By the end of the film, Jennifer has become a shell of her former self, relishing in the torment of her attackers in a similar fashion to how they relished in their attack on her. There is much to be said about how the character of Jennifer Hills gets her revenge - by resorting to extreme violence - and how this essentially strips her of all humanity and compassion. The posters for the remake and its sequels heightens the sexuality of the main character with the women all appearing from the back, and nearly topless. This is perhaps best shown in the poster for I Spit on Your Grave which depicts the actress Camille Keaton from behind in ripped t-shirt and underwear, for a film that is meant to be about an empowered woman, it certainly depicts her as an object rather than an actual victim. Perhaps another troubling aspect to consider is the way that these rape-revenge films sexualise the main female character. Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs is infamous for its controversial rape scene, and is a prime example of the depiction of rape being presented in an erotic manner.
In the past, rape scenes have been depicted by male directors in rather a troubling manner. In the Jezebel interview Kent states that she wanted to ensure a disconnect from rape and sex, stating the following “It is a violent act before it’s anything else, and that’s what I wanted to show.” Perhaps what is so bold and different about Kent’s The Nightingale is that we see the point of view of the victim being raped and therefore the viewer is placed in the position of the main character. Often films in the rape revenge sub-genre such as I Spit on Your Grave and Last House on the Left are vile in their depictions of sexual violence and rarely do the emotional and mental toll that the victims have to endure. In Roger Ebert’s review of the original I Spit on Your Grave, in which he described the film as ‘a vile bag of garbage’ and one is inclined to agree with him. Male directors seem to have a perverse fascination with rape scenes, with the scene in I Spit on Your Grave being borderline sadism. Certainly, there seems to be a tendency for male filmmakers to depict the rape and scenes of violence for a prolonged amount of time, in the case of I Spit on Your Grave, the rape scene takes place over the course of thirty minutes of screen time. The question of whether these films are empowering to women or whether they exploit rape and sexual violence for entertainment purposes is one that remains a grey area and is up for debate. It can be argued that the rape-revenge film is a way for male directors to tackle feminism and female empowerment, as Noah Berlatsky stated in a piece for The Establishment, “Rape/revenge fits feminism into male genre narratives that Hollywood can embrace.” These films are not packaged as uplifting tales of survivors obtaining justice through the legal system but centring around the concept of taking matters into one’s own hands. In Rachel Jean Turner’s study into rape revenge films (titled The Rhetoric of Rape Revenge Film), she details how women are portrayed in the media less often in men, and when women are portrayed, they are most likely shown in a sexual manner with women often being depicted in scenes of sexual violence.
However, these films remain deeply problematic in how they portray women as being ‘victims’ and how these women may gain their justice but at the great loss of their humanity. Traditionally, the concept of the rape revenge film has been seen as a film that celebrates feminism and female empowerment.
The Nightingale’s plot may centre on a woman seeking revenge against her attackers, but Kent has discussed how the film is dealing with bigger themes (addressing colonialism and misogyny) and in her own words “If was a rape-revenge film it’d be a pretty disappointing one for people who are drawn to those kind of films.” The Nightingale is a perfect example of how the sub-genre has evolved over the years and how these narratives are now being explored by female filmmakers who are showing audiences the true effects on the mental well-being of survivors of sexual abuse.
In Kent’s own words, “To call this film a rape-revenge film is just so beyond reductive.” However, many critics are still proclaiming the film as a part of the sub-genre of rape-revenge narrative. In an interview with Jezebel, writer and director Jennifier Kent went on record to say that she doesn’t consider The Nightingale as a rape-revenge film.
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