Spoilers for Straw Dogs:
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I think the thing that some people found offensive about the rape scene was that they said the girl seemed to be enjoying herself.I didn't really see it and didn't think it was all that bad.
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She does enjoy it when her former boyfriend does it, but not the second man. I've heard it suggested that her father had probably abused her, and she viewed David the same way (note she links him with the rapist.) thus she enjoyed the abuse. I've only seen the unrated cut on the DVD, but the second rape is pretty brutal. It's not really what it shows, but Susan George's expression and Peckinpah's quick editing which shows more than you expect and less than you think.
In the commentary on the DVD, Prince goes a long way in suggesting that Peckinpah wanted the audience to view the movie from the perspective of Susan George's character, and thus be repulsed by the rape. It works for me. He also gives many instinces in which Peckinpah came out and said David is the bad guy of the film, which is an interesting slant on it. (Peckinpah's letters are included on the second disc of the DVD, and he says it out right.)
The thing about Taxi Driver for me is that it holds up in spite of several things that could really have brought it down-the washed out blood in the ending, turning the character's at the end white, an unnecessary scene (even Scorsese says to this day he isn't sure about the scene) with Harvey Keitel and Jodie Foster, and some lame scenes with Albert Brooks. In spite of some potentially large flaws, the film works almost flawlessly for me. It's one of my favorites.