MovieChat Forums > Gekitotsu! Satsujin ken (1974) Discussion > What makes this movie so violent

What makes this movie so violent

posted 14 years ago by hootson21
4 replies | jump to latest

This film has a got reputation for being ultra violent. Its well deserved. I know many viewers can't take the violence seriously but I remember finding the fight scenes really shocking when I first saw it many years ago. In fact I still do.
I've tried to figure out just what makes the violence a good deal nastier than the usual "chop suey" in most of these 1970s martial arts movies. And I've figured it out. In the usual film of this sort the bad guys go down by the dozen before the flying fists of the hero - but when they go down they usually go down without much fuss - maybe a twitch or two and then they lie prone.
But not when Sonny Chiba dishes out the pain! The bad guys go down screaming and bawling their heads off in pain - and then roll around in the utmost agony - still screaming their heads off. What the film depicts (lovingly!?) is human bodies experiencing excruciating pain. So for me its not the actual fighting itself that is so violent. But the aftermath - the gruesome effects of such violence on the human body.
Its visceral nasty but exciting stuff - nicely designed to appeal to the primal bloodthirsty urge in all of us.

[–] dalldorfw 13 years ago

You hit the rubber skull right on the head.

[–] BadSurge 12 years ago

Very astute post.

Tarantino picked up on this as well, as noticeable in Kill Bill Vol. 1

[–] ThingyBlahBlah3 10 years ago

I think it's that, plus the fact that no movie martial arts guy ever seemed to enjoy inflicting pain and suffering on his victims more than Chiba. Even when Steven Seagal broke someone's arm and put them through a glass cabinet, it looked like he was just doing what he needed to do. With Chiba, I get the impression that, knowing he could handle his opponent in a variety of ways, he always chose the most sadistic option and/or the one that would do the most permanent damage to the poor schmuck on the receiving end.

'It's a mess, ain't it, sheriff?'
'If it ain't, it'll do till the mess gets here.'

[–] taijiquan12 9 years ago

I agree with every post here made, more or less, and want to add that I think that the addition of bad guys writhing in pain, like in this and Kill Bill, is underutilized. It's also in the great Korean movie Old Boy.

Not every hit has to be a knock out to keep someone from fighting. I like the idea of showing exactly what the post mentioned above, the aftermath of a hit. Getting knocked out or struck is not the same as sleeping, you'll get back up and be in pain after, but maybe not quick to get to your feet.

"Bulls**t MR.Han Man!!"--Jim Kelly in Enter the Dragon 