Desensitization to Violence

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer points out that the film industry thrives on violence that desensitizes its viewers. The writer notes that 'Natural Born Killers', directed by Oliver Stone, works to show how this desensitization occurs. The writer discusses that Stone does this through the use of music, television, the media, and an interwoven love story. The paper further relates that, as told by Stone in some behind the scenes commentary, the film is a satire critiquing its own genre of violent movies, and interrogates how violence works in films. The writer concludes that Oliver Stone's 'Natural Born Killers' is a film that points the finger at itself in terms of the argument about violence in movies. The writer maintains that the film shows its viewers how today's films stray from the meaningful use of death and violence and move towards mindless minutia that is basically fed to society.

From the Paper:

"In specific scenes, music diverts the attention of the viewer away from the fact that the main characters Mickey and Mallory Knox are killing people. During the first scene of the movie, Mickey shoots a cook at a small diner. While the bullet is in the air, the scene turns to black and white and shows the heavy set cook screaming, but an opera singer is played instead of an actually person screaming. Just before the bullet hits the cook, it pauses for a second, similar to a cartoon. These things cause the viewer to think of this action as funny instead of horrific. Since the cook is a heavy person and opera singers are commonly stereotyped as big people, this makes for a successful joke. Also the way the bullet pauses in mid-air just before it hits the cook is funny since cartoons commonly use the method of delaying an impact to give time for the victim to show a funny face. These strategies make the viewer think that this behavior is funny and acceptable since it is presented in a humorous way. Mickey also strikes an escaping man in the back with a knife. The same tactic is used here; while the knife is flying through the air, an opera singer is played again. After the chaos is finished, Mickey and Mallory start to ballroom dance in the diner. The lights dim and classic ballroom music is played."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Natural Born Killers. Dir. Oliver Stone. Perf. Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr., Tommy Lee Jones, and Tom Sizemore. 1994. DVD. Trimark.
• Sachs, Andrea and Washburn, Susanne. "Time Forum: Tough Talk on Entertainment". The World Is a Text: Writing, Reading, and Thinking About Culture and Its Contents. Eds. Jonathan Silverman and Dean Rader. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc., 2003, 388-395.
• Sobchack, Vivian. "The Postmorbid Condition."." Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. 4th ed. Ed. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003, 377-381.

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