In Memory of Innocent Bystander #334
I saw "King Kong" tonight with my sister. I though it was an amazingly well made movie, especially for it's genre which has the tendency to become a waste of time. But something troubled me as I watched the giant gorilla rampage through the streets of New York and later as I left the theater (and if you havn't seen it, don't read this so I don't taint it for you...enjoy it first and then I'll ruin it for you later). Hundreds of people were killed by this gorilla, but we never stop to realize that fact. I felt like the people telling me this story, didn't think that I should care to stop and think about how many people just died. That it's just part of the action. This objection was heightened by the realization at the end of the movie that the story was such that I was on Kong's side, and so had been left little choice but to be sad when Kong died. I'll weep for your monkey, but that same ape just killed a hundred humans...and I wasn't supposed to notice them. I think it's funny how that works. One animal is supposed to bring me to tears, when a hundred humans cannot. It doesn't take that much. A three second shot and ten words would have fixed it.
I think this tends to be a problem in the movies generally, not just with "Kong". I think that the first part of the film (where shipmates are the ones being clobbered left and right) doesn't run into this problem of completely devaluing human life. You notice when each guy bites the dust, and the fact that there are people dying is supposed to make you...not happy. You obviously cant take the time to mourn each character you aren't personally aquinted with, but
their deaths are still meant to be noticed by the caracters (and us) as a bad thing. The problem with the last of of the movie, is that your aren't supposed to care about how many people are dying. I do not object to feeling sad about Kong, or even liking him, I just find it to be ironic that we were made to care so much for him and not at all about his victims.I'm wondering why I botherd to put this up here now. Some of you that have seen movies with me know how I react to problems with the underlying ideas in movies...I talk. So now I have shared with you all at once. *sigh* I'm sorry for ruining it for all of you now. I actually enjoyed it...but that only takes a few words to say. Oh, and pardon my spelling/grammar.
[greg]
posted by Greg | 12:53 AM
9 Comments:
I don't know if you're not supposed to care about them...it's just not their story. It's been "left untold."
But generally, who much cares for human life these days? It seems to grow cheaper...
well you didn't ruin anything for me at least. actually i was thinking much the same thing as i was watching.
although, i think what amazes me more is that a secular world can treat death so lightly. maybe it's just easier to make light of it rather than face the harsh consequence of looking death in the face and realizing they don't have a clue what it's about. still, i know we as christians at least know there's more to death than just dark unknown. or if nothing else, we can attribute the mass slaughter to a fallen world. it just amazes me that so many people with little more than hell to hope for can watch hundreds of people die in so many movies and walk away having enjoyed it.
One thing is the shock factor. We've become so used to death and violence onscreen, that unless something is particularly gruesome (or we've invested our emotions in a character) we aren't usually affected.
Not even the particularly violent stuff. What bothered me most was jack hitting people with the taxi. The problem is when killing is only to add excitemtn, and not "weight" or "gravity". (When a person getting hit by the car, or just having to run out of the way has an Identical effect is when I don't like it).
Now I haven't seen the movie...but I've seen enough I think to get the gist of what you're talking about.
I only have like ten seconds, so I don't even know why I'm posting. But 2 quick things--
At what other time was human life ever valued more than now?
Gorillas aren't monkeys. They're apes. They're waaaaaaaaaaay cooler than monkeys. That is why you cry for him.
yes...ape. I cry for the ape. *live tears*
Okay guys, in an attempt to be good or something, I stopped reading the original post when Greg warned people (like me) who haven't seen the movie. But, though I know it defeats the purpose, I have been reading the comments and see that Sarah has also not seen the movie but was contributing. So shall I or shall I not read the original post, especially considering that I have been reading the comments. Oh what a messy thing life is!!!
if you can watch and enjoy a movie after knowing how someone would critique it, then read. If knowing that someone thought there was something wrong with it (but still liked it) would ruin it for you. Do not read...or but since you know what the problem is anyway...read. But then again...it might ber a waste of time...don't read. But then again, you will want to know what the post said...read. But still....aw, read it. :-S
oooo...i really can't spell can I? I can't even punctuate correctly. I think I'm dommed to a life as a gutter-snipe or something.
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