Abel Ferrara has struck a massively divisive figure throughout his career, gradually shifting from making cheap porn films all the way to creating a number of strikingly personal and authentic arthouse films in Italy in the last decade. His fiercely unique style, often focused on working-class characters and gangsters struggling in rough worlds, through a variety of brutal situations, has made him something of a cult hero.

Ferrara broke into filmmaking with his particularly nasty 1979 film The Driller Killer. This bloody, grim horror film laid the foundations for what became a fascinating, frequently evolving career, although Ferrara would struggle through the 1980s, as he made a number of lacklustre films on shoestring budgets. His breakthrough moment finally came in the early 1990s with a string of cult classics: crime drama King of New York (1990), horror thriller Body Snatchers (1993) and, most notably (and controversially) Bad Lieutenant (1992), a tough-to-stomach view of Harvey Keitel's incredibly performed titular character attempting to confront his personal demons.

The one enduring film (other than the aforementioned Driller Killer) which Ferrara made during his tumultuous 1980s is Ms. 45, a thoughtful and emotive rape revenge action/thriller (a rarity in this often deplorable and exploitative sub-genre). Ferrara, perhaps due to his background in visceral exploitation cinema, turns what could easily have been a deeply ugly film in the hands of another director into something more. Ferrara utilises the framework of the rape revenge film in order to explore questions around revenge, the extent to which violence is justifiable, the experience of living in a patriarchal society, while also investigating some of the lingering effects of traumatising violence.

Ms. 45's plot revolves around Zoe Lund's (credited here as Zoe Tamerlis) Thana, a mute seamstress who is horribly attacked twice in the same day. First, by a man on the streets who sexually assaults her in an alley and later by another man who violates her privacy further by breaking into her home and then sexually assaulting her there. The horror of these attacks leads Thana towards vengeance, first out of instinct but later out of a mixture of anger and trauma. She first enacts her revenge during the attack in her home, when she manages to escape from her intruder long enough to bludgeon him with an iron.

Thana becomes something of a vigilante as she spends most of the rest of the film wandering the streets, using the gun of her second attacker to kill a number of men (some deserving, others more innocent), as the line between justifiable and unjustifiable becomes blurred.

Thana's transformation from an everyday woman into somebody traumatised and vengeful is excellently captured by Ferrara. The horrible, abrasive groaning of Joe Delia's score conveys plenty to the audience about what our lead must be feeling during her two attacks, and Ferrara intelligently matches the disturbing music with lingering shots and uneasy close-ups. Even more powerful, though, is the deafening silence the film allows following the first attack, which must be the film's most moving moment due to the sound design and Lund's silently expressive performance.

In a powerful symbol of taking back power, Thana uses the gun of her second attacker, the very same tool that was previously used to violate and rob her, in order to protect herself. While she begins the film ridding the world of pimps, gangsters and lecherous men, she becomes much less thoughtful when deciding who to kill throughout the film, as an effort by Thana to reclaim power soon becomes a flurried, violent outburst. Not only is this a complex, challenging character shift, but Ferrara's form is also quite mature, considering that this film was released so early in his career. There is a Hitchcockian feel to the cinematography and cutting during Ms. 45's tense moments; the sharp editing and a handful of stunning shots allow the unpredictable story to hit the audience much more directly.

It is in its thoughtful symbolism and powerful expressions of anger that Ms. 45 is at its best. Overcoming the limitations of the mostly insensitive rape revenge sub-genre due to its sincere care for its leading character, the film is quietly brilliant, especially in its numerous moments of stylistic flair. Ferrara's film may be slightly unpolished, but it is an emotionally impactful and subversive take on one of cinema's worst sub-genres, highlighting the potential of its director long before he would fully realise it himself.

Ms. 45 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Limited Edition Special Features

Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films from the original 35mm camera negative
4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Original lossless mono audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Brand new audio commentary by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, author of Rape Revenge Films: A Critical Study and Cultographies: Ms. 45
The Voice of Violence: a new featurette with film critic BJ Colangelo
Where Dreams Go to Die: a new featurette with film critic Kat Ellinger
Archive interview with director Abel Ferrara
Archive interview with composer Joe Delia
Archive interview with creative consultant Jack McIntyre
Zoe XO: a 2004 short film directed by Paul Rachman
Zoe Rising: a 2011 short film directed by Paul Rachman
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sister Hyde
60-page perfect bound collector's book featuring new writing by Robert Lund, previously unseen photographs of Zoë Lund, plus select archival material including writing by Kier-La Janisse and Brad Stevens
Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sister Hyde