Faces of Fear - Sadie

"You better get out of here … Get away from me! "

The climatic ending to 'Last House on the Left' has begun. The father of a murdered daughter seeks

his revenge by laying booby traps around his home, for 4 culprits to stumble over and injure

themselves on. Sadie, the only female member of the criminal gang tries to the end to protect the

leader, Krug. As the father wields a chainsaw, she in turn wields a pathetic flip knife, insisting Krug

get the hell out, but Krug then falls into one of the traps. Her next option is to run, where she will be

tracked down by the mother of the victim, a girl fight ensuing.

Sadie represents what we probably all forget about sex criminals: that women can be party to such

horrific crimes, as well and as much as men. We dare not believe it so, since women are seen as

intrinsically maternal and loving. How and why would a woman commit sex crimes? In the film, Sadie is a willing participant and as culpable a culprit. When we are introduced to her, she is described as “strong and animal like” in her attempt to free 2 of the gang from prison. She is frightening in her look of out-of-control hair and thickly applied make up, goads the gang during the rape and murder of 2 young women and has the ability to morph from her true self, to a more humbled seeming, polite young woman with ambition. She is smart, tough and very dangerous.