"Gangs of New York"- some musings.... does anyone agree?

[rockymountaindem]

I was just thinking about that beheading video thread, and it made me remember Gangs of New York.

I usually don't flinch at violence in movies. Saving Private Ryan is one of my favorite films, as is The Sand Pebbles (both of which are violent, but in different ways). In fact, I've frequently fallen into the usual male "sex and violence" movie trap.

But Gangs of New York really disturbed me. It wasn't the things they were fighting for, as there are causes I would kill and die for myself (or at least I think I would, I've never had to put myself to the test). It was just... the opening fight scene seemed totally over-the-top, like every death was a giant waste. The manner of the fighting left me slack-jawed as well. That's the one movie that really made me look at violence and think "wow- that's freakin' sick".

I'm not sure where I'm going with this... I think I'm trying to say that although violence is all bad, there's a limit somewhere... right? Or at least I'm hoping there's a limit, although my studies of history have left me thinking otherwise.

[truebrit71]

1. Couldn't tell you...I thought the movie was complete crap...

..from beginning to end....an absolute waste of celluloid...

[Gildor Inglorion]

2. I couldn't watch all of it...

in my opinion, it's the epitome of bad film-making. What a WASTE of talent! The violence was sickening, but the characters were so repulsive that you didn't care what they did to each other anyway.

[Ramsey]

3. I had that same feeling

Just the other night, watching "The Last Samurai". In the last scene, the newbie army of the new era decimates the elegant and ancient samurai army, which fights with swords from horseback and which follows a strict code of ethics. The new army mows them all down from a distance with their new weapon, some kind of machine gun.

This scene left me with the most clear feeling I have ever had that war and violence are just wrong. The superior power can always win out over the primitive. Just like the deer in the field has no chance against a hunter with a gun. It is all immoral. It is totally immoral to kill other human beings just because you can. Yes, they were attacking, yes it was war, but they were overwhelmed with the superior technology and fire power. They had no chance. And all they were doing was defending their way of life.

It reminds me of our supposed precision bombs that have killed thousands more civilians than actual combatants. I feel so totally mired down in the wrongness of this war based on lies that has killed so many for all the wrong reasons. It is an evil for all eternity.

[rockymountaindem]

6. Just as something to remember,

no such battle took place in Restoration Japan.

[liberalmuse]

4. I missed the first part...

but I got sick to my stomach with all the violence. Senseless and over-the-top. I did end up liking the movie, though, much to my surprise. The end part of 'Casino', where Pesci gets offed, made me ill, too. Ick! And it forever ruined, 'House of The Rising Sun' .

[jpgray]

5. Well, the part where the vise pops the guy's eyeball out was also bad

That was a nasty movie in many ways, but a good one.