Ms. 45
Encyclopedia
Ms. 45, also known as Angel of Vengeance, is a 1981 American low-budget exploitation film
directed by Abel Ferrara
and starring Zoë Tamerlis Lund
. Inspired by films such as Death Wish
and Thriller - en grym film
, the film is a rape and revenge
story about Thana, a mute
woman who becomes a misandristic
spree killer (not strictly a vigilante
) after she is rape
d twice in one day when coming home from work. It was critically maligned on its theatrical release, but is now generally highly-regarded among fans of underground film
.
Walking home from work one night, Thana, a mute seamstress in New York City
's Garment District
, is raped at gunpoint in an alley by a mysterious, masked attacker. She survives and makes her way back to her apartment, where she encounters a burglar and is raped a second time. Thana bludgeons this second assailant to death with an iron. She then keeps his .45 caliber
M1911A1 pistol, dismembers the burglar's body, puts the pieces into plastic garbage bags and gradually disposes of them in various locations throughout the city. She begins to have frequent nightmares and hallucinations of the first assailant stalking
her, and her mental stability begins to dim.
Thana is noticed by a man while she is disposing of one of the bagged body parts; retrieving the bag, he chases and frightens her. Fearing another sexual assault
, she fatally shoots him. This event furthers her impulse for vengeance. Gradually, Thana transforms her appearance to become a more and more seductive bait, and sets out to kill any man who annoys her. Near the end of the film, she dons a nun
's habit
and red lipstick to attend a Halloween
party with her boss and co-workers. Her boss tries to take advantage of her and is killed; Thana then begins a shooting spree and targets all the men present. Finally she is stabbed by a female colleague.
by U.S.A. Home Video in its uncut form.
In late 1997 Ms. 45 was accidentally released completely uncut by Warner Bros.
UK on VHS
video, and was for sale for approximately one week, before being replaced by the cut version.
Ms. 45 was released on DVD
on in the U.S. April 25, 2000 by Image Entertainment
, but was reedited for DVD release. The reedit removes less than a minute total. The cuts include changes to the first rape featuring Ferrara's cameo, which is split by an insert shot from a later scene. The second rape is more drastically cut, omitting a line "This oughta make you talk, huh?" The climatic Halloween party shoot-out was also recut to remove an on-screen murder, which now occurs off screen.
The uncut DVD is now available in France
, published by Aquarelle.
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
directed by Abel Ferrara
Abel Ferrara
Abel Ferrara is an American film screenwriter and director. He is best known as an independent filmmaker of such films as The Driller Killer , Ms. 45 , King of New York , Bad Lieutenant and The Funeral .-Early life:Ferrara was born in the Bronx of Italian and Irish descent...
and starring Zoë Tamerlis Lund
Zoë Tamerlis Lund
Zoë Tamerlis Lund , also known as Zoë Tamerlis and Zoë Tamerlaine, was a former American musician turned model, actress, and screenwriter. She was best known for her association with Abel Ferrara, in whose movie Ms. 45 she starred...
. Inspired by films such as Death Wish
Death Wish (film)
Death Wish is a 1974 crime thriller film loosely based on the novel Death Wish by Brian Garfield. The film was directed by Michael Winner and stars Charles Bronson as Paul Kersey, a man who becomes a vigilante after his wife is murdered and his daughter is sexually assaulted by muggers.The film was...
and Thriller - en grym film
Thriller - en grym film
Thriller – A Cruel Picture is a 1973 Swedish exploitation film in the "rape and revenge" genre written and directed by Bo Arne Vibenius under the name "Alex Fridolinski"...
, the film is a rape and revenge
Rape and revenge films
Rape and revenge films are a subgenre of exploitation film that was particularly popular in the 1970s. Rape/revenge movies generally follow the same three act structure:...
story about Thana, a mute
Speech disorder
Speech disorders or speech impediments are a type of communication disorders where 'normal' speech is disrupted. This can mean stuttering, lisps, etc. Someone who is unable to speak due to a speech disorder is considered mute.-Classification:...
woman who becomes a misandristic
Misandry
Misandry is the hatred or dislike of men or boys.Misandry comes from Greek misos and anēr, andros . Misandry is the antonym of philandry, the fondness towards men, love, or admiration of them...
spree killer (not strictly a vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
) after she is rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d twice in one day when coming home from work. It was critically maligned on its theatrical release, but is now generally highly-regarded among fans of underground film
Underground film
An underground film is a film that is out of the mainstream either in its style, genre, or financing.-Definition and history:The first use of the term "underground film" occurs in a 1957 essay by American film critic Manny Farber, "Underground Films." Farber uses it to refer to the work of...
.
Synopsis
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Garment District
Garment District, Manhattan
The Garment District, also known as the Garment Center, the Fashion District, or the Fashion Center, is a neighborhood located in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The dense concentration of fashion-related uses give the neighborhood, which is generally considered to span between Fifth Avenue...
, is raped at gunpoint in an alley by a mysterious, masked attacker. She survives and makes her way back to her apartment, where she encounters a burglar and is raped a second time. Thana bludgeons this second assailant to death with an iron. She then keeps his .45 caliber
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
M1911A1 pistol, dismembers the burglar's body, puts the pieces into plastic garbage bags and gradually disposes of them in various locations throughout the city. She begins to have frequent nightmares and hallucinations of the first assailant stalking
Stalking
Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
her, and her mental stability begins to dim.
Thana is noticed by a man while she is disposing of one of the bagged body parts; retrieving the bag, he chases and frightens her. Fearing another sexual assault
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
, she fatally shoots him. This event furthers her impulse for vengeance. Gradually, Thana transforms her appearance to become a more and more seductive bait, and sets out to kill any man who annoys her. Near the end of the film, she dons a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
's habit
Religious habit
A religious habit is a distinctive set of garments worn by members of a religious order. Traditionally some plain garb recognisable as a religious habit has also been worn by those leading the religious eremitic and anachoritic life, although in their case without conformity to a particular uniform...
and red lipstick to attend a Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
party with her boss and co-workers. Her boss tries to take advantage of her and is killed; Thana then begins a shooting spree and targets all the men present. Finally she is stabbed by a female colleague.
Cast
- Zoë Tamerlis LundZoë Tamerlis LundZoë Tamerlis Lund , also known as Zoë Tamerlis and Zoë Tamerlaine, was a former American musician turned model, actress, and screenwriter. She was best known for her association with Abel Ferrara, in whose movie Ms. 45 she starred...
as Thana - Albert Sinkys as Albert
- Darlene Stuto as Laurie
- Helen McGara as Carol
- Nike Zachmanoglou as Pamela
- Abel FerraraAbel FerraraAbel Ferrara is an American film screenwriter and director. He is best known as an independent filmmaker of such films as The Driller Killer , Ms. 45 , King of New York , Bad Lieutenant and The Funeral .-Early life:Ferrara was born in the Bronx of Italian and Irish descent...
as First Rapist - Peter Yellen as The Burglar
- Editta ShermanEditta ShermanEditta Sherman is an Italian-American photographer, often referred to as the "Duchess of Carnegie Hall", since she lived and worked in Carnegie Hall Artist Studios for over 60 years...
as Mrs. Nasone - Vincent Gruppi as Heckler on Corner
- S. Edward Singer as The Photographer
Home Video
In 1983, the film was released on VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
by U.S.A. Home Video in its uncut form.
In late 1997 Ms. 45 was accidentally released completely uncut by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
UK on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
video, and was for sale for approximately one week, before being replaced by the cut version.
Ms. 45 was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on in the U.S. April 25, 2000 by Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
, but was reedited for DVD release. The reedit removes less than a minute total. The cuts include changes to the first rape featuring Ferrara's cameo, which is split by an insert shot from a later scene. The second rape is more drastically cut, omitting a line "This oughta make you talk, huh?" The climatic Halloween party shoot-out was also recut to remove an on-screen murder, which now occurs off screen.
The uncut DVD is now available in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, published by Aquarelle.