Monday, February 7, 2011
What is controversial?
So, we're going to be talking about controversial films in the next few weeks, so I'm going to ask you to speculate on what causes controversy. Why did a film as shockingly violent as Machete hardly raise an eyebrow while a seemingly innocent film like The Golden Compass caused a public uproar? What is it that makes a controversial film? As usual, 250 word post up by Thursday night and 100 word response up by Sunday night.
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Controversy is entirely relative to the time period and to the person. What one might consider controversial another might give critical acclaim. There’s more to the definition than just the two extremes of “this is” and “this is not”. In regards to the film Machete contemporary audiences rarely find the mere act of gratuitous violence worthy of uproar, but previous audience once did. The Golden Compass on the other hand received backlash because it was an adaptation of the controversial series “His Dark Materials” by Phillip Pullman, which caused quite a stir among Christian groups for its subtle criticism of religion. These are two prime examples of what defines controversy. The inanely violent Machete created no conflicts within the media because no group was “loud” enough, or motivated enough, to re-hash the argument of “violence in films”. But groups around the states protested the film Golden Compass because of what the series represents. The film itself didn’t even contain the highly controversial scenes found in the trilogy, the main source of conflict happens later in the series. Because Pullman’s books broke the societal norm anything associated with “His Dark Materials” is attached with the stigma of “controversy” because breaking this standard is what creates debate in today’s media. Machete might once have stirred up the media but in modern box offices, it doesn’t even warrant a second glance.
ReplyDeleteControversy is a disagreement between two or more people who hold different beliefs, or opinions, on a particular subject. It can be caused by people who feel strongly on an issue, and who feel that their opinion is morally correct as opposed to the other person(s) opinion who they are debating with. Though I have not seen the neither The Golden Compass or Machete, I am aware of what both films are about, and how the public reacted to them both. It seems that as America is a melting pot of various kind of races, people, cultures, and religious believes, what our society believes is morally incorrect and correct is solely dependent on the individual opinion of each person. Our American culture as a whole does not discourage openly having different opinions and discussing and debating them with our fellow Americans, so to say. It seems to me as if certain topics in our culture, such as same sex marriage, cause more controversy then others because these types of major issues are out of the “norm,” and forces some people to step out of the comfort zone. The Golden Compass caused more controversy then Machete because subjects such as religion seem to cause more people to raise an uproar because they believe that their beliefs are in fact truth. Movies such as Machete that portray violence are more acceptable in our society because violence is not something that is not necessarily put down.
ReplyDeleteI think what makes a film controversial depends on the person watching it. Often people over analyze films, and it gets to the point where people “put words in the movies mouth” and assume things the director or writer never intended to display. For example, a few years ago, the movie Tropic Thunder, which is a comedy about a group of guys in Vietnam that think they are filming a movie but are really in the territory of a Vietnamese drug cartel, caused a small uproar because someone brought up that the black guy in the movie “acts retarded” and the movie is offensive to all black people. In reality, the movie was simply a comedy, and the black actor was merely playing a role and not being an implied symbol about a race. Besides the person watching, what also makes a film controversial are the actions in the film that relate to sensitive topics. Also a few years ago, the movie Fahrenheit 9/11 was very controversial because it displayed many of the negative aspects of president bush at the time. It displayed his horrible public speaking skills as well as the famous clip many people ridicule when he calls on other nations to help stop terrorist killers, then says “now watch this drive” to show off his golf swing. Actions like that cause uproars, drive the media crazy, and finally make a film controversial. Another example of how the actions in films make them controversial is in the Passion of the Christ. Besides the explicit beating of Jesus, the conflict was caused by the reactions from religious leaders. Many religions gave commentary and said the movie was Catholic-hinted. Jews called the film Anti-Semitic and stated that it would blame Jews for the death of Jesus when in actuality it was the Romans that crucified him. Basically, in my opinion what makes film controversial is if the film gives commentary about a race or group of people in an inaccurate manner.
ReplyDeleteControversy can be caused by a variety of subjects, especially in movies. While violence in movies can definitely cause an uproar, movies are rated and therefore people are pre-warned so that if they are offended by it they can choose not to view the movie. Controversy in movies is, however, often caused by subjects such as racial discrimintion, religious discrimination, or topics brought into the movie that are currently causing debate such as abortion, gay marriage, and such. When these topics are brought up, movies aren't necessarily rated differently and when people see them, they form their own opinions about them and tend to talk about them with others who have viewed the movie. These people often have different view points on the arising issues, which turns into controversy about the whole movie, and once in a while the movie causes such a heated debate that the way the director is viewed by the public is altered. With that said, controversy can be created by any issue really, it just depends on the audience that the movie appeals to, how they view the subject matter, and how they portray their opinions.
ReplyDeleteControversy in movies can occur because of many reasons. It can happen when a movie shows something that people choose not to see and prefer avoiding, like when The Passion Of The Christ showed Jesus being beat up. Controversy can also be caused when movies show something that is considered taboo to society. Some controversial films also influence society. Sometimes in a good way, and sometimes in a negative way. For example, when Marylin Monroe's dress blew up, society was outraged. Yet stuff like this was what caused people to view sexuality less and less serious and now even cartoons portray sexuality. So controversial films can harm society's morals in the long run. There are some types of movies however, that are controversial to a small group of people and sometimes the reason why it was controversial to these people is not that serious. Movies that bring new ideas to the table can also be controversial at the beginning. Violence has always been controversial but there is so much of it in movies now, and in real life, that even movies like Machete only cause some controversy to an extent. People are already used to seeing violence that its becoming less of a problem. So in conclusion, controversy can be caused by many different reasons, and it is influencial to society in a way.
ReplyDeleteWell simply put, people cause controversy. There really is no need for it; people just need comprehend the fact that, in most cases, movies are not made to piss off anybody in particular. The problem is that many, if not just about all films, are going to go against someone’s beliefs which results in controversy. People deem these movies offensive to their beliefs and don’t accept the value of another viewpoint.
ReplyDeleteSo what offends people the most? In today’s world we’ve seen it all. Violence, sex, drugs, bad language, you name it; it’s all been in countless of pop movies. No one makes an effort to challenge the ideas of these movies because of the sheer magnitude of exposure. Even Disney movies now have at least one or two bad words in them. It really depends on the context of the scene. For instance racism is something that is widely considered unwarrantable unless it paints the offenders in a bad light such as in Remember the Titans. Sexism is the same way, but once you start getting into morals, politics, and religion, the real controversy begins. No one likes it when someone portrays their thoughts, beliefs, actions, or even own self as wrong or unjust. There have been countless films that have some conflict with something in the Bible (I’m sure you can find an example in every movie made in the last five years easily). The problem is sometimes the conflict is big enough to question the whole religion together. Documentaries pointing out injustices within government’s or companies can greatly influence public opinion having great ripple effects. Truly, films have great power, and power has caused controversy since the beginning of civilization.
@ Navarre
ReplyDeleteThe existence of controversy definitely depends on who is watching the movie. I also agree that a lot of times people are seeing things that aren’t even there or at least different than the intended meaning. Film makers risk offending a lot of people with every decision they make and often they offend people unintentionally. Sometimes mistakes are made and things are missed in editing. But you’re right, when a film misrepresents a group, that group is bound to get pissed off. I also think that when a film points out a trait that isn’t favorable people also become defensive.
When attempting to define controversy, your going to be starting some mini controversy. Two peoples differing opinions is what begins controversy, but it's all a matter of taking the next step to make it a controversy. Films which have caused controversy, usually deal with a topic with has mixed passionate opinions. Once a person tries proving that what was said or shown in the movie is offensive or wrong, the argument (and controversy) has begun. Movies such as Narnia which secretly have church figures as the characters tend to start some kind of controversy. But, the main cause of controversy in film is the fact that not everyone agrees on everything. With this in mind, of course a movie about the church will only bother a small group of people. Because this small group has been bothered though, the uproar has begun. It's almost like a game for some people, searching for what can be taken as offensive and blowing it out of proportion. Personally, I believe what the director decides to film is a matter of his/her opinion and is nothing more. Films such as documentaries and biographies on the other hand need to follow the truth or will be attacked with controversy.
ReplyDeleteControversy that occurs in some movies may be caused by a plentiful amount of things. Controversy arises during a movie if something is shown in the movie that audiences find it offensive, inappropriate, or something that they generally did not wish to see. Passion of the Christ for example caused a lot of controversy when it first came out. Audiences found the graphic scenes of Jesus being beat too offensive and not appropriate. Controversial movies may affect large numbers of audience members which may disturb society, however sometimes controversial movies may only affect a small group of people of a certain religion, ethnicity, or people who just have different beliefs or feelings about a topic. In todays day and age, most of the time movies that are created consist, in some way or the other, of sex, drugs, alcohol, and violence. Some parents may find a movie about teenagers drinking, getting high, and having sex controversial but the reality of the situation is that a lot of teens do drink, smoke, and have sex in high school. Controversy may in fact stir up corruption in society. Subjects such as abortion and gay marriage may also cause controversy. However I feel like controversy only is apparent when some people find something controversial. I have heard many people say how Passion of the Christ was extremely controversial, yet I have also heard of people not thinking it was controversial because that in fact was what happened. Although it was graphic, that is probably what indeed happened in real life.
ReplyDeleteIn the American society today, we find that many films deal with some sort of controversy. As goes for Passion of the Christ, released in the early 2000's, we see that it caused many problems. The fact that it was extremely graphic, with much detail turned people off and soon into complaints, but there is no way going around the truth with this film. Religion is one of the main controversies that happen in our culture today. If you look back at all of the movies made in the past ten years or so, many of them have some sort of religious consent in them, or deal with a family lifestyle. This is just how our society is based.
ReplyDeleteRace could be another big controversy in films today. "The Color Purple" is a good example of this, because the little girl gets pregnant at avery young age, and it happens to be by her father. Our society does not usually accept those who become pregnant at age 14, nor if they are of a different color. This movie being produced in the 1990's from now 2011 has truly showed how are views towards race has changed. Personally I find that it has become less of a problem, and everyone is starting to accept the fact that not everyone is alike making it less of a controversy, but still it is a way bigger controversy then it needs to be.
@arocha
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. I find that the situation on drinking and smoking is so true and parents just do not realize that it is so serious. A lot of movies are based on drugs, alcohol etc.. because the producers and directors want to try and prevent kids from doing this by making movies on it and showing them what is most likely going to happen. Although this usually causes a big controversy for many around the world, it is just stating the truth of our culture. Controversy is something that could possibly be avoided as we learn how to deal with everything in our culture in years to come.
Controversy seems to really depend on what is happening in society at the time when the ‘controversial’ film is released. Movies such as Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner which came out in 1967, was incredibly controversial in its time because topics such as interracial marriage were very taboo, and frowned upon. Although a movie like that today would probably not even cause a debate, there are however some topics are still considered taboo in American society. While it would make sense for very violent movies to become controversial, most of the time they don’t even cause a stir, but movies that are least bit sexual can spark huge debates. Take the movie Blue Valentine for example, when it first came out, there was a huge discussion on whether this movie should have the NC-17 rating because of its sexual content, while for example, the only debate the movie Friday the 13th (2009) stirred up was how sucky the remake was. So in my opinion, the only thing that really makes a film controversial is its sexual content. Occasionally you may get a violent movie that gets people heated up, but that’s usually because it involves violence towards children, or its just plain gross. You hardly ever see a movie that involves high school kids doing drugs or drinking become a big deal, sadly, its often put in the comedy genre, take all the American Pie movies for example. So, to make my point, sexual movies=big deal.
ReplyDeleteA controversial film can be from a number of reasons. When the plot of a movie comes from a topic that isn’t taken lightly, the writers of the film must be careful with every conflict that occurs in the movie. If someone who is meant to be gay in a film, and is portrayed in a very negative light; it will cause a lot of uproar within the critics and any other viewers. The same idea goes with race. Even though a director is trying to make a specific point, the movie will stir up a few problems soon after its release.
ReplyDeleteAnother controversial film may be one that is based off of an event that occurred or somewhat represents that event. When The War of the Worlds remake was released, viewers were getting upset because they saw the mass chaos very similar to September 11th even though this may not have been the intentions of the movie. Timing also has a lot to do with this because movies that are based on real occurrences will create controversy depending on how long after it was released.
When intentions are biased in movies, this gets people upset because it portrays them in a negative way similar to the previous example. This typically occurs in documentaries because the filmmakers usually stick to one side of the argument, and they film the documentary to get their particular point. Films may cause controversy simply because an actor in the production has caused problems in the past.
Controversy is something that generally stems from a simple disagreement, usually on a subject that generates a lot of conflicting opinions. Movies are a good medium for controversy because they’re ordinarily about topics that are relevant in current society. For instance, a lot of controversy comes from disagreement about social norms and ethics. Some movies have content that is perhaps too violent in someone’s opinion while others might object to a film with too much sensuality. Movies that are based off true events consistently cause a lot of controversy as well. After 9/11 there were many films made to try and show viewers what it may have been like for the victims of the crisis, but of course this caused a lot of discontent among many Americans who saw any sort of documentation of the tragedy as inappropriate. Religion is another topic that is almost impossible to bring into a movie without having a public out roar because most individuals will express extreme dissatisfaction with any media that misrepresents their faith. I think the most obvious example of this is Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. Not only was the movie extremely violent but some argued that Gibson’s portrayal of the Jews in the film was largely anti-Semitic. Another example of this sort of controversy came from the movie The Da Vinci Code. Even though the author stated many times that the movie bore no factual significance, critics were still considerably upset about the film’s content.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion a controversial film is one that arouses debate between opposing viewers. Pretty much any subject can be controversial, depending on the time period and what is going on at that moment in time. For example there was a rap song by Jadakiss. A line in the song said “Why did Bush knock down the towers”. This line was very controversial because it was released during the time when President Bush was running for reelection. It sparked debates between Republicans and Democrats, but even more between those who thought that 911 was a government caused conspiracy, and those who believed that terrorism in the Middle East was the only cause. The debate among the people is what makes it controversial. If the song was released around a time when no one really called about President Bush and his previous term wasn’t being examined it wouldn’t have been nearly as controversial. But there are other common types of controversy. Anything like religion, sex, censorship, environmental issues, racial issues, political issues, or even social issues can potentially cause uproar of controversial debate therefore making the film that sparked this trouble indeed controversial. Also a lot of films are purposely controversial to cause the viewers to concentrate on the issues at hand. For example, if a director releases a movie about global warming and humanity’s role in it right around the time when a bill to help fight global warming is under review by the government and environmentalist are already debating with politicians about the subject. This could be purposely controversial in that it adds voters to the side of the environmentalists. If they only see one side of the debate they are more likely to vote with that one side. Controversy is pretty much open to debate.
ReplyDeleteThough I've never seen Machete or The Golden Compass but I think I know why some films are more controversial than others. Sometimes extremely violent films seem like they should cause controversy, when in reality they go under the radar. It's films that deal with or seem to deal with political or social issues that become the most controversial. Even films as seemingly innocent as The Golden Compass often cause much more controversy than extremely violent films. Maybe this has to do with the fact that violent movies these days have to be advertised as being violent, so people that don't like violence just don't go see the movies. It's alot of times the films that seem to have underlying messages that become most controversial. People are more likely to get up in arms when they can find a social or political message in a film. Violence is violence, it's not usually an issue in films that people have much to debate about. People love to get up in arms about every social and political debate, which is the reason I think movies such as The Golden Compass cause more controversy than a violent movie such as Machete.
ReplyDeleteI believe the audience has a lot to do with whether the film is considered a controversy or not. Obviously, the audiences for Machete is older people and people that have seen gory films before. I believe the audience that goes to see Machete is used to seeing violent films before and therefore are not as moved or impartial to the movie. Also, I think today’s media, with films and television shows, are considered very violent and have only gotten more violent and bloody throughout the years. I also believe this has a great deal to do with the fact that many people did not mind the movie Machete and did not cause an uproar unlike The Golden Compass. I believe The Golden Compass created more of an outrage because of the audience that watched the movie. The movie is centered more towards a younger generation and the parents. Because the movie also has to do with some religious elements, Christians caused the uproar in response to some of the movie. I think because the audience was geared towards children, the parents that were somewhat religious and took the movie the wrong way, were more impartial towards the movie and were more prone to be outraged because of the content of the movie. I have not seen either movie but, I do know somewhat about each of the movies and googled both movies just to be sure of the plot and the summaries of both.
ReplyDeleteControversy is a disagreement between people who have different opinions on a topic. This definition is fairly standard. On the other hand, it’s hard to say what exactly causes controversy. Many of us are very familiar with issues such as race, same sex marriage, religion, abortion, violence, rape, etc that tend to be disputed quite often. However, controversy cannot be limited to just these examples. Time period, audience, and context must all be taken into consideration when discussing a potentially controversial subject. These elements are particularly relevant in films, as well. Films seem to stir up a lot of emotion amongst its viewers. Whether it is the entire story line, a scene, or even just a character’s comment, films cause a lot of controversy. Although these things might not be offensive to one person, it can be very insulting to another group. A lot of this depends on the society and culture in which the viewer was raised. In addition, I think the way in which a film portrays controversial ideas is a major part of the controversy itself. Whether the director had the attention to blatantly state their belief or not, its quite apparent in most films. They have to be very careful with this. Lastly, another aspect to be aware of as I mentioned before is timing. For example, a film about terrorism that was released after the September 11 attacks would definitely cause a lot of controversy, and still would to this day. However, something along the lines of interracial marriage would not stir up as much debate now as it would have many years ago.
ReplyDelete@Jeff: You are right directors have to be very careful with every conflict that occurs. It seems like anything in a movie can be controversial. I think that race and same sex couples are risky topics in society period. I know a lot of people of people who had mixed feelings about the movie War of the Worlds. I agree with you on the timing of the movies and the events that happen around it. War of the Worlds had nothing to do with September 11th but it could easily be compared with it because of all the war.
ReplyDeleteControversy is when a public dispute or debate arises, usually concerning a matter of opinion. Major areas of controversy include history, religion, environmental issues, race, and politics, just to name a few. Controversial films may contain inappropriate, uncomfortable behavior causing the audience to look down on these types of films even though several of these type of films have received awards. Everyone has different beliefs and viewpoints so when a movie comes out, it is very likely that at least a handful of people will find that movie offensive because it is going against their ideas. Some people may think the movie is too inappropriate to watch and contain material that should never be publicly displayed for entertainment since it’s quite a serious matter. Controversy also depends on what is currently going on in the world and when a movie comes out. For example, “Wall-E” disrupted some of America because right when that movie came out, a debate over environmental issues we were dealing with was also occurring, causing people to be even more infuriated. Many teenage films can be controversial and considered inappropriate because of the material it covers: usually sex , drugs, and alcohol. However, many teenagers have experienced with at least one of these topics. Therefore, it doesn’t quite make sense why parents are over protective and worry that their child will be influenced by these bad habits even though it’s likely that the child has already been exposed to it. Controversy is a constant debate among people that has happened for hundreds of decades, and will continue, because there will always be a difference of opinions among individuals.
ReplyDeleteThere are countless amounts of movies that have been made. All of them are categorized into a select genre. But only a few select films are special enough to be labeled, controversial. It takes a certain type of film to be a controversial thing, and it really has to hit on certain things, or pull certain things. It cannot just pull a string for one person the issue has to be with millions of people. There has to be enough people that disagree with a film in order for it to be a controversial film. No one cares if hilly billy john doesn’t like the passion of the Christ. But if war heroes disagree with Sands of Iwo Jima then society will back them and their voices will be heard. Controversial films do cover a vast field though, religion, sex, war, children, all of these are hot topics in the world of controversial films.
ReplyDeleteThis creates a problem though. What one person thinks is controversial another person may completely agree with. Take my Iwo Jima example, many people are pro-war, on the other hand many people are anti-war. This is what creates the ‘controversy’ without conflicting views there would be no problem. Its like not having a republican and democratic party and having everyone agree on the same things. For some controversy re affirms their beliefs and for others it sparks a fire in their brain that must be let out. Controversy are a funny thing to say the least and the issues they bring with them are no bueno
What makes a lot of films controversial is that they bring to life the ugly truth about events or society that everyone knows is going on they just do not want to admit it. There are many factors that go into making the film controversial. For example, timing is a lot of times a key element. Back in the early 1900’s, if people so much as kissed in a movie there was an outrage over how explicit the movie was. Whereas today, no one thinks twice about seeing a kiss on the big screen and would only maybe be rated PG today but would have been considered R in earlier days. Another reason movies may get classified as controversial is for religious reasons. The Harry Potter movies cause a constant uproar a new one comes out because Christian activists think that the world is worshiping the devil. The entertainment focus gets blown out of the water and all people can do is focus on the magic. On the other religious spectrum are movies like The Passion of the Christ which was not only in the spot light because of Mel Gibson being the director, but also because of how graphic it was. People went into it unprepared and saw violence that they had never seen before in a real life setting from the past.
ReplyDelete@Megan
ReplyDeleteI agree with your observation that the audience that views the movie will play a significant role in whether or not the movie will create a controversy. I will have to point out though that sometimes the people that feel a need to dispute a movie in public don’t necessarily have to watch the movie. In regards to Golden Compass I feel that a lot of the religious groups that protested the movie only did so because it was an adaptation of the book with which they had a serious disagreement with. Now the people who protested the movie might have also watched it but on the other hand though they might not have as well. In order to protest the Golden Compass on this platform you do not need to see the movie, you barely even have to read the book, you just need to be familiar with an interview the author gave to be honest. So yes an audience might play a large role in the controversy but not always.
@jalasmar
ReplyDeleteJeanine you are absolutely right. This country is composed of many different types of people, so a film that is controversial to one person may not be to another. Someone who finds a film controversial will typically have certain strong beliefs whereas someone who is indifferent will not really care either way. If Machete was to be shown thirty or forty years ago, people would be outraged; but now massive amounts of violence in movies is viewed as the “norm.” The main point is that controversy will always be part of the film industry, so it is perfectly okay to disagree with a movie’s various points.
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ReplyDelete@Navarre32:
ReplyDeleteI would say that I have to agree with you. There are so many movies out there that are controversial simply because people to things the wrong way or look into things too deeply. The Tropic Thunder example is a perfect example of this. There are movies that stir up controversy and rightfully so, simply because the statement they make is just too obvious and offensive, but in my opinion people often take it just a little too far when they make assumptions about what they think a director was trying to imply when it is actually not the case at all.
@Navarre32
ReplyDeletei agree with your point that people sometimes over analyze films. One example of that is the little mermaid. a disney movie.i read last week an article that said that in one of the scenes, King Trident's golden castle is shown, and one of the parts of the castle is shaped like a penis. now if you look at a close up of the that castle part, it may resemble a penis, but so do many other things if you have a dirty mind. And this caused so much controversy in the 80's. To me, its just ridiculous. Even if someone with no life had the nerve to draw a penis on the castle (and i doubt that)it is impossible for the naked eye to catch that during the film so why make a big deal out of it? i dont know thats just my opinion.
@arocha
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your opinion of controversy. It is very unlikely anytime a movie comes out that some part of the movie didn’t stir up society in the way that they think some parts were offensive and inappropriate. You are absolutely right that the majority of movies made today consist of either sex, drugs, alcohol, or violence, or even all of them together. I also think it doesn’t make sense that parents of teenagers are disturbed by a movie that contains sex, drugs, and alcohol in them, when they need to realize how often these things occur among teenagers. I could see why people think Passion of the Christ is controversial, but the whole purpose of the movie was to really portray the devastating details of what really happened, hoping that people will see it as an “eye-opener.”
@sebastian
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you and your out take on the controversial aspects of Passion of the Christ. I also agree with what you mentioned about Marilyn Monroe. It is almost ironic how a picture that pretty much outraged society has become so popular over the years. I am almost one hundred percent positive that everyone has seen or heard of this picture. Also what you were saying about small groups of people sometimes thinking something is controversial is something I also agree with you on. It doesn't take a large group of people to decide what and what is not controversial. It can easily take a small amount of people to believe something is controversial, although others may not think this way.
@Jkurtz
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that film writers have to be very careful when portraying a particular idea or topic. They might be trying to shed light on race or sexuality, for example, and certain people will take offense to it. You also mentioned how important timing is for a film and its ability to cause controversy. I feel that this is a critical aspect also. Whether a film is released after a major event or during a specific time period, debate is going to occur. Lastly, I like the point you made about documentaries being biased. For the most part I had only been thinking about box office films. I do agree that documentaries though are able to cause controversy because of the one-sided arguments that are exposed.
@Megan
ReplyDeleteI’d say that I agree with your idea that the audience has a strong influence on whether or not a film provokes controversy. The fact that the Golden Compass targets a young audience probably caused firmly religious individuals to react at what was potentially being portrayed to their children. Being kids they steadily absorb all the information that they come into contact with so the parents probably assumed the worst. Regardless I feel that the controversy generated by that movie is irrational after seeing it with my brother and laughing at the innocence of the story. When it comes to violent films I don’t think they create as much controversy because all of the viewers typically go into the movie knowing what to expect.
@JKurtz
ReplyDeleteI really had never thought about this controversy topic from your view point, but after reading it, I have to say I agree with you! I think it definitely is the writer and directors job to be careful about the conflicts that appear in their film, even though they may have one particular point they are trying to get across, it may cause a stir depending on what they are saying. The same goes for documentary filmmakers; they really are typically biased, perhaps they would have better luck if they took a Rogerian sort of approach to their filmmaking! Timing also seems to have a lot to do with the controversy of a film.
@Jkurtz
ReplyDeleteWhile these are not the only reasons a film could be looked at as controversial, I think you defiitely pinpointed most of the main reasons for films to be considered controversial. Timing I agree is the biggest reasoning behind what causes people to be astounded by a films content. In fifty years it may be that having sex in a movie is no big deal to let little kids see but as of today a film can many times be scolded. World events are also very touchy topics because unless its been over 800 years, someone will always argue that the movie is coming out “too soon.”
@JKurtz
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with the reasons you give that cause controversial films. I didn't even think of the timing one when I was writing my comment. Timing, or the use of kairos, can cause major controversy just like the example you gave. That moive wouldn't have cause controversy if it had been released before September 11 and it probably wouldn't have cause much if it was released years after. The other points you bring up about race and sexuality are also very good. If there are negative conotations to be found about lets say a gay person or a black person in a movie, then you bet your bottom dollar that someone is going to find it and start a controversy over it. I think it's good to point out that controversy can be caused by just about everything, not just in films, but in all aspects of life.
@arocha: I think your definition of controversy is very precise. It really works and covers a broad range of concepts, ideas, films, advertisements, etc. that could be considered controversial and gives a vivid description of why. The Passion of the Christ was very controversial because of the uproar of disturbance, and debate it caused among society. The actual plot of the movie wasn’t controversial, mostly because it is learned to be a factual event in history. But the idea of reenacting this tragic event in a movie is very controversial in that many will argue that this violent image is far too graphic and sentimental to make people relive. But at the end of the day just like you said, the reality is that this event is real (at least many believe that it is).
ReplyDelete@lbass
ReplyDeleteI agree with lbass when she says that movies with sexual content cause a very big stir versus violent movies that are, unfortunately, overlooked. I also agree when she says that movies that involve teen drinking, such as American Pie, are really never controversial and are usually categorized under comedy. I also agree with her when she says that Blue Valentine caused a lot of uproar while, the remake of Friday the 13th didn’t get much discussed over the movie and all critics and movie-watchers could talk about was how much worse the movie was compared to the original.
I would have a hard time answering the question of, what makes a controversial film, controversial. I do not get offended by blood, gore, sex, religious beliefs, cursing, drugs, alcohol, murder or any extremity for that matter. I do like seeing society obsess over controversial films, because it is an obsession, whether you love it or hate it. A controversial film would have to be a film that gets people or society jumpy or upset because of the content of the film. Controversial films are films that show extremities that society are not comfortable with. I can’t say that a controversial film has to have certain aspects or topics in it to call it a controversial film. As long as the film, can get people riled up over something small, it can be considered a controversial film. Now why society picks certain films over others, can be caused by many reason, usually having to do with ant big decisions or any important events that have recently happened in the news when the movie was released. Also the more extreme it is, the more people will talk about it, and when people start talking about it, is when it becomes controversial because people then start fighting about what should and shouldn’t be in a movie.
ReplyDelete@lindizzy91
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you say that the reason a film is controversial is because it is bringing out the ugly truth about society. Yes! I most definitely agree with you on the timing aspect of the movie, because it is a major part. I understand what you are saying about the religious aspects of controversial films, because the films that cover religion in the slightest, will offend someone somewhere, who doesn’t practice or believe in that same religion. I see what you mean about The Passion of the Christ. It was controversial because people do not see religion and violence hand in hand, and when a movie puts them together people got upset because of it. I loved your insight on this, made me open up to a new light on the topic.