A Case of Rape (1974)

Absolutely Brilliant!

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

For it's time, this was a break-through movie. Montgomery always seemed like she wanted to tackle more taboo subject matter like this, Lizzie Borden, Belle Starr (she's not wearing a bra in the final scene) the movie with OJ (wow), there was all but even a hint that Serena would be overly risqué to an extent.And there were problems in how women were handled in instances such as these. All In The family had to show that it wasn't just beautiful young women who were victimized, and an episode of Alice (of all shows!) had Alice questioned as tho she encouraged a flasher by the clothes she wore.Yet here, we have Montgomery rather badgered all around her, but having just watched it, I cant' help but feel she did things incorrectly one time and stood up later when she should have done this sooner.She hangs up the phone when she tried to report the initial attack, but later has no problem confronting the neighbor lady about 'enjoying' the sexual force ("Why don't you come down to the courtroom and listen to all the details, if that turns you on?") and she challenges her husband and the other guy who are blaming the woman for cheating, or whatever it was.WHY wasn't she this strong after the first attack, when she was on the phone? Granted, one would say she was just brutally raped. This then gives the impression she was less of a rape victim later on then.She confronted her husband outside the courtroom just before the verdict with 'we can't just act like it's business as usual' but that was EXACTLY what she did when he came home; she played it as business as usual.She would find her voice outside the courtroom and when confronting the neighbor, but would be put off saying anything to him when he got back, or when they were at the pool party? Strangest of all, she wants to wash after the second rape and the officer tells her no, that would wash off the evidence. She acts as tho it is a personal attack upon her person; this officer is being mean to me after what I've been thru.Hardly the case of course.When he says it would wash away sperm, she reacts like Donna Reed and he just said an ugly word to her as well, yet once again, finds moments later on to offer a voice.Again, one could say she was gaining her voice from the anger of how she was treated. Right off the bat, she was raped. She should have found that voice then over that phone, if anger could offer such motivation.A dated film, worth comparing with other entries such as The Accused and a TV movie in '81 called Victims, with Howard Hesseman.I wish there was a program or movie before this one showing what a woman had to contend with in the '50s and '60s, but unfortunately there isn't going to be.An intriguing comparison would be Rosemary Murphy, the defense here, as the alleged rape victim in To Kill A Mockingbird.

I must concur with the previous posters regarding this landmark NBC TV movie that changed the genre forever and initiated a new career and more sophisticated image for the late Elizabeth Montgomery. This television classic starred Montgomery (in a performance that should have won her an Emmy)as a housewife who gets raped twice by the same man. She does not report the 1st rape but she does report the second and the film shows the indignities this woman suffers from the courts and the insensitivity and mistrust she experiences from her husband (Ronny Cox) and her best friend (Patricia Smith). There is actually a horrific scene where Montgomery meets with best friend Smith, who actually wants details about what happened and implies that her friend might have enjoyed it. This movie pulls no punches, makes no compromises or apologies, and promises no happy endings. It was reported that when the script was first submitted to network executives, they wanted to cut the second rape. A long time friend of Ms. Montgomery stated that she responded by submitting a list of names of other actresses who might be interested in appearing in the film because she would quit if they changed the script. This is a mature, disturbing, adult movie that is so well-crafted, it could have merited theatrical release and I find it amazing that this movie is not available on video. An intelligent script, uncompromising direction by Boris Sagal, and solid supporting performances by Cox, Rosemary Murphy and Williams Daniels as the attorneys involved, and Cliff Potts as the unapologetic rapist, made this film an instant classic and it's truly criminal if this film is not available on video. All serious students and connoisseurs of great drama and superb acting should see this important and disturbing movie.

Elizabeth Montgomery's clout and talent is unquestionably what got this film made for TV in the early 1970's. Up until this point, rape was a taboo subject and to see a studio invest so much money and risk so many affiliates for what would ultimately become a legend in Made-for-TV-films is refreshing and brave.The story is about Ellen Harrod a married woman with two children who is raped twice by the same man. She takes herself to the hospital and we see her go through the steps of a routine medical exam to a routine legal proceeding. Harrod is treated worse by culture and society than she was by the rapist.Montgomery's performance is remarkable; not just the horrific scenes, which are done very carefully for a 1974 television audience, but the scenes that follow; the many showers, the slight grimace of her eye muscles on the medical exam table as the camera stays with her eyes and not with the pelvic exam, the manner in which Montgomery's performance begins to display a wearing down of strength as well as soul and resilience as the film proceeds (this film was NOT made in scene order- most films are not- so that for consistency Montogomery had to know this script very well.) The subject of rape itself remains "untouchable" within the cinema. Jodie Foster's remarkable, Oscar Winning performance in "The Accused" in 1984 was the next that we saw such a powerful performance (that was the year that everyone was shocked that "little Jodie Foster" had beaten Meryl Streep for an Oscar; this would happen again in 1992 for "Silence of The Lambs").The film "Sleepers" deals peripherally with the issue of male rape, but this is a film about vengeance and doesn;t do much to teach the frequency and situation of boys who are raped. Statistically, one out of four girls and one out of six boys will be sexually abused by the time they reach age eighteen. This is one out of five children. Hold out your hand, randomly select a finger and cut it off. It doesn't matter which finger; the choice should be as random as a child. Rape is a serious crime and has been seen as a female crime (It was only in January of 2012 that President Obama changed the law to include men as potential victims) for centuries. Subsequently it was only the women's rights movement that brought about awareness.Elizabeth Montgomery left "Bewitched", a sickening housefrau who should have turned Darrin into a ashtray, and went on to create television movies that represented women in a much different light. Lizzie Bortden, Etta Place, many roles that are typically male leads and as such she should be credited right along with Mary Tyler Moore as a pioneer in the Wokmen's Movement using television for her voice. Jodie Foster has achieved the same through the motion picture industry which is about twenty years behind with films such as "Silence of The Lambs", "The Brave One" and, again, "The Acused." A Case of Rape is impossible to find on DVD which is a pity since historically it's of great importance. More so than that, it;s a film that teaches a great deal about the horrors of this crime and the horrors of how our culture deals with it. There is not much difference statistically in 2012 than there was in 1974. in fact, I seriously doubt that one of the Networks would ever make this film today. For those of us who were there and saw it, we are still affected by it, for those who cannot see it, there are still ways to learn about it; certainly Ms Foster's Award winning performance (based on a real case in- of all places- Fall River, Massachusetts) But none the less, this lesson has to be taught. Rape is a serial crime, it is about violence and control and not about sexual gratification and far too many citizens of the world suffer this crime in silence.As for the ending to this film, I shall not spoil it because my voice is one of thousands who continuously ask that this film be released. And when it does, I don;t wish to be the critic who spoiled the end for you.

Harrowing drama of a married woman (Elizabeth Montgomery) who is raped twice by the same man. She is treated like a piece of meat in the hospital (the scene where someone photographs her bruises is unbelievable) and, in court, they act like she deserved it.I saw this on TV when I was 12 and have never forgotten it. Before this there was never any talk (on TV at least) about this subject. Also, back then, rape was considered an act of lust (!!!!). This haunted me for days after the initial showing. What really got to me was the uncompromising, realistic ending--TV, at that time, always had pat, happy endings. Not this one. Montgomery was absolutely superb in her role and the rapes were presented tastefully. This movie was a HUGE hit in its first two showings. I believe it was instrumental in changing the publics perception of how rape is a disgusting act of violence and how it can destroy a woman's life.This isn't available in any form that I know of, and that's a shame. It's now 30 years old and deserves a release on DVD. If you can see it, do so. A definite must-see.