The Accused (1988): More Than Just a Rape-Revenge Flick?

Okay, so I just re-watched The Accused for the first time in, like, 15 years. Back then, it felt like a straightforward rape-revenge narrative, right? Jodie Foster's performance blew everyone away, and rightly so. But revisiting it now, I'm struck by the almost clinical lens through which the film approaches the act itself. We don't actually visually see the rape. It's all aftermath, implication, and witness accounts. I think that was a really deliberate choice by the director (whoever he was, I can't quite recall at the moment). It forces us to focus on the culture of complicity, rather than the act itself. Kathryn Murphy's (Kelly McGillis) journey is fascinating. At first, she's clearly repulsed by Sarah Tobias, almost blaming her for what happened. She's a 'slut,' and her choices somehow justify the crime – a depressingly common perception, even now. But as she digs deeper, and especially after the 'pool hall' scene where she realizes the depth of the spectators' involvement, her perspective shifts. It's not just about punishing the rapists; it's about holding the enablers accountable. And that, I think, is where the film truly transcends the typical revenge thriller. The legal strategy she employs, going after the cheering onlookers, is really interesting from a theoretical standpoint. It's a powerful statement about collective responsibility. It's very easy to just condemn the perpetrators, but what about the people who created an environment where that attack felt permissible? The film argues, quite persuasively, that their culpability is just as significant. I'm not sure how watertight that legal theory is necessarily, but the film really holds up a mirror to the society it portrays. I guess my conclusion is this: The Accused isn't just about the crime; it's a searing critique of societal misogyny and the normalization of violence. It kind of makes you feel sick to your stomach – in a good way? I think it's an underappreciated film in that context. It's definitely worth revisiting, especially if you haven't seen it in a while. Just my two cents!