Watch The Accused

Jodie Foster's portrayal in the 1988 film "The Accused" is a harrowing reminder of the real-life sexual assault cases. The plot of the film takes place in a small town in Oregon and follows Sarah Tobias (Jodie Foster), a young woman with a troubled past, who becomes the victim of a vicious gang rape. Initially, Sarah is torn between reporting the rape and trying to forget it had ever happened. However, things change when she learns that the rapists were not only let off the hook by the local justice system but that they are even being celebrated among their peers. Sarah, desperate for justice, decides to take matters into her own hands.

In the process, she meets attorney Kathryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis), who for Sarah's case, is coming to terms with her crumbling personal life. With Kathryn's help, Sarah takes the stand and tells the story of her sexual assault, something that is tough for her to do. While giving the testimony in court, the events of the night she was raped are shown, and the audience sees the horror of the crime as it took place.

Jodie Foster's performance is simply outstanding. Her body language, voice modulation, and expressions rightly reflect the mental agony that a rape survivor experiences. Her eyes, especially in the court scenes, convey intense and fearful emotions, which makes her character all the more relatable.

Kelly McGillis, on the other hand, portrays the character of a defense attorney struggling to balance her personal and professional lives because of her alcoholism. Initially, she tries to discourage Sarah from going to trial as the odds of winning seem unlikely. Later, she takes on the prosecutor, defending Sarah and standing up against victim-blaming culture.

Holding antagonist's role is Bernie Coulson, who is one of the men involved in the gang-rape. The character is convincingly performed and is shocking, to say the least. He is a sign of the sickening culture of male entitlement and the fact that such people not only carry out brutal acts but also have no remorse for their actions.

The film is an unforgettable portrayal of the issue that has been affecting women for centuries. It boldly confronts societal notions of rape myths - the movie reveals how the victim may often be held more accountable for the rape than the perpetrators. The film also highlights the rampant victim blaming that survivors have to face when they come out with their stories.

Another outstanding aspect of the film is the realism with which it is portrayed. The scenes are raw, and the emotions are authentic. At no point in the film does anything seem like a dramatization; it is not the sensationalization of rape but the depiction of its true horror.

The film does do an excellent job at keeping the audience on edge throughout. The audience is guaranteed to feel a range of emotions - sadness, anger, and trauma - and it's tough to shake off the effect of the film long after it has finished.

In conclusion, "The Accused" is a powerful film that dares to delve into a topic that every person must be aware of. It is indeed a tough movie to watch, but it is one that needs to be seen to understand the realities that survivors of sexual assault have and continue to face. The performances of the lead stars are exceptional, and the film is a grim reminder that society still has a lot of work to do to combat rape culture, ending the victim blame game, and giving survivors the justice they deserve.

The Accused is a 1988 crime movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 51 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.1 and a MetaScore of 65.