Lipstick (film)
Encyclopedia
Lipstick is a 1976 drama film
directed by Lamont Johnson
. Starring Margaux
and Mariel Hemingway
, it contains one of the most infamous scenes in motion picture history, showing an extremely graphic rape scene.
) is a highly paid fashion model whose image serves as the driving force of the ad campaign for a popular brand of lipstick and can be seen in magazines and on billboards all around the world.
Gordon Stuart (Chris Sarandon
), a part-time composer and full-time music teacher, eagerly accepts Chris’s 13-year-old sister Kathy’s (Mariel Hemingway
) invitation to come to a secluded beachside photo shoot, so Chris can listen to some of his music. But Chris is too busy to give any of her time to Gordon and suggests that they meet another day at the apartment she shares with Kathy.
Gordon agrees and shows up at the apartment at the date and time that she mentioned. Even though Chris has clearly forgotten about the invitation, she lets him in and politely sits down as he plays her a tape of one of his compositions.
What she hears is not easy on her ears, but she smiles as it plays and pretends to appreciate it until a phone call from her lover, Steve Edison (Perry King
), thankfully interrupts them and allows her to escape to her room, away from the noise and the very creepy Gordon.
As Chris talks to Steve, Gordon begins to fume at the thought of Chris’ obvious rejection. His hurt soon turns to anger and he enters her room and smashes a picture of her brother Martin (John Bennett Perry
), a priest, before throwing himself on top of her.
During Chris's struggle to fight him off, Gordon slams her head against one of her bedposts and screams at her to show him where she keeps the lipstick that her face sells to the public. When she tells him it's in her bathroom, he takes her in there and smears it across her face before returning her to her bed, where he ties her down with silk scarves, and rapes her.
Near the end of the ordeal, Kathy returns home from school and walks in on Chris and Gordon, who Kathy has a crush on, together in bed -- hurt and embarrassed, Kathy runs out before they see her, and before she can tell what's really going on.
Chris hears her leave, and asks Gordon to untie her. He gets up and suggests calling Kathy in to join them and “Have some fun,” but he instead cuts Chris free and leaves. Chris gets up, finds Kathy, and after telling her what really happened, Chris calls the police.
Gordon is arrested, but as Chris learns from Carla Bondi (Anne Bancroft
), the prosecutor assigned to handle the case, Gordon's conviction is hardly a sure thing. Only two out of 100 rapists serve any jail time, and only 10,000 out of the 50,000 rapes that occur each year in California are reported to the police.
If Chris wants justice, she’ll have to testify, and that could mean subjecting herself to a kind of abuse as terrible as the rape itself. Despite Steve’s fears of what a trial could do to her career, Chris agrees to testify passionately, informing everyone in the room that “I want him to die in jail! I want them to do it to him in jail!”
Unfortunately for Chris, Carla’s worst fears are all realized. Gordon's attorney argues that the sex was consensual, and that its roughness was the result of Chris's own twisted desires and not Gordon's.
He also suggests that even if Gordon acted without her consent, she provoked him by appearing naked in front of him at the photo shoot where they first met, and by the inherent sensuality of the photographs from which she makes her living. To Chris's enormous shock, the jury buys that logic and votes to acquit. Gordon walks out of the courthouse a free man.
Not long after that, Chris learns that Steve, who works for the cosmetics company she poses for, has decided to “cool down” their ad campaign, meaning that she's been abandoned by Steve, and is soon going to be out of work. Not knowing what else to do, Chris decides to move to Colorado with Kathy as soon she finishes what is to be her last photo shoot.
But by a terrible coincidence, Kathy’s old school is using the same building Chris’s shoot is in to rehearse the new ballet being orchestrated by Gordon. As Chris poses in a red sequined gown, Kathy runs into Gordon, who -- despite her protestations to the contrary -- a part of her still believes is innocent of what Chris accused him of.
Kathy soon learns, however, that Chris wasn’t lying when Gordon’s intentions become sinister, and he starts chasing her throughout the nearly abandoned building. Eventually, he catches her and starts tearing at her clothes and rapes her.
When Gordon is done with her, Kathy stumbles to the photo shoot and tells Chris what happened. Knowing she absolutely cannot trust the system to do what's right, Chris -- still wearing the red gown -- runs outside to her vehicle and grabs a pump-action shotgun that she had intended to take to Colorado with her.
Chris spots Gordon driving his car in the parking lot, and shoots at it, causing him to turn the car over on its side. When Gordon climbs out of the car, Chris shoots him repeatedly -- so overcome with anger that she keeps pulling the trigger, even after she has killed Gordon and run out of shotgun shells.
Within seconds, the police arrive and arrest Chris. Later, Carla Bondi speaks to a jury, telling them why they have to acquit Chris. Chris is found not guilty.
twice. The first remake is the Hindi
film Insaaf Ka Tarazu
(1980), which became a big hit. The second remake is in Telugu
and it is titled Edi Nyayam Edi Dharmam (1982).
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Lamont Johnson
Lamont Johnson
Lamont Johnson was an American actor and film director who has appeared in and directed many television shows and movies. He won two Emmy Awards....
. Starring Margaux
Margaux Hemingway
Margaux Hemingway was an American fashion model and actress.- Early life :Margot Louise Hemingway was born in Portland, Oregon, and was the older sister of actress Mariel Hemingway and the granddaughter of writer Ernest Hemingway...
and Mariel Hemingway
Mariel Hemingway
- Early life :Hemingway was born in Mill Valley, California, the third daughter of Byra Louise Hemingway and Jack Hemingway, a writer. Her sisters are Joan Hemingway and Margaux Hemingway...
, it contains one of the most infamous scenes in motion picture history, showing an extremely graphic rape scene.
Plot
Chris McCormick (Margaux HemingwayMargaux Hemingway
Margaux Hemingway was an American fashion model and actress.- Early life :Margot Louise Hemingway was born in Portland, Oregon, and was the older sister of actress Mariel Hemingway and the granddaughter of writer Ernest Hemingway...
) is a highly paid fashion model whose image serves as the driving force of the ad campaign for a popular brand of lipstick and can be seen in magazines and on billboards all around the world.
Gordon Stuart (Chris Sarandon
Chris Sarandon
Chris Sarandon is an American actor who was married to actress Susan Sarandon between 1968 and 1979. He is best known for playing Prince Humperdinck in the film The Princess Bride, the vampire Jerry Dandridge in Fright Night and Detective Mike Norris in the first entry of the Child's Play series,...
), a part-time composer and full-time music teacher, eagerly accepts Chris’s 13-year-old sister Kathy’s (Mariel Hemingway
Mariel Hemingway
- Early life :Hemingway was born in Mill Valley, California, the third daughter of Byra Louise Hemingway and Jack Hemingway, a writer. Her sisters are Joan Hemingway and Margaux Hemingway...
) invitation to come to a secluded beachside photo shoot, so Chris can listen to some of his music. But Chris is too busy to give any of her time to Gordon and suggests that they meet another day at the apartment she shares with Kathy.
Gordon agrees and shows up at the apartment at the date and time that she mentioned. Even though Chris has clearly forgotten about the invitation, she lets him in and politely sits down as he plays her a tape of one of his compositions.
What she hears is not easy on her ears, but she smiles as it plays and pretends to appreciate it until a phone call from her lover, Steve Edison (Perry King
Perry King
Perry Firestone King is an American television and film actor. King played the role of Cody Allen on the detective series Riptide from 1983 to 1986.-Early life:...
), thankfully interrupts them and allows her to escape to her room, away from the noise and the very creepy Gordon.
As Chris talks to Steve, Gordon begins to fume at the thought of Chris’ obvious rejection. His hurt soon turns to anger and he enters her room and smashes a picture of her brother Martin (John Bennett Perry
John Bennett Perry
John Bennett Perry is an American actor and former model. He is the father of actor Matthew Perry.-Life and career:Perry was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, the son of Maria Schaefer and Alton L. Perry. He married twice...
), a priest, before throwing himself on top of her.
During Chris's struggle to fight him off, Gordon slams her head against one of her bedposts and screams at her to show him where she keeps the lipstick that her face sells to the public. When she tells him it's in her bathroom, he takes her in there and smears it across her face before returning her to her bed, where he ties her down with silk scarves, and rapes her.
Near the end of the ordeal, Kathy returns home from school and walks in on Chris and Gordon, who Kathy has a crush on, together in bed -- hurt and embarrassed, Kathy runs out before they see her, and before she can tell what's really going on.
Chris hears her leave, and asks Gordon to untie her. He gets up and suggests calling Kathy in to join them and “Have some fun,” but he instead cuts Chris free and leaves. Chris gets up, finds Kathy, and after telling her what really happened, Chris calls the police.
Gordon is arrested, but as Chris learns from Carla Bondi (Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft was an American actress associated with the Method acting school, which she had studied under Lee Strasberg....
), the prosecutor assigned to handle the case, Gordon's conviction is hardly a sure thing. Only two out of 100 rapists serve any jail time, and only 10,000 out of the 50,000 rapes that occur each year in California are reported to the police.
If Chris wants justice, she’ll have to testify, and that could mean subjecting herself to a kind of abuse as terrible as the rape itself. Despite Steve’s fears of what a trial could do to her career, Chris agrees to testify passionately, informing everyone in the room that “I want him to die in jail! I want them to do it to him in jail!”
Unfortunately for Chris, Carla’s worst fears are all realized. Gordon's attorney argues that the sex was consensual, and that its roughness was the result of Chris's own twisted desires and not Gordon's.
He also suggests that even if Gordon acted without her consent, she provoked him by appearing naked in front of him at the photo shoot where they first met, and by the inherent sensuality of the photographs from which she makes her living. To Chris's enormous shock, the jury buys that logic and votes to acquit. Gordon walks out of the courthouse a free man.
Not long after that, Chris learns that Steve, who works for the cosmetics company she poses for, has decided to “cool down” their ad campaign, meaning that she's been abandoned by Steve, and is soon going to be out of work. Not knowing what else to do, Chris decides to move to Colorado with Kathy as soon she finishes what is to be her last photo shoot.
But by a terrible coincidence, Kathy’s old school is using the same building Chris’s shoot is in to rehearse the new ballet being orchestrated by Gordon. As Chris poses in a red sequined gown, Kathy runs into Gordon, who -- despite her protestations to the contrary -- a part of her still believes is innocent of what Chris accused him of.
Kathy soon learns, however, that Chris wasn’t lying when Gordon’s intentions become sinister, and he starts chasing her throughout the nearly abandoned building. Eventually, he catches her and starts tearing at her clothes and rapes her.
When Gordon is done with her, Kathy stumbles to the photo shoot and tells Chris what happened. Knowing she absolutely cannot trust the system to do what's right, Chris -- still wearing the red gown -- runs outside to her vehicle and grabs a pump-action shotgun that she had intended to take to Colorado with her.
Chris spots Gordon driving his car in the parking lot, and shoots at it, causing him to turn the car over on its side. When Gordon climbs out of the car, Chris shoots him repeatedly -- so overcome with anger that she keeps pulling the trigger, even after she has killed Gordon and run out of shotgun shells.
Within seconds, the police arrive and arrest Chris. Later, Carla Bondi speaks to a jury, telling them why they have to acquit Chris. Chris is found not guilty.
Remakes
The film was remade in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
twice. The first remake is the Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
film Insaaf Ka Tarazu
Insaaf Ka Tarazu
Insaaf Ka Tarazu is a 1980 Hindi film produced and directed by B. R. Chopra. The film stars Raj Babbar, Deepak Parashar, Zeenat Aman, Padmini Kohlapure, Iftekhar, Simi Garewal, Shreeram Lagoo and Dharmendra in a guest appearance. The music of the film was composed by Ravindra Jain. The film was...
(1980), which became a big hit. The second remake is in Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
and it is titled Edi Nyayam Edi Dharmam (1982).