It’s disturbing how much violence is a part of our society. It has existed since man has walked the earth. It’s primal, instinctual, and according to the world of film it’s a problem solver.
As children we’re groomed on shootouts, car chases, fistfights, and murder. I grew up on the James Bond films and watching Indiana Jones pummel the bad guys into oblivion. The violence was so laughable at times you couldn’t take it seriously but that didn’t stop it from planting itself into my head. As I got older and began to view different films I found myself waiting and even looking forward to the next violent act.
It probably doesn’t help that some of the great film directors have created
violence so well over the years that it’s become almost operatic in its observation. Just look at Francis Ford Coppola’s placing of a child’s baptism cut in between the graphic murders at the conclusion of The Godfather. How about Brian DePalma’s amazing slow motion shoot out at the train station in The Untouchables? The Chariot race in Ben Hur.These scenes are not only jarring and exhilarating but are some of the most memorable scenes in Film history.
Films are merely a reflection of our society and the more we thrive on violence the more violence there will be.
Clint Eastwood, my favorite director and a man whose early career thrived on violence, has done an about face the last sixteen years and created films that equally have shown the ugly repercussions of such acts and not just glorified them.
What am I getting at here? Violence has been around since Shakespeare and the Greek tragedies and it’s not going away but growing.
I ask you to recognize this because we have become immune to it’s presence.
Filmmakers find themselves equally as challenged in trying to figure out how to create more shocking violence.
Become more aware of how much you take in daily. Try to balance it once and while with a comedy or deeply thought provoking film. Even when you watch the news try to find a news station that tries to balance its tragedy with a sense of lightness and life affirmation.
Violence is one of our most basic instincts. By being aware we may one day reduce it’s influence in our society.
Darren
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To quote James Tiberius Kirk,”We are killers,but we will not kill to DAY” NUF SAID.GOOD ARTICLE.
totally true. THe families I have worked with in the past through the court system come and go like they are heading to the grocery store. The children are abuse, taken out of their homes, go to foster care only to be moved from home to home because of disruption. But what do we expect, their life is a book of disruptions. Their parents were most likely abuse, so they don’t know any different and do the same. It’s a cycle of terror and the only way to stop it is to try to work with each other and educate everyone. I hope that being aware and in tune is the first step. So educating is soo key. Hey, that’s what is happening here at Raised Path..sharing and educating. never give up on people, everyone needs everyone. even joe blow on the street.
I think you’re right in suggesting it’s all about balance. Also, chase/fight scenes ala James Bond are quite different from gratuitious sadistic violence eg Saw (which I refuse to watch!)
For me personally I don’t think watching movies that contain violence has any major impact on me in the real world (eg, I don’t condone violence any more than I normally would), however it is important to be aware of the amount we are taking in as you suggest.
Cheers, have a great week
-Ross
You betta rekonize, foo! Which means, very well written, sir!
Beth thank you for sharing. You are so right, people really do need to help and each other…. that’s exactly what RP is about. I hope that you enjoy the rest of your wknd.
I have to share this quote, related to this topic. It’s important to remember that while the current level of violence is unacceptable, “Times have not become more violent. They have just become more televised.”
Great quote. I think you can even take it one step further and say that violence is celebrated more often. The televising of it is also more prominent. Just the footage of the incident in Mumbai and the photograph of that one terrorist has been splashed all over the news.