Ms .45 (1981)

A timid and mute seamstress goes insane after being attacked and raped twice in one day, in which she takes to the streets of New York City after dark and randomly shoots men with a .45 caliber pistol.

Director:

Abel Ferrara

Writer:

Nicholas St. John (screenplay) (as N.G. St. John)

Stars:

Zoë Lund, Bogey, Albert Sinkys

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Zoë Lund	...	Thana (as Zoë Tamerlis)
Bogey	...	Phil
Albert Sinkys	...	Albert
Darlene Stuto	...	Laurie
Helen McGara	...	Carol
Nike Zachmanoglou	...	Pamela
Abel Ferrara	...	1st Rapist (as Jimmy Laine)
Peter Yellen	...	Burglar
Editta Sherman	...	Mrs. Nasone
Vincent Gruppi	...	Heckler on Corner
S. Edward Singer	...	Photographer
Stanley Timms	...	Pimp
Faith Peters	...	Prostitute
Lawrence Zavaglia	...	Arab
Alex Jachno	...	Chauffeur

Storyline

In Manhattan, Thana is a timid and mute woman that works as a seamstress in the fashion industry and spends most of her idle time at home. One night, she gets raped in an alley while going back home after hours and when she arrives at home, she gets raped again by another criminal. However, she reacts and bludgeons the assaulter to his death with a flatiron. The disturbed Thana loses her sanity and uses a .45 caliber pistol to shoot men on the streets of New York. She dresses suggestively and roams the dark streets alone, wreaking vengeance upon anyone who tries to take advantage of her. Eventually, her secret life overflows into her regular life in the fashion industry.

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Plot Keywords:

revenge | vigilante | misandry | shooting | nun with a gun | 

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Taglines:

Crime will no longer roam the streets.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 April 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ms .45

Filming Locations:

40 Pell Street, corner of Mott Street and Pell Street, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$62,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Navaron Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Zoë Lund was only 17 years old when this movie was filmed.

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Goofs

When the man Thana meets in the bar holds her gun, he cocks it, but when he lifts it to his head, the hammer is no longer pulled back.

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Quotes

Albert: Hello, Bobby.
Party Host: And Sister?
Albert: Thana.
Party Host: That's a charming name. Is that Greek?
Albert: It's Greek to you, Bobby.

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Alternate Versions

The US DVD, released by Artisan, features a cut version of the film. The two rape scenes were trimmed, the second even misses some dialogue ("This oughta make you talk, huh?"). The murder of the guy in the yellow T-shirt at the Halloween party shoot-out is now offscreen.

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Connections

Referenced in Morvern Callar (2002)

User Reviews

The best of its subgenre.

After leaving work, a lonely mute New Yorker is raped twice in one afternoon. She manages to fight back against the second rapist and kills him with his own gun. She is traumatized and chops up his body and sticks it in the fridge. She tells no one, and is unable to cope with what happened. Soon, she's finding empowerment by using the gun to dispose of any man that may potentially take advantage of her or other women.

I am not a fan of the rape/revenge genre, but this compelling film miraculously manages to avoid exploitation on nearly every level. The rape scenes are disturbing but fortunately not as explicit as in many genre movies. While the content of "Ms. 45" is obviously over-the-top and exaggerated, it manages to retain a sense of dignity that rises above tacky movies like "Baise Moi" and "I Spit on Your Grave." Zoe Lund is incredible as the lead actress, depending on her versatile facial expressions to portray what mental state the character is in.

My Rating: 7.5/10.