The Lady Avenger (1981)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 1981
	Director: Chia-Yun Yang
	Actors: Hsiao-Fen Lu, Lun Hua, Nien-kuo Kao
	Country: RC
	Genre: Drama, Horror
	Conditions of visioning: 10.07.2014, Bio cinema, NIFFF14
Synopsis: A TV commercial actress is raped by a rich man, who is found not guilty at the trial. A young journalist tries to have rape more recognized by the society of the time.
Review: Needless to say that I didn't know much about the Taiwanese cinema of the 80's. Discovering such films is what Festivals are for. The Lady Avenger was presented in the poorest copy I have ever seen for any movie in my life, but we were warned: the original negative (moldy) was transferred to a beta tape and this is what we saw. So the film was full of stripes and red/green waves were crossing the image at every moment. Check the picture down below for some better quality images. The sound was also rather high-pitched, and some scenes were lost or censored from the movie. But if it is the price to pay to have the opportunity to see such a rare item, then why not. The Lady Avenger is a classical Rape & Revenge movie, reminding the recent (at the time) I spit on your Grave (1978) for the length of the rape scene, and the upcoming Sudden Impact (1983) directed by Clint Eastwood. The story is well told especially when you think it was directed by a young woman during a hard period in Taiwan, and she couldn't show anything. The editing is also strange: you get to see all the murders in the opening credits, and then they are cut during the main film! What I liked is the framing of the scenes that look very professional and actually American. The use of the repetitive music is also well done, and the staging of the murders. The rape scene couldn't be shown so we actually spend 10 minutes witnessing the humiliation inflicted to the victim, and this for the two rapes of the movie. All of this makes the movie quite realistic and involving for the viewer. An interesting rare piece of cinema history.
Rating: 5 /10