Ms .45 (1981)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

So much average

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

After being raped twice in the same afternoon, a mute seamstress in one of New York's fashion houses (Zoe Lund), obtains a 45 caliber pistol with which she metes out justice on any future potential threat from the city's sex-obsessed male population. They all seem to be standing around on corners hustling her as she passes by. But that's not really the character of this film so much as the transformation Lund's character undergoes from meek mute to sympathetic while utterly ruthless serial killer, from prey to predator, which reaches its apex when she arrives at a Halloween party that concludes the film dressed as a sexy nun with her 45 strapped to her leg. By this point the body count has risen substantially, accompanied by an other-worldly lounge jazz film score, with each victim drawn out just enough to show his sleaziest side by the great director Abel Ferrara, of whom this film must be considered among his absolute best efforts.

Zoe Lund (who was only 17 at the time of filming) plays Thana a mute woman who works in the garment district of NYC. When going home one day she's viciously raped. She stumbles home and finds a burglar in her apartment. He also rapes her but she kills him. She then gets his gun and goes out at night and kills all the men who try to attack her or other women. Then she starts killing men who have done nothing wrong.Dark and depressing film. Filmed in the early 1980s on location in NYC it presents a very negative view of the city and its citizens. All the men are portrayed as scum that deserve what they get. Surprisingly this was written and directed by two men! It's tough stuff but you have to applaud a movie that doesn't hold back. Lund is terrific in her role (hard to believe she was only 17) and it's very well-directed by Abel Ferrara. LOVE how he stages the scene when Thana is stalked by four men in Central Park. There's actually not a lot of violence in the movie but what's there is pretty strong. This was not a big hit when it came out. It was too dark for most viewers. However it did well on the midnight movie circuit. It basically just disappeared (cable TV stations won't touch it) until it was reissued in a beautiful transfer on DVD a few years back. Dark and gritty but important.

Despite the best of production values I found this to be a total dud. As a fan of revenge films and after reading the high critical ratings and reviews, I thought this would be a "can't miss" but it was a "should miss." No nudity at all so there was not even any titillation. Compared to the Jodie Foster revenge films this should rate a zero.The rape scenes are not involving because the actress is not able to convey the horror of the rapes. I actually thought she was enjoying them (there are two in one night). This would have been a great Noir fetish film or black comedy if it had been outlandish enough or funny but nothing was unique or humorous. She wants to kill the aggressive type men but then she wants to kill the good men too. She is mute so there is no interesting dialog and even though she is supermodel hot facially, she is not sexy at all.She never needs any practice or prep. The progressions are made without context. After a couple of reflex kills she goes to a park and is surrounded by a gang of thugs. Somehow she has become a super "Dirty Harry" markswomen and shoots them all easily, thanks to editing. The ending is just plain nothing.

Maybe they couldn't think of something to add into the plot, which is a bit skimpy? The basic theme is great, ie, disadvantaged female gets even with creeps who deserve a good slapping. And does she deliver!A superb performance from Zoe Lund (aka Tamerlis), who doesn't say a word, but manages to say truck-loads just by the looks she gives.But then it seems to go on a bit without really saying (!) much or achieving much. A pity, and I would have liked a better ending.Others in the cast, and the director and producers combine to deliver and interesting, and different movie. One that could have been better. I've given it a 7, and will happily watch it again.