Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Dirtylogy It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

jnorgle A movie about rape is generally thought to be cheesy, feminist and overacted. The Rape of Richard Beck redefines what a movie such as the aforementioned is all about. Richard Crenna stars as Richard Beck, a mild-mannered, sensible police sergeant with an independent streak, having been a cop for over 20 years. The backstory succeeds in creating a normal, non-crafted individual without seeming forced. It should be noted those that have seen Rambo should be careful to not compare the two characters when watching.The first 35 minutes of the film both serve as a means to introduce characters and as a way to juxtapose the old Richard and his life versus the new, affected one. The formula works.What truly builds the film's level of competence are Crenna's small nuances he gives to Beck and the small but poignant change that is visible on his face before and after he is raped. The entire cast puts on a great performance as their characters are pitted against Crenna's Beck and one cannot help but have moments of pause. I suggest looking at Crenna's face at the beginning of the film and after the rape. There is a dramatic, and yet not dramatic, change in his face; his demeanor that help in making this film notches above the usual fare of movies on television. The term "gang rape" is not used in this film, perhaps because Richard was only raped by two men, or because it was not made clear if one raped him and the other held him down. The film does not give many details about the rape, perhaps because that is not what the story is about. It is a documentation of one man's life before and after a violent sexual assault. The ending of the film leaves one with a question about the rapists themselves, although one must wonder if it is simply bad acting or the look on the rapist's face: He looks woefully sorry from behind the police glass when finally identified. My first thought was he was high on drugs and would not have raped Richard otherwise and now must live with what he did. However, it is a question that will never be answered.If you ever have an hour and a half to spare, this movie is well worth the watch, and you may watch parts over and over because it is just that powerful.

bkoganbing The Rape Of Richard Beck should never have been a made for TV film, it was truly worthy of theatrical release. Had it been on the big screen there might have been an Oscar instead of an Emmy that sat on Richard Crenna's fireplace mantel. The big screen's loss was the small screen's gain. Richard Crenna in the title role is a hard-nosed cop who has little patience for the victims of sex crimes, especially after he was reassigned to sex crimes after pulling a real cowboy performance in apprehending a suspect. Maybe he's seen too many Clint Eastwood films and emulates his style, but there's nothing wrong calling for backup.Afterward he's still looking to score big and follows two really suspicious characters into Seattle's underground where they get the drop on him. The two are a really vicious pair of inbreds and male rape is probably an ordinary thing in their family. They both assault and rape him and make the mistake of leaving him alive. Probably they don't want a cop killing on the resume, at least they're bright enough to appreciate those consequences.The story centers around Crenna who has to readjust his thinking and come to grips with the fact that cops can be victims too. Crenna is now going through victim trauma, rape trauma something he'd been dismissive of with women before.Other roles to note are George Dzundza as his partner, Pat Hingle as his father and a former cop as well, Meredith Baxter as the rape counselor who previously had not been getting along with Crenna. Most of all the role to note besides Crenna's is that of Frances McCain as Crenna's ex-wife who has an interesting relationship with her former husband.This one is highly recommended, especially for those considering a career in law enforcement.

Politicon This movie truly is remarkable. I know the title might sound a little off-putting to some but if you stick with it you're in for a real cinematic pleasure.It tells the story of Richard Beck, a no nonsense police officer in America. Throughout the early stages of the film, we see him reacting to various sexual assaults in a light manner. He doesn't think it's possible that someone could actually feel stress, humiliation or even shame at being anally sexually abused. However, eventually some young hoods take his anal-virginity leading to Richard Beck feeling at constant unease around other men.It's such an eye opener that Beck really was raped that made him an enlightened human being. Thank god this man was raped, for otherwise he would be stuck in his old ways and we can now all sleep easy knowing that he knows that rape is wrong.

Noirdame79 After a few years of fruitlessly trying to find this film, I finally won the jackpot when I found it on DVD (with the title "Deadly Justice") and at a decent price!!! I had read Video Movie guides and all of the reviews for this movie were very positive and encouraging. I knew that with the late, great Richard Crenna on board (truly deserving the Emmy he won for this performance, and he was the king of TV movies) this was a must-see.For the time, this film was quite daring (with the exception of such movies as "Deliverance") and very realistically acted. Crenna is fantastic as the chauvinistic, inconsiderate, hardened cop who believes that sexual assault victims "bring it on themselves". His attitude does not serve him well when he is re-assigned to the Sex Crimes Unit in his precinct. He cracks offensive jokes after trying to remove a nude rape victim from a phone booth who is incoherent with fear. He undergoes a transformation and an attitude adjustment after he is beaten and brutally attacked by two criminal sadists. Thankfully, because this movie was made for TV in the mid-80s, we are not exposed to the graphic details of the rape, nor are any given later on in the statements that Richard Beck makes. But, truthfully, we don't need to be shown. We know what he's gone through, as he experiences everything that rape victims face - and perhaps, because he is both a straight male and a cop - even more. He realizes that people look at him differently, especially his partners and most notably, his father. His dad cannot understand why Beck didn't do more to stop the attack, and Richard realizes, after going through the denial phase, that what happened to him was not his fault, despite what people say. He flashbacks to the assault, alienates his girlfriend, and has to answer embarrassing questions (as all sexual assault victims who report the crime do), like, has he ever had homosexual relations before? His ordeal transforms him into a more aware and sensitive individual who sees that the medieval attitudes toward rape need to change. What I thought was a nice touch was his rescuing a woman from a rapist, his ex-wife and children being the most supportive of him, going over his partner's objections of identifying his attackers, and finally, speaking to the cadets in the Police Academy, spreading awareness, concern and knowledge.It was also great to see two 80s TV moms in the same film (Meredith Birney of "Family Ties" and Joanna Kerns of "Growing Pains"). Pat Hingle was great as Beck's father, and Frances Lee McCain was compassionate as Beck's ex-wife. But the biggest honors go to Crenna, for his realistic and excellent portrayal. His talent and presence is, and will continue to be greatly missed, but his impact will live on. I highly recommend this film. You may never look at sexual assault the same way again. RIP Richard.