Straw Dogs (1971)

Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs is considered to be a masterpiece on the topic of violence.

In short it is the story about an american (Dustin Hoffman) and his english wife, moving to a small rural vilage in England.
As expected, their integration with the locals is difficult, and they end being harassed to the point where a nice intellectual man becomes an animal of vengeance.

Did I mention that the wige gets raped?
ah, sorry, I forgot.

Yeah, she gets raped.

Of course, the world being what it is, the rape scene created a huge controversy (people need to watch more porn - seriously).
It ended getting banned in the UK in 1984...for some years.
It also had a huge impact on its editing.
The irony is that because of the scenes getting cut, the rape scene ended showing a scene which gave the impression that Amy, the wife, actually ends up enjoying getting raped (its true, it kinda gives this impression). This, of course, created more controversy.
In the 2002 version, the new edition tried to solve this issue by clearly showing scenes where Amy enjoys the rape a lot less.

Did I mention the rape was gang rape?
ah, sorry, I forgot

In any case. I have read plenty of reviews about this movie. But none of them (the ones I read) come to the conclusion I came.
Everyone points out the fact that they get harassed, and how the transformation of Dustin Hoffman is an amazing piece of interpretation, direction, and everything else (which is true).
Few notice that Amy had flirted with the whole village.
It seems somehow that in general culture, it is widely accepted that women should flirt with men and then be a victim if it creates sexual desires in men that where not, in their education, prepared to handle (as city boys are) such flirting.

I am not saying that they were right to rape her, nor that she deserved it, but I am saying that she provokes it, from beginning to end.
The whole conflict that ends up in the death of several persons is clearly the cause of an attention whore.

While most "intelligent" critics praise Peckimpah's exploration of human violence, it is clearly one of the most machistic movies I have ever seen.
Only two types of women are depicted in this movie
1-good servile women (from the village)
2-an attention whore

I am still to read about the fact that when an american an a pretty city girl come to a rural town, in England, (or almost anywhere), the chances of them being well welcomed is almost none, NONE!!
All of Amy's attention whoring is the most destructive behavior possible in such a situation.

In any case, and however you look at it, Straw Dogs is a classic that deserves to be watched, so that you can make your own opinion.