Gratuitous violence

We ought to ask when is violence in a film not harmful? Let's say that ighting, war, injury and death are part of life. Not all films that include them should be shunned. Censorship of cinema ended in the United States in 1952 when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of free speech protection for movies under the First Amendment. Entered sex, violence, drugs and sometimes rock'n'roll. Excluding violence against creatures and monsters, violence runs the risk of being gratuitous. In some extraordinary cases, graphic brutality in a film is justified. MelGibson’s « The Passion of the #Christ » is one of the most violent films ever seen in cinema. This film is shocking, but it is also a terribly human experience. Schindler’s List shows the horror of genocide, using brutality to create the outrage essential to the message of the film. The perpetrators in Schindler’s List are shown to be in thrall to evil. In Gandhi, a few short scenes of killing and maiming are contrasted with the saintliness of the Mahatma and the non-violence of his followers. It is difficult to say that there was any other way to transmit the full message of these films without the violent scenes. BTW We call unnecessarily graphic violence “pornographic”. Sadism and torture, for example, are likely gratuitous, Graphic violence in a film, when it is intended to produce an adrenaline rush in the audience, desensitizes the viewer not only to the victim’s pain but also to the debasement of the perpetrator. In many instances, these films glorify violence and the persons who commit it. When you show violent films, you encourage the viewing of brutality for entertainment and implicitly endorse the acceptance and celebration of savagery. Violence in film has no intrinsic artistic value per se. Movie producers use it to attract the audience of 18 to 35 year old males, the demographic group most likely to purchase theater tickets. It’s often obvious that screenwriters or directors have had a failure of inspiration or craft and have decided to punch up their flagging effort with heavy doses of gore. There’s no generosity, no civility, just repulsive behavior in today’s movies. Graphic violence and vulgarity are the forte of these brain-rotted, untalented slobs who have replaced the great directors and screenwriters of yesteryear.