Apocalypto....I am now officially "Violenced OUT"

[Cacia]

Yea, I just saw A Mighty Heart about Dannie Pearl.

I wonder if some reality is in order at times. I did like the movie, although it flopped. The message, I think was that his wife refused to be terrorized by the terrorists by hating them. (pretty profound)

If we saw that beheading on the nightly news, you cannot help but wonder if the effect would be different from reading it in the paper.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

I've had it with graphic violence in movies. After I watched, "We Were Soldiers", I told Peter, "No more war movies. Ever." Saving Private Ryan, We Were Soldiers, and another one about a special ops team in Africa, were just more than I could stand.

In the old days (she says, from under her grey hair), it was understood that people died. You heard bangs and people fell down and that was it. Nowadays, you have to see the muscle spattering, blood pouring, and bone sticking out, see sweating faces contorted in pain, and the like. Sorry, I get enough of that in my day job.

Bingo. I was going to say this earlier, but deleted it, but I'll say it now: Maybe people haven't had enough real violence, war, and pain in their everyday lives, so they feel the need to indulge in these graphic gore-fests on the silver screen.

Personally, I go to movies to be entertained, and to enjoy myself. War movies, medical movies, movies full of gore and torture and domestic violence: Forget it. I've had enough violence and pain and death in my life thus far, to last me at least a couple of lifetimes. I'm done. I'm just not interested.

 

[fairybasslet]

I really dislike Mel Gibson as a person (I don't know him but since I'm Jewish I don't particularly appreciate his anti-Semitic diatribes) and I rented Apocalypto fully intending to hate it. But like it or not, he is a superb filmmaker and he had me on the edge of my seat during the entire film. It was excellent. Yes it was violent and bloody and sometimes I closed my eyes (like I did in Eastern Promises..talk about lots of butts but at least Viggo has a really cute one) but it was compelling. I have a friend who also refuses to see any violent films. She has had enough. Me? I guess it depends upon the context. I won't go see slasher films but ones where the violence is an integral part of the story I can deal with. Except for that scene with the eye in the steam from of EP. ewww.

 

[BKP]

...
What I can't understand is that people are so disgusted at Appocolypto and Passion, yet movies like SAW, Hostel, and others of the like are so damn popular. I am more shocked that someone has the mind to think that crap up than someone like Mel has the guts to show historical facts in a true (albeit gruesome) manner.

Human nature's (sometimes morbid) curiosity...
Same reason backups occur at accidents on the *other* side of the highway (everyone slows down to catch a peek)...

We like to be scared, thrilled, fascinated, adrenalized... (kinda 'splains why we all like diving so much...)

And my $.02 -- Gibson's a head case... (a talented head case... still, a head case)

 

[rhadamantus]

i haven't watched Apocalypto until last month myself (or was it November?); i heard it was pretty violent and like a number of posters in this thread, i had enough of it (Quentin Tarantino's Hostel did it for me- it took me months to get over the movie, it was just really twisted).

But like Fairy, it surprised me. i actually like it and i think Gibson did a very good job with that film. it kept me at the edge of my seat, too, and the nice thing about it is that- i did actually watch it with my eyes 90% open the whole time and there were no getting over it after two months!

 

[Cacia]

(like I did in Eastern Promises..talk about lots of butts

I just watched that one too. No wonder I'm exhausted.

When did movies get so graphic?

It seems like it is the new thing all of a sudden.

I liked the ethnic beauty of the actors in Apocalypto....it was really an eye-fest. The tattoos and jewelry had me mesmerized. Now, I want a slave bracelet.

 

[BKP]

...must be a butt binge phase...

 

[Teamcasa]

oh I liked the movie and did not find the violence gratuitous, just tough.

But you like 300?

Movies are a commodity. If people watch them in a theater or buy the DVD, they will continue to make them more graphic.

 

[Cacia]

But you like 300?

for the message

besides that was animated blood, wasn't it? During September Dawn, I kept thinking "man, this really happened not that long ago?"

Violence with children is the worst for me. I think Hollywood needs to back off a bit about now.

 

[Rick Murchison]

The characters were all Mayans. The little tribe the hero belonged to wasn't part of the formalized Mayan city-folk, who routinely raided the regional tribes for slaves and sacrifices. Culturally it was probably pretty realistic... but it lost me when there was a full moon the evening after a solar eclipse
Rick