Rape (1969)
Directed by John Lennon / Yoko Ono
Genres - Thriller |
Release Date - Dec 1, 1969 (USA - Unknown) |
Run Time - 77 min. |
Countries - United Kingdom |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Mark Deming
John Lennon and Yoko Ono were exploring their interest in experimental filmmaking when they made this powerful, little-seen short feature. In Rape, a two-man camera crew follows a young woman (named Eva Majlata) as she walks down the street. As the woman becomes nervous due to the presence of the film crew, she tries to escape their gaze, but to no avail; the cinematographer occasionally stops to reload his camera, but is otherwise relentless in pursuit of his subject. As the camera continues to follow the woman, both on foot and in a cab, she is driven to the verge of hysteria; when she's eventually cornered in her own apartment, she breaks down, begging for the filmmakers to leave her alone as the camera impassively continues to record her actions. Rape was first screened by Lennon and Ono on Austrian television in 1969, but has been only rarely seen since.