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Originally Posted by Blitzgal
Which version of the original did you watch, Junk? I guess the censored version was more ambiguous and people thought it showed the woman enjoying it. But the uncut version makes it clear that was not the case.
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i am a big Peckinpah nerd (i know he was a mysoginist asshole but i just love his movies) so i have most of his movies in uncut/criterion versions.
I heard about that "ambiguity" but i think the main issue wouldnt be that she's enjoying herself but that she is clearly shown as attracted to the guys and openly enjoying their stares, flirting with them, kinda posing for their eyes semi naked while they work at the house....
Then when the rape occurs, its edven more disturbing somehow, because its not an "army of strangers" assaulting her, but a guy she knows well, who thinks he can do it cause "she's asking for it" and when she says no, doesnt accept it and keeps going. its literally an almost seduction turning into an assault through anger.
and the climax isnt really about the assault but how the main character snaps and reacts with intelligent, cold and relentless brutality to the attacks. It's about an apparently unassuming man that is quiet and passive to provocation until they attack his territory and his woman. to which he becomes even more feral and wild than the assailants. Its a subtle movie and all about the setup and the ambiguous moments.
the remake seems pointless.
SPOILEROUS ADD: one major moment that explains how creepily ambiguous the movies is, is in the ending (again SPOILERS). when Hoffman is fightinf to the death with the rapist, his wife manages the grab a shotgun and has the opprtunity to shoot the guy and save her husband's life. Yet she hesitates. not out of fear, she has shown that she can attack at this point. She hesitates cause, even if he raped her and he's about to kill her husband, its her ex lover and she still feels attraction for him so she cant kill him. At that point Hoffman litterally takes over and executes the guy in one of the most gruesome ways possible. And then stares at her with eyes that could pierce walls.