No moriré sola

When Meir Zarchi made I Spit On Your Grave in 1978, he would never have comprehended the legacy that his film would eventually generate. Seen as one of the more controversial of the named video nasties, it and the genre it has recently been generating is making waves again.

This Argentine roughie must rank as one of the more effective and respectful homages to Zarchi's film. Except that here, experienced micro-budget horror director, Bogliano, takes the genres usual conceits and batters the viewers conscious for the entire duration.

Filmed in the stark sunshine of a remote part of Argentina, a group of four young girls drive past a battered and bloody body of another girl. After taking the body to the local police, upon leaving they are followed by a trio of hunters who show little mercy.

Anyone who has seen I Spit On Your Grave or, indeed, last year's remake will know the direction the film will turn. The violence is very naturalistic which will repulse the unweary. Add to this a relentless, uneasy soundscape that permeates throughout (think Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 1974) which is both grating and disturbing in equal measure. A brilliant example of effective low budget film making, using subtle sound techniques to off put the viewer, making you forget any budget limitations (there are noticeably a few).

The performances from the four leads are pitched perfectly. Bogliano not too indulgent with giving background detail, although a sense of compassion is forced upon us. This is especially true following the brutal ordeal that the group go through. Directly after the violent assault(s), there can be very few scenes as disturbing or powerful in recent memory as the reaction that the group's youngest member conveys, her character completely broken.

Whether anybody would want to watch such fare is really an individual choice. But there is no doubt that this is the real deal - a modern grindhouse film without the retro trappings currently being thrown at us. Granted, there are references abound (see who the film acknowledges in its opening credits for further clues), particularly from the original grindhouse movement (Thriller: A Cruel Picture is covered on a number of occasions for instance), but No Morire Sola remains a horrific horror ordeal. A true video nasty.

Looking at the cover of I'll Never Die Alone it seems to come across as some wannabe exploit flick. Which I guess it is, as it doesn't really bring anything new to the sub-genre of rape/revenge exploitation. But what it does do, it does very well.

The story is about a gaggle of four femininas going on a lil drive, and they happen to pass a dying girl on the road. The other comment said one of the girls witnessed it. I guess I totally missed that. Anyways, they go back and pick her up, and see the guys who were responsible for her injuries. The baddies eventually meet up with the girls not long after...and you know what kinda things go down next.

When it comes down to it the rape/revenge flick is a pretty easy exploit flick to make. Grab some gung-ho actors and actresses, and a good make-up artist. Bingo. But at the same time it's not that easy to make an accomplished one. Which thankfully is what Adrián García Bogliano has done here. With a slow-burn style that tries to suck you into the Argentine wilderness, and long intimate shots of graphic sequences, he instead of making it an overly extreme flick, it ends up becoming more emotional.

As I just mentioned, the director enjoys taking long shots of his actresses. And this tends not to work so well sometimes. There were a couple one-shot sequences that lasted for far too long. A shot that felt stylish, eventually started feeling artsy, and then like the director was trying too hard. But the thing is, I'd rather have a director try hard, than not try at all.

Because of a cast of pretty good actors (besides the cute flabby girl), a few choice scenes of brutal violence, some sleazy rape, and the director's appealing style, No Morire Sola very easily becomes a recommendable modern exploitation flick that many should enjoy. And one I hope to enjoy more once I see it with subtitles.

It's one thing knowing there will be violence and another to have it going on for an extended period of time. I'm not a big fan of the rape&revenge genre in general, but this is really something here. Maybe there is a "softer" version out there but if you watch the one that you are supposed to watch it will take a toll on you (or at least it should).

Having said all that, what is even worse, when it finally comes to the "good" part, the one where the victims are going on a revenge spree ... it feels fake. There is no equivalent to what was done to them and to what they dish out. So even in that department it fails to deliver (us from evil) .... "Acting" does not help too much either

Having seen this movie, come up as one mean nasty brutal shocker, I was very interested in giving it a chance. I read the positive and quite provoking reviews on IMDb, got my hands no this movie, and really gave it a chance. I really wanted to... What I got in return was the dullest, most outright senseless piece of garbage I cam across in quite a while. Never was one scene interesting or thought through enough to hold my attention longer than 10 sec. Never was one of these so called "characters" (because sincerely that had NOTHING to do with acting), likable enough, for me to care for them the least bit.

The scenery, laughable, the screenplay, not to mention, character design, emotional depth of each of the figures, the plot, I will write it again the PLOT, was just not existent! Thankfully due to the state of modern technology we are able to enjoy, i fast forwarded the last 30mins or so, so not more of my life time would be stolen!

For those who shall be interested in watching this nonsense, read the weather forecast for the next week, it will thrill you far more than this ever could!

Rape/revenge movies aren't supposed to be enjoyable. And this is not enjoyable but it's a great piece of film making and a great addition to the genre. For many, it may feel far too slow and even dull, but that's where the strength and power of the movie lies. As with Funny Games, the director refuses to rush through the mundane, forcing the viewer to acknowledge the reality simulated on the screen. An exploitation director wouldn't spend 3 minutes on burial, let alone on a long shot of it.

Adrián García Bogliano also takes defies convention by keeping the soundtrack minimal and ambient emphasizing the dull horror of not only the rapes, but of the revenge.

The huge accomplishment of this movie is in getting the words "subtle" and "rape/revenge movie" into the same sentence.