MovieChat Forums > 44 Inch Chest (2010) Discussion > Domestic Violence...

Domestic Violence...

posted 14 years ago by efnately
8 replies | jump to latest

I just saw a cast line up and preveiw of this movie, and I have read quite a few threads about it, but I do have a question to any who have seen this.

I'm not a big fan of gratuitious violence and sex in movies, if they are intrinsic to the plot then I have no issue, so I have a concern.

Does this movie trivialize violence towards women? Do they treat the violence towards the wife as though "she deserved it"?

I really liked the cast in this movie and I do so enjoy "cereberal" movies and everything I've read thus far makes me want to see this all the more. I've seen enough over processed, brain dead Hollywood-ish drivel to last a lifetime.

[–] MrsAlSwearengen 14 years ago

Mild spoilers:

None of the violence in the film is trivialized. In fact, I believe the entire film is a study on whether a violent reaction is justified when wronged. Besides, what the characters in the film think and what the filmmakers think (and therefore the message they give the audience) about violence are two different things.

[–] jkpauley-1 14 years ago

When Colin hit her he immediately regretted it. Though he said he hit her three times, we saw him do it once.

[–] shortkid_2002 14 years ago

It is not for the weak hearted. There is no sex in it at all. But the language is bad. And I mean BAD. They throw out the f word and a not nice c word women don't like to be called like they're going outta style.
There is a very short scene where there is violence towards women. They mostly just describe it verbally. Colin, Ray's character, is sorry he hit her afterwards. Yes, the other men are in the "she deserved it for cheating" category.
If you don't mind the language I would watch it. It's one of my favorite movies. Ray Winstone is at his best. You really feel his pain.

[–] Darkfalz1979 13 years ago

Just watched it. There is no domestic violence in the film.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Jacaranda408 13 years ago

Perhaps they have this film confused with something else? Domestic means in the home and so therefore domestic violence means violence inflicted inside the home. And where were the Ray Winstone character and his wife?

[–] auctionmaestra 11 years ago

There were several scenes (the same incident played several times) of severe domestic violence, and it was described as well. Joanne Whalley is punched in the mouth, backhanded and she is literally thrown around the white room of their house, so much that lamps are broken, furniture is upended and there is blood. She literally runs through a window to escape, passes out from her injuries in a field, crawls onto the highway and is rescued by a guy driving a sanitation truck, in case you missed the point about this guy talking about his wife as his "queen" and treating her like garbage. Considering his consumption of alcohol and his life as a racketeer, I think the subtext is that violence is his baseline. We have only his word that he treated his wife decently; in fact John Hurt's character physically abuses his own wife. I enjoyed this film very much, and thought the scenes of domestic violence were essential as a counterpart to Ray Winstone's highly idealized view of his performance as a husband. Although, I felt he played his character so well that I did in fact feel sympathy for him.

[–] auctionmaestra 11 years ago

Ahhh, actually there is. He hits her a number of times (shown once, sounds repeatedly). There's blood, presumably hers, on the walls of their home. She is in such fear for her life that she flees him by running through, as in right through, a glass window. She is shown with deep cuts all over her face. She crawls to a vacant field to hide from him and is picked up on the side of the road, by a truck driver.