Lipstick (1976) User Reviews

She told me.. She never lies to me!

[sol1218 · 7/10 · 6 April 2004]

******SPOILERS******

Even though the movie "Lipstick" was laughed and snickered at back in 1976 as a cheap exploitation flick about a serious subject by the critics back then. The movie holds up surprisingly well after some 30 years since it's release. Looking back we see that the film was far ahead of it's time from the way it told it's story without trying to sugar coat it. Even the ending was very, if not that realistic, uplifting for everyone in the movie and the audience with the exception of the unfortunate rapist.

The movie makers of "Lipstick" chose to make the rape victim not that much of a sympathetic person as you normally would expect a movie about a rape victim. That was to show the audience that even a top fashion model who's used to exposing her body to the public and is anything but a Mother Teresa in her social life has as much right as a Cloister Nun to say no when she's put upon by someone and should have the same protection from the law and court system as well.

Margaux Hemingway, Chris McCormick, is a top world fashion model who's little sister Kathy, Mariel Hemingway, is infatuated with her music teacher Gordon Stuart, Chris Sarandon. Kathy wants her big sister to hear a sample of Gordon's music and see what she thinks of it. Gordon meets Chris at a photo-shoot on the beach and she tells him to come to her apartment the next afternoon to hear a sample of his music.

The next day when Gordon arrives he finds Chris scantily clothed, she just came out of the shower, and anything but shy about her appearance. Gordon thinking that Chris is easy and loose and from the photos in her apartment of her with a number of movie stars and other well known personalities feels that she made out with all of them so why not with him. Before you know it Gordon with very little urging on his part brutally attacks and rapes her.

As Gordon has Chris tied down on her bed her sister Kathy enters the apartment and sees what's happening and gets sicken by it. Even though at the time it looked like Chris was not fighting Gordon off, she was too exhausted by then, Kathy believed her sister when she told her that he raped her. There's also the question about Gordon's music which Chris was anything but found off. I think that his music was as brutal to Chris' ears as his raping her was brutal to her body. That negative opinion of his musical talent on Chris' part somehow made Gordon feel insulted and set him off.

Chris hurt and humiliated as well as having to have her little sister Kathy see what happened to her goes to woman advocate lawyer Caria Bondi, Anne Bancroft, to help in the state's case against the man who raped her Gordon Stuart. Caria is more then honest with Chris by telling her that if the case against Gordon is prosecuted by the state that Chris can expect to be raped all over again by Gordon's lawyer but this time in public not in private like she was raped by Gordon; and even after all that the odds of getting Gordon convicted is 98% against her.

Chris took the case to court and Caria's prediction turns out to be sadly true. Gordon is found innocent of raping Chris. Honestly brutal movie not only about rape but what the stigma of what rape does to it's victims and just how hard it is to prosecute and convict an accused rapist in a court of law.

Even though the movie has a very contrived ending when the rapist who got away with raping Chris and later also rapes her sister Kathy getting just whats coming to him. This happens when an enraged Chris blasts him to kingdom come with her trusty shotgun. Later in the movie her lawyer Claria Bondi evens thing out in court by getting Chris off for shooting him on a temporary insanity plea.

The Movie "Lipstick" made it's point far better then most movies before or since about the same subject without being any more downbeat and pessimistic then it had to be.

Nowhere near as bad as it's reputaution

[theeht · 7/10 · 27 September 2000]

Not bad as otherwise suggested, this is an interesting exploitation film that served as the film debut of Margaux Hemmingway. Unfortunately, little sis Mariel totally steals the show from poor, pretty Margaux. Chris Sarandon is competent as the psycho rapist, as is the always great Anne Bancroft, but Perry King, then a pretty big star, has a worthless role as Margaux's boyfriend. Worth a look.

More than Cosmetic

[harry-76 · 7/10 · 13 February 2004]

There is a significant social statement contained within the body of this harrowing tale. Just where does consensual sensuality leave off and blatant assault begin?

The meager stats for court convictions of males in rape cases speaks to the futility of provable evidence to bring about justice. It's one thing for a woman to experience a violation, yet another to prove it to a jury.

With clever defense attorneys twisting facts around to suggest enticement, women face an uphill battle to overcome reasonable doubt.

"Lipstick" dramatizes such a scenario in graphic terms--possibly so much so that its potent social commentary might become blurred. Just as there can be a fine line between consent and assault, so can there be also between legitimate expose and sleazy exploitation.

The cast, headed by Margeaux and Mariel Hemingway, Chris Sarandon and Anne Bancroft, all invest deep emotion into their roles. It's certainly a sobering enterprise, with little in the way of character background, particularly as to the accused. Other than that he creates what some might consider "weird" art, there's nothing to suggest his rationale for physical abuses of not one, but two, sisters.

All we know of him is that he's a respected educator and dance theater professional. Further, casting handsome Sarandon in the role begs the question, "Why do things the hard way?"

By not addressing character background the scriptor left a decided void, suggesting an interest more on surface than substance. Nor does the film's slick title or glossy production design help raise the product's standard.

When originally shown on the large screen in 1976, it apparently was too much for some audiences, and the film gained a poor rep. Viewed today, while it's still a rough enterprise, it does raise awareness as to the painful plight of abused women. In that regard, the film has relevance--for it does indeed affect us all.

Another great psychological thriller from the 1970's

[abethell-2 · 6 October 2005]

The more I see references to the psychological drama/thriller movies of the 1970's, the more I wish I could see them again.

Lipstick (1976) was made during an era that saw thrillers like Duel, Badham County, Hardcore, The Dirty Harry series and politically incorrect teen movies like Animal House. The scripts and characterisations had to be good because this was pre special effects, they actually shot films outdoors in real life settings, not just studio caverns.

This is a beautifully made film and we can appreciate the freshness of the Hemingway sisters , as well as understand the difficulties a disturbed young man faces when his desires get the better of him.

The revenge aspect would make the viewer feel good as they see justice as being done.

Though in the end no one wins, expect viewers who are treated to almost 2 hours of suspense , escapism and possibly voyeurism as the girls are so attractive.

I am tired of the franchise films of today, the TV remakes, the special effects-making actors and writers redundant when good scripts and real life locations are needed to help us identify with the situation.

LIPSTICK (Lamont Johnson, 1976) **

[Bunuel1976 · 4/10 · 18 August 2007]

Manipulative drama about a glamorous model (Margaux Hemingway) who is raped by a geeky but unbalanced musician (Chris Sarandon) - to whom she had been introduced by her younger sister (played by real-life sibling Mariel), whose music teacher he is. While the central courtroom action holds the attention - thanks largely to a commanding performance by Anne Bancroft as Hemingway's lawyer - the film is too often merely glossy, but also dramatically unconvincing: the jury ostensibly takes the musician's side because a) the girl invited assault due to the sensuous nature of her profession and b) she was offering no resistance to her presumed aggressor when her sister arrived at the apartment and inadvertently saw the couple in bed together. What the f***?!; she was clearly tied up - what resistance could she realistically offer?

The second half of the film - involving Sarandon's rape of the sister, which curiously anticipates IRREVERSIBLE (2002) by occurring in a tunnel - is rather contrived: Mariel's character should have known better than to trust Sarandon after what he did to her sister, but Margaux herself foolishly reprises the line of work which had indirectly led to her humiliating experience almost immediately! The climax - in which Sarandon gets his just desserts, with Margaux turning suddenly into a fearless and resourceful vigilante - is, however, a crowd-pleaser in the style of DEATH WISH (1974); incidentally, ubiquitous Italian movie mogul Dino De Laurentiis was behind both films.

It's worth noting how the two Hemingway sisters' lives took wildly different turns (this was the film debut of both): Margaux's career never took off (despite her undeniable good looks and commendable participation here) - while Mariel would soon receive an Oscar nomination for Woody Allen's MANHATTAN (1979) and, interestingly, would herself play a glamorous victim of raging violence when essaying the role of real-life "Playboy" centerfold Dorothy Stratten in Bob Fosse's STAR 80 (1983). With the added pressure of a couple of failed marriages, Margaux took refuge in alcohol and would eventually die of a drug overdose in 1996; chillingly, the Hemingway family had a history of suicides - notably the sisters' grandfather, celebrated author Ernest, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1961.

Well-shot exploitation thriller

[drownsoda90 · 7/10 · 7 May 2016]

"Lipstick" focuses on Chris (Margaux Hemingway), a Los Angeles model working for a lipstick company, who ends up being brutalized and raped in her apartment by her little sister's deranged music teacher/avant-garde composer (Chris Sarandon). After a feisty attorney (Anne Bancroft) fails to get a conviction, Chris is later forced to take matters into her own hands.

Decried as one of the worst films of the '70s, "Lipstick" has been condemned as everything from exploitative trash to a shameless vehicle for the Hemingway sisters. I'm going to play the devil's advocate here and say that, while, yes, the film does edge into the territory of the exploitation film (think 1973's "Thriller"), and yes, a lot of the legal jargon is dumbed down and the script set-up is at times completely arbitrary, this is not nearly as terrible a film as many would lead you to believe.

Lamont Johnson, who previously directed the superb Patty Duke thriller "You'll Like My Mother" in 1972, is behind the camera here, and the film is very stylishly shot. 1970s Los Angeles colors every frame, and the camera work is flashy and slick. Pacing is a bit of an issue here, as the film does have a bizarre narrative trajectory-it rises and falls, rises and falls, and the conclusion is a bit abrupt, which is indicative of the script needing some work. Margaux Hemingway and little sister Mariel play on screen siblings very nicely, both demonstrating considerably acting capability. Sarandon is at times a bit overacting here, but is reprehensible enough. Anne Bancroft plays the no- nonsense attorney perfectly, while Perry King appears briefly in a relatively pointless role as Hemingway's boyfriend/photographer.

The film's second-to-last scene is the real dynamite here, and the reason it's remembered above anything else, although it again is a bit awkwardly paced, and seems to arrive too late to the party. Overall though, "Lipstick" is not as awful of a film as so many have painted it to be. It's no masterpiece, but it is a mildly thrilling, entertaining revenge film, and Margaux Hemingway and Bancroft's performances lend it some serious backbone. 7/10.

Lipstick traces

[bob_meg · 5/10 · 30 August 2008]

I've never heard or seen what the late Margaux Hemingway thought of her decision to star in this classic Dino Delaurentis "anything for a buck" hack fest, but I'd guess it's regret.

If you subtract the horribly slapped together courtroom denouement, tighten up the sometimes hackneyed, over-melodramatic, cliché-ridden script, you're left with a harsh examination of rape and the judicial realities (circa 1976 anyway) of the crime's aftermath.

Providing the movie was of a slightly higher grade (it's really not THAT bad a film if you look at it strictly in a technical sense), an established actress who was put through the paces Margaux is here would probably garner an Oscar nomination (think Jodie Foster's performance as a hard-edged working-class girl in "The Accused" --- was that any less graphic and sleazy?). Unfortunately, it's much easier to beat up (no pun intended) on a model with no acting experience.

Frankly, I've never thought Margaux's delivery here was bad --- it's natural, and her exchanges with her sister Mariel are believable and touching. Chris Sarandon, though suitably hateful, brings a creepy realism to his wacko music teacher/rapist role, and Anne Bancroft is solid as usual.

The biggest problem I've had with this film is it's unequivocal equation of electronic/avant-garde music with a deviant, unbalanced mind. Given that postulate, behind every sex offender therein lies a complete catalog of Tangerine Dream, John Cage, and Hawkwind.

Lipstick

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 15 May 2010]

A fashion model(notable for a popular lipstick campaign)is sexually assaulted and humiliated by her sister's disturbed music teacher. The rape is as degrading as can be with Chris Sarandan's cold-blooded sociopath, Gordon Stewart, enjoying every minute of his despicable work. With Chris(Margaux Hemingway) bound to bedposts, her sister Cathy(Mariel Hemingway) finds him over her body in a sexual position. Perry King has a minor early role as Chris' boyfriend Steven, who works at the advertising agency for which she models. Anne Bancroft is Chris' lawyer, Carla, who prepares her for a difficult trial.

Chris' image is on trial and her career could be detrimentally effected. As expected the trial becomes a circus and Chris herself is cast in a disparaging light because of her profession. The most grueling scene involves poor Cathy having to testify on her sister's behalf and the questioning gets rather squirm-inducing. Eventually, the defense attorney is able to grind Cathy into a corner in what she actually saw/heard, and, in particular, grills her on Chris' behavior(sexual activity). The trial implicates Chris for how she prepares for modeling shoots and this damages the case against Gordon. With all the masterful work Carla is able to accomplish in turning Gordon into a nervy, bumbling mess on the stand, the flawed testimony of Cathy lends him the much needed support to get out of his sticky situation.

The trial takes up the middle of the film and is certain to leave a bad taste in the mouths of many viewers. The modeling begins to fall apart as Chris is unable to bring the same kind of heat she once had before the rape. Losing her job due to bad press, the sisters decide to return home to Colorado..but, Gordon isn't through, this time Cathy is chosen for sodomy. Life is actually improved for Gordon since the trial, as he has produced a laser-synthesizer show for his class of students, and in a chance encounter with Cathy, he decides to rape her, too. Yeah, it just so happens that in the same building that Chris is performing for her final model shoot, Gordon has a hall for his work.

To be perfectly honest, LIPSTICK is the kind of film that will probably require a shower after it is over because of just how repulsive Mr. Stewart is. I think the filmmakers went too far with the stalk-and-rape of Cathy, and had already previously made the point quite clear how inhuman this guy is. Reiterating how monstrous he is through the sodomy of Cathy(at least, it isn't elaborated in detail)just provokes what we already feel. If anything, I can not fault those who will find this movie distasteful and sick. It preaches from the pulpit regarding the failure of our court system to serve proper justice to rapist scum. I have to say that my favorable rating goes to the excellent performances of the cast. While I'm familiar obviously with Mariel Hemingway, this is the first film I've seen with her sister Margaux who left quite an impression. To her credit, Margaux undergoes quite a bit of harassment and the mistreatment and rape is especially hard to watch. Getting away from that, I thought this woman was positively stunning..I ponder why she never had a more lucrative career, considering she had the looks and her acting isn't a liability. Young Mariel already proves here the potential for future success and her witness stand testimony is practically punishing to endure..seeing that this girl is the one for which the innocence or guilt of Gordon hinges on. And, the fear on her face as Gordon pursues her, finding little escape as many of the doors are locked, is chilling. Sarandon is superb as the creep in a performance that gets under the skin. One really disturbing scene has Gordon taunting Chris with his skin-crawling synth music over the phone whilst buck-naked. The ending more than satisfies our thirst for blood after all Gordon has put these girls thru.

A surprise appearance on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater in 1983

[kevinolzak · 4/10 · 17 January 2021]

1976's "Lipstick" seems a curious choice for Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater during its final year (bypassing any network airings for direct syndication), a brutal and sensational look at rape in which the act goes on for 7 interminable minutes, followed by a courtroom trial taking up over 20 minutes (where is Perry Mason when you really need him!). Real life sisters Margaux and Mariel Hemingway (granddaughters of author Ernest Hemingway) both made their screen debuts as siblings living together since the death of their parents, the elder Margaux as top fashion model Chris McCormick (her actual profession), 14 year old Mariel as Kathy, whose crush on music teacher Gordon Stuart (Chris Sarandon) allows for horrific repercussions when an invitation to their apartment to listen to his recordings brings unexpected tragedy. In appeasing her sister, Chris shows little interest in listening to something less than musical, taking a personal call into her bedroom to avoid Stuart, his pent up jealous rage erupting at seeing how many celebrities she knows, smashing picture frames and a bathroom mirror to terrorize then sodomize the barely conscious young woman. Kathy arrives home to hear his strange music emanating from her sister's bedroom, spying him lying on top of a bound Chris, quite helpless and immobile, learning afterwards that it was definitely not consensual. Anne Bancroft gets a chance for real dramatics as the prosecutor, but with the jury buying the defense's assertion that a pretty model apparently 'had it coming' in leading on her attacker, the 'not guilty' verdict is read aloud to a stunned Chris, whose modeling career is now in jeopardy as well. A short time later, she's outfitted in various gowns for one final blaze of glory before taking Kathy to a mountain retreat in Colorado, never realizing that the guilty rapist is in the same building and eager to get a closer look at Kathy now (fortunately, the camera cuts away once he starts ripping off her clothes). Obnoxious and distasteful yet never believable, critics mercilessly deriding poor Margaux's performance, not really given a character to play, merely portrayed as an object of desire without regard to feelings, Perry King's contribution so minor as her supposed boyfriend that we're not surprised to see him vanish after the trial. It's no stretch to admit that Mariel comes off best, the only one with some kind of character arc, though why she continues to obey the scumbag that defiled her sister is something only the screenwriter would know. Rather than a serious treatment of a sexual crime we merely get a bare bones expose with titillating nudity but no compassion (predictably going "Death Wish" vigilante only in the last 5 minutes), a far cry from Hammer's unsensational "Never Take Candy from a Stranger," whose all too human monster (Felix Aylmer) never speaks a word in stalking frightened prepubescent girls through the woods. The chic, vapid world of glamorous poses proved equally unflattering in Faye Dunaway's "Eyes of Laura Mars" (from a rewritten John Carpenter script) and Chris Sarandon's own "The Sentinel," featuring none other than John Carradine in the titular role though wasted with but a single line (Sarandon is best remembered as the neighborhood vampire opposite Roddy McDowall's Peter Vincent in "Fright Night").

One of the creepiest movies I've ever seen-strong message.

[triple8 · 7/10 · 3 December 2003]

SPOILERS THROUGHOUT:

Lipstick is a really creepy movie with some very disturbing scenes. In spite of that, I think it's a good film with an important message. This movie has caught some flack and maybe, as with many movies, it was ahead of its time. But I think even being released now it would cause some controversy. The bottom line is, 90 percent of the movie is on the bizarre side-tough to watch film. But a good one and depicts Hemmingway's story in such a horrifying way it's almost guaranteed to disturb and scare. In addition to a very hard to watch rape scene, the scenes of the rapist crank calling Hemmingway, the eerie music and the way Hmemingway's case is handled are simultaneously tragic, frightening and will leave you with a feeling of disgust for certain characters-number one being the rapist. I beg to differ about 1 Hemingway sister being better then the other-BOTH were equally powerful and the movie was fantastically acted. All these years later, I've never forgotten it. You won't either if you watch this terribly disturbing underrated movie.

Exploitation With A Capital "E"

[G-Man-25 · 4/10 · 11 October 2000]

**WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER**

If you can get by the extremely unpleasant subject matter, this film does offer a heaping helping of outrageously campy melodrama. Surprisingly enough, this movie has been copied and ripped-off several times over the years, although it's hard to fathom ANY filmmaker being inspired by this trashy drama. Neither one of the Hemingway women can act here (although Mariel HAS improved over the years), Anne Bancroft offers the only touch of class as a prosecuting attorney, and Chris Sarandon is by turns pathetic and unintentionally hilarious as the smirking, smarmy bad guy of the piece.

Veteran director Lamont Johnson can't make a silk purse out of this sow's ear of a script, which is stuffed to bursting with howlingly bad dialogue and outlandish situations. For example, the final sequence, where Margaux grabs her shotgun and chases Sarandon down after his latest shocking act is meant to be exciting but elicits hearty chuckles instead. Add a notoriously shrill and spacy musical score by Michel Polnareff and you have a true guilty pleasure, even though you're likely to feel grubby and needing a hot shower after viewing it. Don't say you weren't warned.

It was not that bad

[Boyo-2 · 8/10 · 7 March 2000]

When I was sixteen, this movie was released. I saw it opening night. I was not disappointed either. Well I saw it again the other day and it really is not that bad. Chris Sarandon had just been Oscar-nominated for "Dog Day Afternoon" and I wanted to see all his movies, and I was interested in seeing the Hemingway sisters. Anne Bancroft adds a lot as a laywer on the case. Perry King is also aboard. Its not a great movie by any means and the subject matter is obviously objectionable, but this movie is not without value.

The Shocking Debuts Of Mariel & Margaux Hemingway. An Intense Thriller.

[Real_Review · 6/10 · 1 July 2019]

This was the debut film for both Mariel and Margaux Hemingway. It was probably this film where Woody Allen saw Mariel for the first time, before casting her 3 years later as his girlfriend in 'Manhattan' (1979). I would love to hear the story about how THIS became the script that introduced the ladies to Hollywood.

The shots of Los Angeles are great, the Hemingway girls are beautiful, and the film is intense throughout.

RealReview Posting Scoring Criteria: Acting - 1/1; Casting - 1/1; Directing - 1/1; Story - 1/1; Writing/Screenplay - 1/1;

Total Base Score = 5

Modifiers (+ or -): Standout Performances: 1 ( Mariel Hemingway );

Total RealReview Rating: 6

Savage drama or camp classic?

[moonspinner55 · 5/10 · 16 January 2001]

Fashion model is raped by her kid sister's music teacher and hopes to have her day in court, but the creep turns out to be a convincing actor on the witness stand. However one views this picture, there was absolutely no reason to frame certain shots of the rape sequence with close-ups of Margaux Hemingway's bare breasts or buttocks. I don't think there's yet been a way to stage a rape scene for a dramatic film and not have it come off as some pervert's fantasy. Once you get passed that, however, there are some good bits and pieces: pre-teen Mariel Hemingway sticking up for Margaux in court ("Not my sister! Not my SISTER!"); Mariel stumbling upon Margaux in her room post-rape and leaving, embarrassed; the two sisters looking each other in the eye and then embracing. The movie is basically exploitation-schlock and doesn't really deserve to have such strong moments. For instance, what is Chris Sarandon doing make prank phone calls in the nude, or licking a body-microphone like a ice cream cone? There's a screwy bit of logic to the finale (not the revenge part, the tag in the courtroom) and all of Margaux's big scenes are something to see (she works that dialogue hard with a voice that sounds like Rice Crispies). It's not a terrible film, but it doesn't understand that you can't preach about sex being 'dangerous business' and then show off your leading lady's naked body with peepshow camera moves. "Lipstick" mixes scummy sleaze freely with camp-theatrics. No wonder it's still being talked about after all these years! ** from ****

Excellent Exploitation Flick, good acting by all!

[Hoohawnaynay · 10 November 2005]

This movie did get a bad rap. Chris Sarandon is excellent as a school teacher who rapes fashion model Margeaux Hemingway. There is lots of tension before the rape and we really see Chris as a big time weirdo who plays really bad music while poor Margeaux tries to make an excuse to leave the room. When he sees this as a way of her dismissing him as a person he goes berserk. The rape scene is actually not as graphic as some of the crap that passes todays censors. For a first time actress I think Margeaux was quite good. Her little sister proves natural acting talent does run in the Hemingway family. She does excel in this role an gives an understated perforamce especially after she herself is raped by the same teacher. The building used in the fashion sequences is not the Beverly Center as mentioned by another IMDb user but actually the Pacific Design Center a few blocks away. The ending is quite good as it shows the hypocrisy of our legal system. Anne Bancroft adds a bit of class to this production and the disco music is dated but it gives this movie a cool 70's feel. The ending is sensational but still believable.

Uneven film part serious study, part sleazy exploitation

[mlraymond · 4/10 · 29 October 2006]

After seeing a heavily censored version of this movie on television years ago, I was curious to see the unedited version. I was surprised that it was more believable and well acted than I remembered, but one thing really stood out. I think other reviewers have mentioned this also, namely, what exactly is the nature and motivation of the Chris Sarandon character? Has he raped other victims before? Is he completely psychotic or an "average" sociopath? How did he expect to get away with his attack on the younger sister? Is this character at all credible, or is it just a matter of more background being necessary? He seems almost simultaneously to be an uncomfortably believable character, and too crazy to actually be able to hold on to a teaching job that puts him in contact with young, vulnerable girls. This seems to to be the biggest complaint of viewers in general. It has nothing to do with his performance, which is terrifyingly convincing.The movie occupies an uneasy position between sheer exploitation and a half way serious treatment of the subject, without quite settling into either mode. Not the worst movie ever made, but not all that good, either.

Lipstick on blu-ray

[jucsetmai · 6/10 · 8 November 2020]

Good movie good lawyer vigilante coming soon on paramount pictures mod blu-ray release December

Beware the Synth Loving Rapists

[angelakenney-52982 · 5/10 · 5 January 2020]

Lipstick has a lot of big ideas and many of them are admirable, but at a scant 90 minutes, it feels like it's 3 hours too long. It all starts when a model named Chris (Margaux Hemingway) is raped by her younger sister's music teacher (Chris Sarandon) and takes the case to trial with Anne Bancroft as her lawyer. Eventually, the man is let free to continue terrorizing Chris and her little sister.

This is a movie that takes a long time to get going, but once ait does, watch out. The finale to this movie is absolutely insane and unforgettable. In many ways, it's your typical rape-revenge narrative, but the final revenge Hemingway dishes out is very memorable and over the top.

Unfortunately, Hemingway isn't very good in the film and rarely convinces as anything other than a pretty face, which makes her plight more difficult to relate to. Her younger sister, Mariel, out acts her in just about every scene. This makes it very tough to get very invested in the story and what happens to the character, because it feels like she's already reading her lines off of cue cards.

I was still surprised by how sleazy the film is yet also takes sexual assault very seriously. It's surprisingly feminist.

A One Scene Movie

[caspian1978 · 6/10 · 13 July 2002]

If you don't want to see Margaux Hemingway naked, why would you want to rent this 1976 bomb that did nothing but make thousands of audience members sick. A very disturbing film that goes nowhere in good taste. The sad fact that the one disturbing scene that we are all aware about is the only reason why the movie was made and is still watched today. The late, and may have been great, Margaux Hemingway did all that she could to make this dramatic role of hers a drama. The public didn't get it. Instead, it began her dying career as a model / actress.

Awful second half, but Hemingways are excellent

[paul_johnr · 5/10 · 21 February 2008]

In 1974, moviegoers packed cinemas to watch a Dino De Laurentiis actioner called 'Death Wish,' which had unexpected resonance in America's cities. Building on trends set by the 1971 police film 'Dirty Harry,' this Charles Bronson vehicle asked major questions about how society should fight crime. Through the decade's remaining years, a torrent of similar films were released including 'Lipstick,' a 1976 De Laurentiis project that has been called Death Wish's female offshoot.

While not a vigilante drama per se, 'Lipstick' certainly belongs on the menu of films whose characters are violated and rendered helpless. At the time of its release, 'Lipstick' easily brought comparisons to 'Death Wish,' which did no favors to the movie's reputation; critics such as Roger Ebert have trashed it, placing it on a level with 'Ms. .45' and William Lustig's 'Vigilante.' It has been viewed as another knockoff that exploits a serious subject and the performances of its lead cast have been panned. I, however, need to differ on these views; 'Lipstick' is no masterwork and clings to the sensationalism of its time, but it can still be a relevant piece of film-making.

Margaux Hemingway, the first model in world history to a sign a million-dollar contract, plays her debut film role as Chris McCormick, a (guess what?) Los Angeles model who is looking after her young sister Kathy (played by real-life sister Mariel). While shooting photos for a lipstick campaign, Chris is introduced to Gordon Stuart (Chris Sarandon), a grammar school music teacher and composer to whom Kathy has taken an innocent shine. Chris naively invites Stuart to their apartment the following afternoon and begins to sense that all is not well with him mentally; besides shifty behavior, his electronically-generated music sounds fresh out of a demented video game. During playback, Chris's phone rings with a male acquaintance and Stuart becomes enraged by her beauty and attractiveness to other men. Chris is groped, beaten, and sexually tortured while fastened with scarves to her bed.

Stuart is arrested and put on trial, but the 'justice' system makes things worse for Chris rather than better. She is under constant scrutiny from the press, is forced to relive the experience again while on the stand, and must use her sister Kathy, who walked in after the rape, as a witness. It is only assistant district attorney Carla Bondi (Anne Bancroft), a forceful woman, who supplies her with the hope of a conviction. Instead, Stuart gets off scot-free after Chris is portrayed as a woman who enjoys 'flaunting' her body and engaging in sadomasochism.

Because of the violent finale in which Chris seeks revenge, 'Lipstick' has drawn comparisons with 'Death Wish' even though it deals far more with the troubles of a woman who is physically harmed; in 'Death Wish,' Paul Kersey is a male victim through indirect, albeit close, circumstances. 'Lipstick' has also been condemned as exploitation, but that is perhaps only true in the film's second half when David Rayfiel's script begins to fall apart. The initial rape scene is filthy and uses explicit angles of Chris's body, but it shows the depraved act for what it is and how it can reduce a vibrant woman into the object of a man's perversions. 'Lipstick' also does well (at least from a male's perspective) to depict the bitterness and rage such a victim must feel.

Unfortunately, 'Lipstick' caves into sensationalism as things progress. An odd thing happens in the later trial scenes, when Kathy is again called to the stand; defense attorney Nathan Cartright (Robin Gammell) instills reasonable doubt in the jury by showing that Kathy was not distressed from seeing Chris and Gordon in bed. Moments later, the jury returns a 'not guilty' verdict. While this is highly possible, Rayfiel's script and Lamont Johnson's direction fail to make it convincing; the movie is fairing superbly until this point.

Plot conveniences really take over, such as Chris allowing Kathy to walk around an empty office complex that is somehow visited that day by Gordon Stuart(!) The film ends with Carla Bondi 'leaving' the district attorney's office(!) to defend Chris after she shoots Gordon dead with a hunting rifle. The lackluster writing is a shame, because 'Lipstick' is a film with enduring impact. Even now, women in America are treated horrendously and only a small percentage of sexual assaults are reported to law enforcement; there is also a swarm of people who believe that certain women are 'asking for it' when carrying an openness to their sexuality, as if their saying 'no' becomes any less valid.

Considering that both were in their debut, Margaux and Mariel Hemingway are excellent in this film. Margaux has been slammed for an over-the-top performance, but it was clearly a role that she worked hard to portray. Of course, she was ideally suited to play a model on film; she was tall, stunningly beautiful, and of a pleasant demeanor. Mariel also shows an easy-going personality and knew - even then - how to perform with subtlety. The supporting cast is fairly good, although Chris Sarandon and Anne Bancroft have their moments of chewing up the set. Aside from its heavy subject matter, 'Lipstick' is quite a beginning for two sisters - one who grew into a star and the other who left us far too soon.

'Lipstick' is currently on DVD with minimal treatment from Paramount. The film is in widescreen with Dolby-enhanced mono, optional French dubbing, and optional English subtitles; there are no extras, not even the theatrical trailer. 'Lipstick' is grainy as hell with occasional artifacts, but the print quality is just enough to sense a gloss from its original showing. The disco soundtrack of Michel Polnareff comes across smoothly and the overall audio quality is decent. 'Lipstick' is mostly an afterthought in the broad picture of cinema, but has kept much of its dramatic value intact.

** out of 4

Roving Reviewer - www.geocities.com/paul_johnr

Rape while synth is playing...

[IPreferEvidence · 7/10 · 1 April 2011]

wikipedia:"it contains one of the most infamous scenes in motion picture history, showing an extremely graphic rape scene" wtf?

A music teacher rapes a fashion model and gets freed by the court...you can guess the rest but I don't want to spoil anything. The film is well phased(even though the revenge action takes place pretty late in the movie) and quite entertaining even though its not your typical I Spit on Your Grave type rape/revenge flick but more of a crime-thriller drama. Its well acted and nicely shot and genuinely a well made film, but I wouldn't recommend it for everyone.

Its not gory or horribly violent or anything and thats kind of the downfall of the movie, its nothing special so you don't miss much if you haven't seen this. Its just another take on the revenge flick, one of the better made ones but not one of the more memorable ones. Anyway if you like Rape 'n' Revenge like I do check it out but don't expect I Spit on Your Grave or The Last House on the Left.

Oh yeah I also have to mention the trippy synth neo-classical soundtrack. Its pretty cool, especially in the 1st rape scene.

yuck

[tbyrne369 · 3/10 · 21 December 2017]

Absolutely god-awful exploitation film is something of a rape/revenge story with a woeful lack of attention to the "revenge" part. The movie instead focuses on the rape of a lipstick model by a weirdo music teacher and no one believing that she was raped. It holds your attention because you want so badly to see the rapist scumbag get his just desserts.

The worst part is that because the victim was a lipstick model who sometimes posed half-naked the rapists' lawyer drags out all these seductive ads she did and badgers her on the witness stand about her "wanting it". It's repulsive. Unfortunately, I'm sure this kind of stuff happens in real life.

Chris Sarandon is excellent as the rapist creep (it's hard to believe he also played Al Pacino's transvestite lover in Dog Day Afternoon), Margeaux Hemingway is ok as the victim. Not great. Just passable. Young Mariel Hemingway is excellent playing real-life sister Margeaux's sister in the movie.

This is one of those movies that could only have been made in the 1970s, a decade rife with cynicism and a total lack of nostalgia. People would actually go and see movies like this in a theater, which seems extremely odd today.

MARGAUX HEMINGWAY WAS A GREAT ACTRESS!

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 12 September 2002]

Just viewed this film and found it fantastic, there was no mention in the horrible rape case about DNA, no such thing existed. This film showed exactly what a woman goes through when she is raped, it needs to be viewed and observed by appreciative fans of Margaux Hemingway, who gave a wonderful performance.

How to rate this movie. So bad it's actually good

[HorrorFan6969 · 7/10 · 12 April 2022]

I watch this movie for the first time in march 2022. There some terrible scenes to go through. While it's not actually very graphic. You can imagine how theses womens feel. Chris Sarandon shine here and do his rôle perfectly. You want to beat him to his death. The Hemingway sisters are so pretty in that movie. Mariel was very good in her role. Definitely Better than Margeaux. By the way. It's really sad that she died in the 90s. Back to the movie, it's the kind of film that would have been better in the 80s with a better directing. A revenge flick with a nice plot. But end more like a fashion movie at times than thriller. But if you are fascinating by 70s. It's quite interesting.

An Extremely Abrupt Ending

[Uriah43 · 4/10 · 23 August 2013]

"Kathy McCormick" (Mariel Hemingway) is a young 13-year old who has a crush on her music teacher, "Gordon Stuart" (Chris Sarandon). She lives with her older sister, "Chris McCormick" (Margaux Hemingway) who is a beautiful fashion model. Knowing that Gordon is trying to promote a tape he has made, Kathy gets Chris to agree to listen to it. Gordon tries several times to get Chris to take time from her busy schedule to listen to it. But when he finally gets his chance to play the tape he feels personally slighted by her disinterest. This infuriates Gordon and he viciously rapes Chris. Now, rather than reveal the entire plot I will just say that even though all 3 actors performed well enough, this movie seemed to steadily lose momentum the longer it went on. It then culminated in a ludicrous final segment and an extremely abrupt ending. It almost seemed like they ran out of money and had to stop filming immediately. That said, I rate this movie as slightly below average.