, check out www.elitedisc.com.

We'll give I Spit On Your Grave an A.