Pleasure and Pain- why we need violence in the movies
Summary of what I learnt and how it relates to my studies:
From this article i learned that entertainment gained from witnessing violence is by no means a new phenomenon and that people in the past witnessed gruesome violence but rather in different ways such as in real life e.g executions. The enjoyment lives on today through cinematic means and although not everyone enjoys it and may react by facing away from the television and cringing, violence still prompts a reaction in audiences, and “any reaction according to film makers, is a good reaction.” Also it is perfectly human to react to violence, and it is rather stranger, to have no reaction at all. In addition, whether desirable or not, it is in human nature that humans love to kill things. And when creating movies, film makers want to reflect reality and it would be “senseless for film-makers for film makers to ignore this human condition.” Owen Davey also argues that “films are a form of expression and as many forms of expression are prompted by sorrow and loss, which in many cases, are prompted by violence.” And that we “cannot distinguish between violence and film, because that would mean distinguishing between violence and life.” This is true and I could relate the idea of media products reflecting real life through the “Baby Dove” advert which depicts a mum struggling to control her child in a chaotic and messy kitchen, representing #RealMoms and straying away from the stigma that mums in real life have to be perfect. Owen Davey also argues that although moments of violence in film “may seem justified and wrong” the censorship and suppression of violence may only “delude and and repress the presence of violence in real life,” meaning that shielding ourselves from violence only blinds our view of the world as a whole and does not benefit us as humans in any way. This could be applied to the River Island Ad we have looked at which features Jordan Luce, a disabled man. The representation of a disabled man looking joyful, instead of miserable in a fashion ad is important as it exposes us to the real world and breaks down stigmas of the reality of the life of disabled people. He also argues that violence in films helps us as people be aware of the “full condition of human nature” so that we can be honest and aware about the real world and why violence shouldn't happen as a whole. Reflecting the zeitgeist of the time. Therefore, from this article I have learnt that we violence in films in order to be exposed to the real world and not be shielded in a bubble, of an overly positive and perfect society.
