I've started to notice recently that I have a real problem with violence, not surprising you might say, but I'm not talking about domestic abuse or mindless thuggery; I'm talking about pretend violence in films or tv programmes.
It used to not bother me, I knew it wasn't real, it was just make believe and the people would be fine, just acting. I loved Tarantino films; blood and guts never bothered me.
But recently I've not been able watch torture at all. A friend recommended a programme; Utopia, and on the face of it you'd think it was my thing. The story centred around a graphic novel, i love graphic novels.
I could cope with the shootings, throwing people off buildings and stabbings, but when the torturing started I turned off. The same has happened with Dexter, which I was sure I'd like.
Is that what programmes and films need now to shock? Well, I won't be watching, torture isn't enjoyable or entertaining.
Having said all this, last night I went to see Django Unchained by Tarantino - it was AMAZING!! As usual VERY bloody, in fact I'm sure there must have been a shortage of fake blood in Hollywood after it was made.
But the story was great; set in the deep south of America during the slave era, a professional relationship develops between a freed slave and a bounty hunter - and you can only imagine the carnage that follows.
For me the relationships and portrayal of the characters is fantastic, with Leonardo DiCaprio playing a VERY convincing slaver (a really nasty piece of work), and Jamie Foxx brilliant as Django Freeman - but the revelation for me was Christoph Waltz, who I wasn't aware of before, brilliant.
Truly the BEST film I've seen for a very long time, in fact I came out of the cinema and would have been happy to go straight back in and watch it again - and it's 2 hours 45 minutes long!
So, torture is not for me (although it was implied in Django Unchained there was little actually shown), but LOTS of shootings and splattered bloody is fine!! And I have to say that Jamie Foxx looked 'mighty fine' in some of this film!
2 comments:
I totally agree. I was really looking forward to Utopia, but I had to go to bed when the torture scene started and I haven't watched it since in case it gets like that again. Like you, I love Tarantino films - there is a real difference in the violence in them, and a point to it, and I love Zombie films and other things like that. I cannot abide "torture porn" though(I class this as hackneyed and horrific physical and mental torment of a young, semi naked or naked woman by a creepy- usually bald!-sub human) and though I wouldn't class that scene in Utopia as torture porn I felt there were similarities- it was overly graphic and made me feel very unhappy which is no good reason to watch a tv programme! I sound like someone off of Points of View, maybe its me age!!
Funny isn't it how we see Tarantino films as different yet they are just as violent - I think it a way it's because the are so over the top that they are almost cartoons, or that they are just part of the film and he doesn't linger or show them to shock, they are just there. It's hard to explain. I don't know why the Utopia scene has stayed with me so much, I didn't even watch it all.
Post a Comment