Levels of Brutality Depicted in War Movies (1 Viewer)

[Roger Kint]

I believe it is politics - in this case in order not to offend Japan and therefore influence any potential movie goers.

Back to the original question...

The question I have is how much more realistic can they get??

The answer is plenty more realistic. But only for profits. Whatever'll sell. Many brutal incidents are not put into film for political correctness I think. In We Were Soldiers, they did not show or even infer that the Vietnamese were going around killing the wounded and dying US soldiers, shooting and stabbing them in the eyes. It's horrible and maybe good that the audience is spared from this. At the same time the audience is unawares of the true brutality of war and some may even lean towards a glorified view of it. I still say since it is not a documentary but made for profits, that the gore level is determined only by box office profits and not to make a realistic film or good film or true film or educational film.


Walt - you're right, scenes like won't add to any story line, but if the public ever craves this kind of documentary-action stuff, then we *will* eventually see it, whether it adds to the story line or not.

 

[Roger Kint]

Look at William Wallace's fate in Braveheart.

Yeah, it was pretty torturous. But I didn't know his genitals were cut off and his stomach was ripped open.

I'm gald they didn't show that. But that leaves me ignorant. I guess it's for entertainment anyway and if I wanted to know all the facts, I should read the books and not base my understanding of history on a hollywood film.

 

[Ted Lee]

if I wanted to know all the facts, I should read the books and not base my understanding of history on a hollywood film.

very well said...

 

[Holadem]

Sam, the helmet scene from SPR elicited laughter from the audience both times I saw it, and from every single person I saw it with at home. I happen to believe the point of that scene (and many others) is the absurdity of war. That, IMO was a snipet of Black Comedy.
In the book Stranger in a Strangeland, the alien says he has finally figured out why humans laugh: We laugh because something we see or hear hurts, like someones misadventures. While I am not sure that is always true, it definetly applies here.
That scene was tragically funny.
--
Holadem

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I agree with all that has been said.

I can't bear to see BHD again. It was one of the most horrific things I have ever seen. But am I glad I saw it? Most Definitely. It's something we should know.

 

[Oliver]

But are directors going to have a harder and harder time making a war movie that shocks people?

Why should that be so? Isn't it still enough that films show how people have to die? Are we already at the point that death in any way isn't enough anymore? And even worse that people kill each other for such stupid things like religion?
Well, we are definitely going back from civilization to some lower ground. Man is an animal and always will be...