Rochelle Films released Ms 45 in the United States on 24 April 1981.
It is my favorite rape-revenge film. This is not a genre that is easy to enjoy. I Spit on Your Grave taxes the audience — often to the breaking point with its 25-minute assault on the main character. Ms 45 is quite different.
Thana (Zoë Lund) is a young mute woman who works at a low-level in the fashion industry. While walking home, a man rapes her on the street. (In a wonderful bit of meta-content, the rapist is played by the director, Abel Ferrara.) Although short, it is violent. On returning home, she encounters a burglar who rapes her. She use a glass apple to hit him twice. As he gets up, she grabs an iron and kills him with it as you would a knife.
This functions as an origin story. Its original title is accurate: “Angel of Vengeance.” The film climaxes with a company costume party. Thana comes dressed as a nun. Her lecherous boss tries to seduce her, so she shoots him. Then she shoots various men at the party. Ultimately, a female co-worker stabs her but Thana does not shoot her.
The film works very well. It would have been weaker if Thana had survived. But I would have loved to see a sequel like “The Trial of Ms 45.” Regardless, the whole thing is a bit like Falling Down. In it, the world has pushed Foster too far. But he ends as exactly what he was fighting. “I’m the bad guy?” Thana is not. Of course, she’s been so much more wronged.
I have figured out a way to rework the story to save Thana. There is one man in the film who doesn’t really deserve to be killed. He is depressed and angry. His wife left him for a woman. Thana shoots him, but her gun misfires. He grabs the gun and kills himself. If she had left the gun in his hand, he would have been blamed for the murders. She would be free. Assuming she stopped being the angel of vengeance!
Ms 45 is an excellent film. It has 7 minutes that are tough to get through. But it’s pretty fun after that!
Other 24 April Anniversaries
Filmmakers:
- William Castle (1914-1977): Iconic producer and director of films like House on Haunted Hill and Homical.
- Richard Donner (1930-2021): Director of psychotronic classics like The Omen, Superman, and Lethal Weapon.
- Michael Parks (1940-2017): Actor in many unusual films including From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter.
- Peter Jason (1944-2025): Actor known for his work with John Carpenter like Prince of Darkness and In the Mouth of Madness.
- Eric Kripke (1974-): Creator of Supernatural.
Films:
- Night of Terror (1933): Family heirs attend a seance and start dying; with Bela Lugosi.
- Godzilla Raids Again (1955): Another Godzilla fights Anguirus.
- Cannibal Ferox (1981): Jungle adventure from Umberto Lenzi.
- The Hand (1981): An artist loses his hand, which (he thinks) begins killing people; starring Michael Caine.
- My Demon Lover (1987): Comedy about a guy who becomes a demon when he’s horny.
- Killer Movie (2009): Slasher movie parody about a reality TV show.
- The Pit and the Pendulum (2009): David DeCoteau film where students in an experiment disappear.
- Moose: The Movie (2015): Silly comedy about a violent moose-man who a new park ranger must stop.
Ms 45 poster via Wikipedia under Fair Use.
