Thursday, March 08, 2007

In Which Emily Discovers She's Not Alone

A few weeks back, after a period in which I’d been seeing some extremely good but extremely violent movies, I posted on the subject. (I’m feeling too lazy today to go find that and link back to it, so just trust me. I did.) Well, now Bob and I have gone to see The Lives of Others, which just exemplifies the sort of movie I was saying I’d like to see more of. This was a movie that so easily could have had some extraordinarily violent death scenes, not to mention excruciatingly graphic torture scenes, but there wasn’t one in sight. Nonetheless, I was gripped with fear and worry throughout this magnificent movie. Casino Royale, that movie most of us would describe as “great fun” was far more disturbing in its depictions of death and torture than this one was.

As we walked out of the theater, I said to Bob, “See? That’s the kind of thing I’m talking about. No hideously violent scenes anywhere, and yet I was on the edge of my seat.” Now, maybe part of me was on the edge of my seat because I was expecting the violence one has come to expect in such movies these days, but I don’t think so. By the time we got close to the end, I’d pretty much figured out these sorts of scenes weren’t coming, but my heart was still racing.

Then, I stopped in the women’s room and discerned I wasn’t alone in my opinion. Two women in front of me were talking about how terrific the movie had been and how it was even more so because there’d been no gratuitous violence. One of them commented on how great it was not to have to see things like fingers being cut off and to still be in a state of horror over what was happening. I, the person who usually likes to play the fly-on-the-wall role in such situations, found myself speaking up to tell her I completely agreed.

So, three cheers for The Lives of Others. Let’s bring out more films like that. And I’ve now forgiven it for beating out my favorite Pan’s Labyrinth for the Academy’s Best Foreign Language Film. If you haven’t yet seen it, do. It will inspire you with its message of hope for humankind even more than Schindler’s List did. And it will remind you, the way Hotel Rwanda did, that no matter how much we might complain about our country and our current regime, how extraordinarily lucky we are to live where we do and to be able to do and say what we like. I’m the first to jump on the “we’re living in a police state” bandwagon, but you know what? We’re not – at least, for now, we’re not. And, at the moment, we have very hopeful signs that we won’t be anytime soon. Let’s hope it stays that way.

16 comments:

Ian said...

Wow, you saw Other People's Lives and last night I saw Jackass Number Two. Don't see this movie, by the way, because you will think much less of me after knowing that I laughed hysterically through most of it. But you've made me want to counter this "no-brow" lapse by seeing Other People's Lives.

mandarine said...

If you can lay your hands on a Goodbye Lenin DVD, you are probably in the right frame of mind -- and cultural context -- to appreciate it.

Anonymous said...

Other People's Lives sounds fantastic. I'm not much of a movie-goer but when it comes out on video I will be sure to see it!

Reel Fanatic said...

I was plenty angry when Pan's Labyrinth lost out, but I'm certainly hearing a lot of great things about the winner .. I'll definitely give it a chance, though in my little corner of the world that will have to be on DVD

Emily Barton said...

Well, before you get too impressed, realize it's actually The Lives of Others, which I suddenly realized myself just now when I went back in to read it. But, go see it. You'll really like it.

Emily Barton said...

Mandarine, thanks for the recommendation. I'll see if I can find it.

Stef, it's definitely worth seeing, so do check it out.

RF, I promise you won't be disappointed despite your loyalty to Pan's Labyrinth (whose artistry and cinematography was still better).

Rebecca said...

I loved Other People's Loves. So much to think about. When can we talk about it?!

Ian said...

Oops, The Lives of Others, sorry. Can't wait to see it.

Emily Barton said...

Becky, as soon as I'm finished with this hideous month of travel and off-site meetings, it will be time for you and yours (who recently asked me when we could get together again)and me and mine to go to that half price wine night at The Inn, and we can talk about it for hours. Also, to my GREAT excitement, I've just discovered that Zest does a full afteroon tea, so we must keep that in mind.

Emily Barton said...

Ian, it wasn't your mistake. It was mine. I changed it. But it doesn't seem to have mattered: guess it was lost in translation (thought you'd appreciate that one).

Rebecca H. said...

Oh, this sounds good. I don't like violence at all; actually, I'm not always good with any kind of suspense, but I can take it if I don't have to look at awful things.

Anonymous said...

I thoroughly support the idea of films that dispense with gratuitous violence. It's all about spending money on the special effects budget, and not in any way about making people think and question and consider.

Emily Barton said...

Dorr, I'll say it again: go see it.

And, Litlove, you're absolutely right.

Rebecca H. said...

Okay, I saw it and -- wow. It was great. Thanks so much for recommending it!

Anonymous said...

I've just done a post on The Lives of Others and Courtney reminded me about your post. So I've come back to reread.

It's funny, for some reason I didn't register the absence of gratuitous violence but now I think about it, it's quite striking. As you say, the skilful suggestion of violence is much more effective and suspenseful than horrific depictions of it.

Emily Barton said...

Dorr, glad you enjoyed it.


MissV, "well, now I have to go over and read your post," said the curious cat.