Do you remember the movie The Mist from 2007? I vividly recall watching it during my teen years, and the scars it left were more than just on the screen. The shocking act was not the most painful part; what haunted me for weeks was the sequence of the soldiers moving in and the mist withdrawing. The magic of cinema transformed that novel into a visceral experience, a violence that cut beyond the surface.
Fast forward to today’s films, where beheading someone seems as routine as morning coffee. An altercation? Grab a knife, cut off a head. Stab in the stomach, let the intestines spill. Hit the jaw, mutilate the tongue. Or, for an extra dose, shove a bunch of pencils down the throat. Too graphic? It’s what we had seen in movies in 2023 alone, and oddly enough, it was glorified — a hero trying not to wake his baby while facing gruesome adversaries.
Human nature draws us to violence; it’s ingrained, seeking thrill and pleasure. Since the dawn of humanity, people have engaged in violent acts, whether wars or sports. In modern times, with limited access to such outlets, movies picked up the trait. Portraying violence has always been a topic of discussion and experimentation. While some movies censor cuss words, those such as Saw and Wrong Turn slap violence right into our faces. So why do we flock to movies with an uncensored portrayal of violence and gore? Is violence becoming the lifeblood of cinema?
People argue we enjoy violence for cathartic release or the hedonistic pleasure of witnessing the unthinkable safely. Some say it prepares us for real-life situations, a notion validated by the resilience of horror-movie fans during the pandemic. Filmmakers seem to have realised that showcasing gruesome violence is a magnet for audiences, turning violence into the edge-of-the-seat thrill sought in movies. It has become a measure of success, where the scale tips in favour of movies with more violence.
The fixation on box office success through blood and gore appears excessive. Recently, this trend was overused in film industries, elevating movies to above-average status or audience favourites. The more explicit the violence, the greater the chances of a movie achieving success. It’s a shift from storytelling subtlety to reliance on shock value. In this cinematic landscape, the measure of a movie’s worth often hinges on the quantity and intensity of its violent scenes.
This trend raises profound questions about the role of violence in storytelling. Is it now an indispensable ingredient, a shortcut to captivate and retain the audience’s attention? The allure of violence appears to overshadow other aspects of filmmaking, with directors and producers increasingly relying on shock and awe to secure a place in the fiercely competitive world of cinema. It is as if filmmakers forgot about the power of suggestion, allowing the audience’s imagination to fill in the gaps. There was a time when shock and horror lay in what was not shown, the eerie suggestion lingering in the minds of viewers. However, today’s films unabashedly thrust the audience into a brutal and explicit experience, leaving little room for imagination.
What disturbs me is seeing even children cheering as a hero blatantly beheads a human being, drowned out by the deafening beats of background music. When people cheer, smile, and enjoy violence on screens, whether for good or bad, it signals a societal loss.
The societal implications of this growing acceptance and enjoyment of violence in films are troubling. What does it say about us when brutal acts are met with cheers and smiles, regardless of the moral context? Are we losing touch with the gravity of violence, reducing it to mere entertainment? Enjoying violence, even in the confines of a movie theatre, can never be justified. Are we desensitised beyond repair?
It demands introspection as individuals and as a society about the values we uphold and the impact our entertainment choices have on our collective conscience. The movies we choose to celebrate and consume speak volumes about who we are as a society and the direction in which we are headed. It’s time to reconsider the role of violence in storytelling and its impact on our collective psyche.
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