Violence plays several critical roles in historical movies. Cinematic violence can be implemented in visual media to expand the viewers’ sense of empathy by identifying with the character’s sufferings, to portray historical humanity and inhumanity, or to simply entertain. Movies such as Gangs of New York and 12 Years a Slave follow different cinematic models of violence. In these movies, violence is utilized to simply keep them amused and to enhance the viewer’s understanding of history accordingly.
When the director’s sole reason for implementing violence in a movie is making it exceedingly entertaining, violence can be portrayed as pointless and irrational scripted drama. Although the fights between the Protestant “Natives” and Irish Catholic Immigrants were barbaric, Gangs of New York’s monstrous scenes depict an exaggerated history. As the movie begins, a fight instantly breaks between the Natives and the “Death Rabbits” brutal and bloody killings are seen everywhere. These first twenty minutes are full of horrendous fights, not to mention that a woman even bites someone’s ear off and Amsterdam Vallon witness Bill ‘The Butcher’ Cutting kill his own father. Later, when a building is burning, the police department instead of helping the house’s owners, fight rioters. Then, every single person on the streets joins the fight. This is …show more content…
When movies are used to illustrate history, filmmakers can exaggerate violence in history in order to make extraordinary movies. On the other hand, filmmakers can also portray violence as it truly was to touch upon the inhumanity of important events of history. The movie Gangs of New York and 12 Years a Slave illustrate how cinematic violence can play different roles in history’s portrayal: exaggerate it to serve as the main reason a story develops or depict it as it truly was to expand the viewers’
When the director’s sole reason for implementing violence in a movie is making it exceedingly entertaining, violence can be portrayed as pointless and irrational scripted drama. Although the fights between the Protestant “Natives” and Irish Catholic Immigrants were barbaric, Gangs of New York’s monstrous scenes depict an exaggerated history. As the movie begins, a fight instantly breaks between the Natives and the “Death Rabbits” brutal and bloody killings are seen everywhere. These first twenty minutes are full of horrendous fights, not to mention that a woman even bites someone’s ear off and Amsterdam Vallon witness Bill ‘The Butcher’ Cutting kill his own father. Later, when a building is burning, the police department instead of helping the house’s owners, fight rioters. Then, every single person on the streets joins the fight. This is …show more content…
When movies are used to illustrate history, filmmakers can exaggerate violence in history in order to make extraordinary movies. On the other hand, filmmakers can also portray violence as it truly was to touch upon the inhumanity of important events of history. The movie Gangs of New York and 12 Years a Slave illustrate how cinematic violence can play different roles in history’s portrayal: exaggerate it to serve as the main reason a story develops or depict it as it truly was to expand the viewers’