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There are many failings in the argument
that violence in film, television, newspapers and other forms of media
are the cause of violent behaviour. Violence in the Postmodernist film:
Natural Born Killers will emphasize the problems in the argument
with references to current newspaper articles where appropriate.
Arguments for the link between violence
in the media and real life focus on the perpetrator of violence being
unable to acknowledge the difference between reality and the fiction portrayed
in film. However, these opinions are frequently results of opinion polls
from the public who use violent films as a scapegoat for physical facets
that shape people's lives. Social issues such as divorce, unemployment,
stress, homelessness and other factors have a prevalent role in people's
lives.
Throughout Natural Born Killers
, one can see examples of reality and fiction blurred within the confines
of the film itself. Whilst the opening sequence of almost unprovoked attack
could appear needlessly violent, this simply provides a surreal insightful
view of the two main characters, Mickey and Mallory Knox. Flying bullets
momentarily stop, a knife slows to allow its victim to turn and flee,
before being cut down - these are not characteristics of real life. Natural
Born Killers does not deliver realistic brutality in a modern world,
but a bizarre, twisted sequence of events inspiring amusement to the infamous
couple. It is obtuse to state that Natural Born Killers glorifies
violence with the detailed depiction of brutal killings of innocent people.
Then again, illustrating the absurdity of extreme violence is the entire
point of the film. Over-the-top examples of violence are identifiable
in any of many short scenes that make up the film. Even a less intelligent
audience will see the more ridiculous the violence the humorous the film
appears to be.
Violent behaviour cannot realistically be seen as the
message of Natural Born Killers , but focuses on the general media
duplicity, in addition to the appalling attitudes within the penal system.
The film criticises the brain-dead television culture with whimsical wit
and acrimonious sarcasm. Channel surfing, stressed on the opening and
closing sequences, is deployed to show the overall influence on the main
characters by the media in terms of inspiration and the source of violence.
Resulting in the final witness, a reporter's camera, carves up the gravestone
for the hyperactive Wayne Gale. The sacrifice of Wayne at the end of the
film offers an ironic development to the media success brought about as
a result of Mickey and Mallory's escapades.
Looking at the killings through their eyes only serves
to empathize with their victims, before the scene changes to another setting
and another time. Furthermore the diverse range of visual mediums used
in Natural Born Killers allow the film viewers a glimpse of Mickey
and Mallory's mind showing their motivations in behaviour and inner demons.
In turn, this demonises the acts of murder that they partake in, leaving
real perpetrators, no basis for their crimes.
Equally, Natural Born Killers acknowledges the
circle of violence between the serial killing couple and the eccentric
host, Wayne as the media story generates a storm that finally ends Mickey
and Mallory's killing spree. They are attracted by the media interception
into their own affairs, from the semi-romanticized past of Mallory in
the form of a situation comedy, I Love Mallory, to the media's understanding
of the death of Mickey's father. The latter indicates the importance of
media representation, causing Mickey to take immediate offence to the
remarks made by Wayne. Gale's entire interview is not aimed at finding
out more about the life of Mickey, but rather sensationalist questions
with the intention of receiving a like answer Mickey. The resounding joy
produced from Wayne, just before the commercial break, are not due to
the concealed meaning of the words, but simply that his ratings will shoot
through the roof. This highlights the pure sensation-seeking plight of
the modern media, where ratings are directly proportional to revenue.
The scheduling of the interview is certainly not coincidental, using a
very popular baseball game to keep viewers tuned in.
Mallory's sitcom view on her past offers a sanitised
picture of daily life, the real American Dream, achieves dramatic contrast
with other early sitcoms such as Leave It To Beaver, Married
With Children, The Honey Mooners and the very similar, I
Love Lucy. In addition to the sharp contrast, the sitcom has always
followed the similar plots and dilemmas where a small nuclear family learn
valuable moral lessons in their weekly appearance. In the United States
people would have seen Rodney Dangerfield in less savage roles, at this
time he is portrayed a drunken lasting father to a torn family. I Love
Mallory covers similar lessons in life, but with far more extreme connotations
with the audience seeing only the superficial humorous side that sitcoms
are famous. Sitcoms in general only offer pre-packaged messages that everyone
knows do not occur in segregation from other predicaments in real life.
Violence in film and television has been shown that it
does not influence people to cause violent acts. The killers of James
Bulger, Robbie Thompson and Jon Venables, have allegedly been influenced
by Child's Play 3, preferred violent films because of their
exposure to violence at home. Another film in the same series was also
the influence on a child when they murdered Suzanne Capper, aged
16, with taunts from the film mentioned before setting her alight
in December 1992. Violent behaviour significantly increases the likelihood
that the perpetrators enjoy watching violent films.
The huge fan following only two weeks, through following
the progress of Mickey and Mallory, optimises absurdity of the modern
media. Portrayed in the film, the media glorify the acts of these two
and incite people to follow the events closely on television to the point
of holding demonstrations bearing placards such as: "Kill Me".
Evidently, sequences, such as these, highlight the satirical look at the
modern media, rather than the exaggerated horrific murders that take place.
The aim of satire is to provoke deliberation on certain ideas or subjects
using a humorous approach ensuring that the method of delivery is evidently
unreal. The sitcom at the start of Natural Born Killers is so appalling
that Mallory's only manner of contemplating such events is through this
medium. Should anyone take the scenes in Natural Born Killers literally;
then they are missing the grand illusion. Good film gives you the chance
to find your own message within the film, this message is not violence
for violence's sake, but a wide range of other issues on the general state
of the media and Western culture as a whole.
Stone's experience in Vietnam, during the war he killed
people and he knows that death is a reality that many try to avoid. Through
Mickey, Natural Born Killers deals with the fine divide between
thinking violent thoughts and violent actions. Practising Buddhism, some
of Oliver Stone's philosophies brought out through this character, the
notion of this fine divide is evident in Buddhism. Coming from Thailand,
after converting to Buddhism, Stone saw the huge contrast between the
Thailand's non-violent culture and the money oriented society of the United
States, complete with sensational television shows and raw media aggression.
Analysing the decadence of western societies, in particular
the United States, Natural Born Killers serves to enlighten people
through the absurdity of the media through violence. Media violence is
a result of the violent world that we live in; this violence does not
cause people to become violent. However, the media can cause people to
change the manner of their violence, clearly in evidence through Oliver
Stone's Natural Born Killers .
Filmography
Child's Play 3 (Jack Bender, 1991, USA)
Natural Born Killers (Oliver Stone, 1994, USA)
Bibliography
Bartleby.com, www.bartleby.com
BBC News, 7th January 1998, No Conclusive Link Between Videos And Violence.
http://news6.thdo.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/politics/newsid_45000/45302.stm
IMDB, www.imdb.com
Oliver Stone, December 29, 1994, Rolling Stone, Interview
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