Australia Up Close Does violence in movies promote violence in reality? By Chelsea McLean	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
映画の暴力は是か非か 日本では映画『バトル・ロワイアル』の暴力シーンが社会問題になりましたが、世界的に見ても、暴力的な映画は議論の的となっています。しかし、暴力が描かれれば描かれるほど、映画の興行成績がアップする、という事実もあって、暴力シーンがなくなることはなさそう。また、暴力描写を否定する声ばかりではなく、賛成する意見もあります。今回は、映画で描かれる暴力についての賛否を考えてみましょう。

When New Zealand-born and Australian-raised Russell Crowe won an Academy Award for best actor in a leading role for the film "Gladiator," which also won best picture, Australians were not surprised. The special effects and the realistic depictions of action and violence in ancient Rome were a big hit at the box office.

Many of my friends enjoyed watching the film but others, like myself, found it unappealing because the realistic fighting and injuries were too gruesome. Screen violence in the media is a topical issue and most people have formed their own opinions about it. The media, and in particular film industry, plays a key role in shaping people's thoughts and ideas about reality.

The key issue surrounding violence in films is the concern that it desensitizes people by exposing them to excessive amounts of violence that is often glorified and portrayed as acceptable social behavior.

An Internet article titled "Profits or Prestige: Sex and Violence in Feature Films," by James McQuivey of Syracuse University in New York, explores the idea that the more violence a film includes, the more revenue it will produce at the box office and the more Academy Award nominations it will receive.

McQuivey looked at the top 50 highest grossing films of all times and concluded that in general violence is popular among ticket-buying consumers. "The top grossing films of all times are 'E.T.,' 'Jurassic Park,' 'Forrest Gump,' 'Star Wars,' 'The Lion King,' 'Home Alone,' 'Return of the Jedi,' 'Jaws,' 'Batman' and 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' " stated McQuivey.

When the British Board of Film Censors banned the video release of the film "Reservoir Dogs" because of its violent content, Australians asked whether the media had the right to prevent adults from exercising their own judgment. At the time of its cinema release, people who went to my university were talking about its graphic violence, in particular a scene where a policeman had his ear sliced off with a razor.

In one Web-site article, author Neil Wallman from the U.K. writes: "In real life violent things happen, and cutting violence from movies, just because a politically correct section of society believes it should restrict others from watching it, will not stop real life violence."

Wallman also raises the question: "Why are we so fascinated by violence, and to what extent does this fascination really need controlling?"

In Oliver Stone's movie, "Natural Born Killers," a young couple terrorize America by killing people for fun. This film also started people talking about its excessive violence and portrayal of murder purely for entertainment value.

An argument on the "Cybercollege" Web site states that studies in the United States and Canada found a link between early exposure to TV violence and physical aggressiveness in later life.

"The American Medical Association report says in homes with premium cable channels or a VCR, children in the United States typically witness 32,000 murders and 40,000 attempted murders by the time they reach the age of 18," this Web site states.

According to the same Web site, author Jib Fowles argues that TV violence helps viewers manage their own emotions. In an interview he said, "I see TV's violent content as therapeutic for the population."

Author and physician W. Brugh Joy M.D. explores the dark side played out in violent movies in his book "Avalanche" and agrees that these films might benefit society. Joy asks: "Do films of horror, violence and sex stimulate the expression of similar behavior or are they a substitution for that behavior to help expose our disowned selves and create a harmonious balance?"

Joy explains when an event is viewed by a large number of people either simultaneously or on occasions that are relatively close in time something happens in the deep psyche. He gives the example of the film "Earthquake" about the California earthquake in L.A. and stated it may have acted as a substitute for a real earthquake.

Joy states, "The eyes and ears experience a movie event as real. To all who are watching the film, the earthquake is happening. The connection between mind and matter is more radical than what we know."

This raises the question: Do violent films encourage violence or does the human mind see them as a substitution for real violence? Perhaps violent films create a necessary balance by exposing people to darker aspects of themselves and negating the need for real violence to occur.

Shukan ST: April 13, 2001

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