- Joined
- Mar 21, 2007
- Messages
- 11,505
- Reaction score
- 5,860
Ms. 45 (USA, 1981)
American revenge film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Zoe Tamerlis.
Thana (Tamerlis) is a mute seamstress working in the NYC Garment District. After being raped twice in the same day, Thana takes revenge by becoming a spree killer targeting men.
The early 1980's NYC depicted in this film is dirty, violent, and chaotic. Leering, sexually aggressive men are everywhere.
Thana's muteness blocks us from knowing much about her inner life. Her transformation is told via her appearance (from mousy assistant to femme fatale) and actions. It is not subtle.
This is a true cult film because it is filled with flaws juxtaposed with an hypnotic intensity. Tamerlis, only 17 when this movie was filmed, looks overmatched in some scenes and exceptional in others. The direction is all over the place; sometimes amateurish and sometimes quite clever.
The film peaks in every conceivable way during the extended Halloween party. We are treated to Thana dressed as a fetishized nun kissing bullets before loading her revolver (cinema!). The party itself is crazy. The band is weird. The dancing is odd. The camera keeps coming back over and over again to shots of somebody dressed as Mr. Met (cinema!). I loved it!
The absolute worst part of the film is Thana's nosey older female neighbour (and perhaps landlady?). I think that she is supposed to be comic relief but the character is not funny. It is just terrible.
I remain completely unsure whether this film has something interesting to say or if Ferrara was just making up stuff scene from scene. Regardless, the film is not necessarily good but it is definitely interesting and that means something.
Rating: 6/10
American revenge film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Zoe Tamerlis.
Thana (Tamerlis) is a mute seamstress working in the NYC Garment District. After being raped twice in the same day, Thana takes revenge by becoming a spree killer targeting men.
The early 1980's NYC depicted in this film is dirty, violent, and chaotic. Leering, sexually aggressive men are everywhere.
Thana's muteness blocks us from knowing much about her inner life. Her transformation is told via her appearance (from mousy assistant to femme fatale) and actions. It is not subtle.
This is a true cult film because it is filled with flaws juxtaposed with an hypnotic intensity. Tamerlis, only 17 when this movie was filmed, looks overmatched in some scenes and exceptional in others. The direction is all over the place; sometimes amateurish and sometimes quite clever.
The film peaks in every conceivable way during the extended Halloween party. We are treated to Thana dressed as a fetishized nun kissing bullets before loading her revolver (cinema!). The party itself is crazy. The band is weird. The dancing is odd. The camera keeps coming back over and over again to shots of somebody dressed as Mr. Met (cinema!). I loved it!
The absolute worst part of the film is Thana's nosey older female neighbour (and perhaps landlady?). I think that she is supposed to be comic relief but the character is not funny. It is just terrible.
I remain completely unsure whether this film has something interesting to say or if Ferrara was just making up stuff scene from scene. Regardless, the film is not necessarily good but it is definitely interesting and that means something.
Rating: 6/10
Last edited: