Hand Gun. Un bersaglio particolare

A teacher in Texas (Karen Young) learns how to use a gun in order to take revenge against the lawyer (Clayton Day) who raped her in British director Tony Garnett's American film debut. EMI Films funded this slow, thoughtful, and considered character study that criticizes American gun culture but refused to release it as they were expecting a commercial action movie with some sexy rape scenes. Like the director's previous film, Prostitute, you could be mistaken for thinking you were watching a documentary rather than a film, and this is certainly not your standard exploitation revenge thriller that Hollywood regularly churned out, especially coming from an era when movies like I Spit On Your Grave were rife. Garnett used a mix of unknown actors and non-professionals in key roles and operated right at the apex of contemporary social issues, upholding the traditions of the utterly authentic, socially aware films he produced with Ken Loach in Britain during the '60s and '70s. He sold the film to Warner Bros who just sat on it as they were producing a Clint Eastwood rape and revenge film at the same time and didn't want the competition. It opened in just a few theatres before being pulled and was a Box Office flop.