Crime, Justice and Narratives about Rape Student Edition Prepared by: Barbara Robinson Katie Field Dr. Caroline (Kay) Picart

Possible Questions for Discussion Are rape-revenge films about rape or revenge? How is the rape-revenge genre defined? How is revenge characterized, in terms of gender and class dynamics?

Read Publicity Poster Discuss the visual dynamics of how the woman is being represented in this poster for I Spit on Your Grave.

Transformation “ Compare I Spit on Your Grave and A Time to Kill.

Progression : Victim to Avenger

Responsibility What is the responsibility of someone who witnesses a violent crime? In The Accused, Sarah Tobias is assaulted (not raped) and nobody helps her. When she cries for justice, she is put on trial. What does the title, The Accused, refer to?

Revenge What happens to the narrative dynamics when the avenger is male? Are there different types of revenge?

Death and the Maiden Analyze depictions of power, gender and the status of science in relation to characterizations of criminal behavior and the law in Death and the Maiden.

Real Life vs. Reel Life Compare and contrast real life cases of rape (e.g., the Brzonkala case, the Liu case) and reel life visualizations of rape and attempts at finding justice (The Accused, Death and the Maiden, I Spit on Your Grave).