All four male actors asked to appear naked in the film, to remove awkwardness or embarrassment about their own nudity, and to show solidarity for Camille Keaton who spends much of the film nude.
The scar on the left side of Jennifer's face is real, the result of a car accident in Camille Keaton's youth. In the post-trauma scenes, the make-up artist exaggerated it. In the opening and closing scenes, it was hidden under a thin layer of foundation.
The film was originally released in 1978, with the title "Day of the Woman", and was poorly received at the box office. In 1980 distributor Jerry Gross renamed it "I Spit on Your Grave", after a 1959 French drama, and re-released it. This time it received more publicity, and became a key target of Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel's campaign against films featuring women in danger.
The actors performed their own stunts. The production couldn't afford any stunt people.