Inglorious Filmmakers
“And the premise of this movie? Violence! The thinly veiled story, as shallow as it is, acts as a kind of spiders web joining all the disturbing, overly violent, and brutal vignettes together into one bloody, and nasty, visually-cacophonous mess.”
Taken from a user review of Hostel by J. Wilks, IMDB.com.
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A few months ago I read about the latest movie that controversial filmmaker, Quentin Tarantino, is currently filming. The movie is a comic book style movie set in WW2 in Nazi occupied France, and follows a group of American soldiers who are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. Apparently Tarantino defended the movie by saying that the American Soldiers are in fact American Jewish soldiers. Reportedly, he said that the movie, in a way, is some kind of payback for the atrocities the Nazi’s inflicted on the Jews.
And this is supposed to make it all OK?
I won’t go into too much detail, but the violence to be expected in this movie will include scalping, burning, torture, and of course plenty of gory knife and gun play, and knowing Tarantino, this will all be set to a backdrop of popular music with more than a twist of humour added into the mix just to add insult to injury.
What surprises me, way more than hearing of another ultra-violent movie being made, is the amount of Christian’s who actually watch this type of garbage. I have met many Christian’s that have openly confessed to watching, and even enjoying, movies like Sin City, Kill Bill, Hostel, Saw, and so on. I even had a friend in Seminary who wrote a paper defending the works of filmmakers like Tarantino, Eli Roth, Rob Zombie, et al, suggesting that if we’re upset or scared by these movies then we have deeper issues than the movies themselves.
I’m sorry, but if I get upset by the idea of movies like Hostel and Saw, in which people are graphically tortured to death, then yes I have issues, not with my own life or deeper issues, but with the filmmakers and the mindless drones that watch and support this rubbish, especially when our kids have virtually free access to them via DVD, cable and satellite, and online.
I’m not against violence, per say, as some of the best movies I have seen have violence in them. The difference is that in movies like Amistad, Saving Private Ryan, Passion of the Christ, and To End All Wars, violence is an integral character, pivotal to telling the story, yet the violence isn’t made in a “feel good” fashion or played for laughs.
For instance, I can’t imagine any sane person “feeling good” or laughing at the violence in a movie like Hotel Rwanda. My problem is with movies in which violence is the sole reason for the movie, violence for violence sake, and where the story is only a means to the violence. In short, movies in which there exists no other reason for the violence than to push boundaries, gratify and titillate, and ultimately make money.
One of the biggest secrets in Hollywood is that the violent movie industry is the biggest money maker for production companies? Why? Because violence is translated as violence in any language. For example, a movie about a woman in New York trying to find Mr Right, all the while trying to save her bakery from bankruptcy may not translate well in non-Western countries. However, a movie about guns, knives, and killing, translates well into any language as people in every country, in every nation, know what violence is.
I have a friend from Nigeria who confirms this fact; he said that when he lived back in Nigeria he found it hard to understand movies made by filmmakers like Woody Allen and Albert Brooks. He told me that in his town people watch movies like Rambo, Commando, Silence of the Lambs, and Death Wish because violence is something they all understand.
Here’s a thought, what if Christian’s stopped watching gratuitously violent movies and giving away their money to violence filmmakers? Because every time we watch one of their movies, that is what we are doing, giving them more money to make more violent movies that push more boundaries.
Here’s another thought… if we give our money to violent filmmakers to make more of their violent movies, are we in fact responsible for the consequences of such movies? The fear mongering that causes paranoia in many people? The copy cat crimes inspired by these movies? The desensitizing of both adults and children, causing us to be hardened to the violence that happens for real everyday the world around us?
The Apostle Paul says that the work of the Spirit of God within us has to do with the renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2). If this is the case then, as believers, we should no longer desire to watch movies in which violence is glorified, and no longer support the inglorious filmmakers that make them.
Christian St John M.Div, BChM, ACS
December, 2008
Picture by Gerard79
I couldn’t agree more. Over the years I have been become more and more disgusted by what Hollywood churns out. I still can’t believe that movies like Hostel and Texas Chainsaw Massacre get made let alone find an audience.
Thanks for your comment Bruce. As a devoted movie buff I have found that there is trend in that every year movies are released that push the boundaries of decency and morality even more than the previous year; unfortunately this years grossest and most brutal movie will set next years standard.
I’m with you on the praise Inglorious Bastards is getting. Sometimes makes me wonder if people think about what they watch.
SBK, I totally agree. I often find myself watching stuff and then catch myself by thinking “What the hey am I watching?” I try not to watch too much stuff that has excessive violence, nudity, or language (although language and violence is really an integral character in a movies like Saving Private Ryan and Boyz In The Hood.)