Do we really need films like this?
I'm certainly no moralist but I watched this after reading many comments on here about it and it's really not what I expected. There are claims of brilliance and ground-breaking cinematography, if blatant shock tactics are brilliant then I know nothing. What is the merit of showing a scene where a man actually continually punches a pregnant woman in the stomach? There are even comments on here to say she deserved it! That alone should stop anyone from watching this disturbing film. Another poster actually asked the question "Is this character really bad or a victim of his surroundings?" As if our surroundings or upbringing is an excuse for raping your own daughter! It may be a factor, but it certainly isn't an excuse. If we want to know about incest, rape, murder, violence, we can always watch the news. Let's not forget this is still creative film making not factual or anecdotal reporting and I really am struggling to find the value in watching something like this. What do we gain as a viewer? What have we learned? How are we entertained? What are we meant to feel? If disgust was the objective, the film hits the mark, but is that ever a reason to watch a film? True, it was very believable, even the extreme scenes (most of the film) were honestly portrayed and well acted but what is the point? I want an experience from anything I take part in, from a sit-com, to a film, to a poker game to a bungee jump. I never want to just play a passive part in anything I commit to. It doesn't mean I want explosions or special effects, just a moving or emotional experience, be it sad, exciting, thrilling, funny, thought-provoking or any other emotional adjective you can apply. For all the people who now jump on the "thought-provoking" part, yes, absolutely it was thought-provoking, it resulted in me writing this post after all, but to what end? I don't feel in any way different after watching it, and I think that is the crux, if I haven't learned anything new or I haven't had any kind of emotional (any kind of emotion) reaction, I've wasted my time. What's worse, maybe I wasted my time (about 10 minutes so it's not so crucial!) writing this! My motivation for doing so was just to see if there any like-minded people out there. I don't need validation for my beliefs however, I'm just wondering if I'm in the minority or the majority (from the comments I've read here, very much the minority, but that's ok!) I'm not religious (actually I'm a completely committed atheist!), I don't have any kind of hang-ups, and I don't stand on any moral high ground, I just really question the need for film making of this kind. Oh, and for anyone completely opposed to my views about this film and it's ilk, watch Bad Boy Bubby, although completely ridiculous in plot, you'll probably enjoy it (that's honestly not meant as condescending as it reads, sorry!)
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