http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9vfWilQX78&feature=related
Grotesque (グロテスク Gurotesuku) is a 2009 Japanese splatter horror film written and directed by Kōji Shiraishi. The film is about a sadistic doctor who tortures people for sexual stimulation. The torture scenes include a couple who were out on their first date, but kidnapped and shackled in a basement. The doctor in turn tortures and mutilates them. Initially, he punctures one's belly with a screwdriver and slices his tongue, then rapes both, one at a time, forcing the other to watch. Sometimes he stops the torture to provide medical assistance and cure the couple's wounds, so they can continue to live for a long period of time. This way he cuts off all their fingers, makes collars with them, pops out the male's right eye, removes the girl's nipples and cuts off her right arm. (see link for torture scene)
This film was considered controversial, due to the amount of torture scenes, gore and some scenes showing rape of both genders. This film was banned by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) as it was refused an 18 rating, and was quoted by BBFC director David Cook "Unlike other recent 'torture' themed horror works, such as the Saw and Hostel series. Grotesque features minimal narrative or character development and presents the audience with little more than an unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism.
Since this movie was banned in the UK, finding sources of audiences and reactions proved difficult. I therefore took the reviews from Imdb.com and used that as a guidline. Firstly, the majority of reviewers were, horror enthusiasts, therefore preferred readers. The movie had 6 nominations for different awards but the reviewers had mixed critical reception. One horror enthusiast wrote; ''the film was quite well shot and the acting for what it was - was good. All and all the production values are great. I wouldn't say gore wise this over-tops anything else that is out there especially from Japan (thinks Ichi the killer) but it is as full on as it can go.'' This gave me the impression that Japan had the norm of violence to this degree already, therefore being exposed and numbed to the hypodermic syringe theory. Thus, in which British audience were not ready for yet. Another reviewer states; ''m a big fan of Horror and especially import Horror movies, But this wasn't my thing at all. The new wave snuff films (or rebirth of 70's uber violent films) are just not my taste... this movie is a prime example of these pointless torture movies,'' This person is an oppossed reader as he is against the movie, quoting it as 'pointless and wasn't my thing'.
There is so much more you could have said here and it is a shame that your own commentary was so brief. Consider the following:
ReplyDelete- An audience isn't "numbed to a theory". You apply the theory to a film/audience response. So, for example, you could perhaps apply the innoculation theory to Japanese horror audiences, as they seem to be desesnitised to this kind of imagery, as evidenced in fan reviews.
- The banning of the film by the BBFC allows you to see the effects model in play, namely hypodermic syringe. Perhaps the censors believe that exposure to this film will cause damage to viewers?
Your comment about one reviewer being oppositonal in his/her reading is good, but you could go further to explore possible negotiated readings/preferred readings too.