| Thriller – A Cruel Picture | |
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Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Alex Fridolinski |
| Produced by | Bo Arne Vibenius |
| Written by | Bo Arne Vibenius |
| Starring | Christina Lindberg Heinz Hopf |
| Music by | Ralph Lundsten |
| Cinematography | Andrew Bellis |
| Editing by | Brian Wikström |
| Distributed by | BAV Film (Sweden) American International Pictures (US dub) |
| Release date(s) | May 1973 (Cannes)[1] June 5, 1974 (US) October 30, 1974 (Sweden) |
| Running time | 107 minutes 82 minutes (US cut) 104 minutes (Vengeance Edition) |
| Country | Sweden |
| Language | Swedish |
Thriller – A Cruel Picture (Swedish: Thriller – en grym film, also known as They Call Her One Eye, Hooker's Revenge and Thriller) is a 1973 Swedish exploitation film in the "rape and revenge" genre written and directed by Bo Arne Vibenius under the name "Alex Fridolinski". It tells the story of a mute young woman who is being forced into heroin addiction for which she has to work as a prostitute, and her revenge on the men responsible.
The film was marketed as the first film ever to be completely banned in Sweden, although the one that actually was first was Victor Sjöström's The Gardener from 1912.[2] It has received a cult following and was one of the inspirations behind Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, specifically the character of Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah).[3]
In Daniel Ekeroth's book on Swedish exploitation movies, Swedish Sensationsfilms: A Clandestine History of Sex, Thrillers, and Kicker Cinema, it is revealed that the producers took out a huge life insurance policy on star Christina Lindberg, as real ammunition was used in the action sequences, and that she was asked to inject saline solution during the drug scenes.[4]
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The story is about a quiet girl, Frigga/Madeleine (Christina Lindberg), who is sexually assaulted during her childhood and the trauma makes her mute. When she becomes older, she accepts a ride from a man, Tony (Heinz Hopf), who makes her a heroin addict, and then becomes her pimp. At one point, she is stabbed in the eye (a scene for which the director, to much controversy, used an actual cadaver) for refusing a client. She starts saving up money to buy weapons and take classes in driving, shooting, and martial arts to finally take revenge.
Vibenius himself appears in a short scene, as a food vendor.
The original running time was 107 minutes. After being banned by the Swedish film censorship board, it was cut down to 104 minutes and then 86 minutes, but still banned. It was finally released after being cut down to 82 minutes. In the United States it had also been cut to 82 minutes.
In 2004 and 2005, Synapse Films released two versions of Thriller on DVD.
Thriller: They Call Her One-Eye (Vengeance Edition): This edition, released on August 30, 2005, contains all of the action scenes that were cut from the original theatrical cut. This version is more accessible, however, it contains scanty bonus material (a theatrical trailer) and an exclusive essay in the liner notes. Widescreen, spoken languages Swedish and English, with available English subtitles. Running time is 104 minutes.
Thriller – A Cruel Picture – (Limited Edition): This edition of Thriller, released on September 28, 2004, contains the film in its entirety, as well as all of the violence that was cut from the original version. Bonus Features include two trailers, THRILLER: A CRUEL LAB MISTAKE, which documents a lab accident that cost the director two days worth of footage, a photo gallery of Christina Lindberg posing nude during the shooting of Thriller, as well as a look at the entire film in 40 seconds. Widescreen, Spoken languages English and Swedish, with available English subtitles. Running time is 107 minutes.
Vibenius directed the film under the pseudonym Alex Fridolinski. In the marketing materials the two names share credit for story. He later attempted to prevent Thriller from being released on DVD by bringing a lawsuit against Synapse Films, claiming they did not have the rights to the film. Synapse produced legal documentation to show that they had acquired the assets to the company that held Thriller as one of its properties, and thus owned the film for the remainder of the original contracted period.