Okay, so I'm not a total fraidy cat, but let's just say I don't seek out violence in movies. That's why I was so impressed by these films. Not only did I not mind the violence, I thought it was crucial to the movie, and, in some cases, its most well-executed aspect.
1. Apocalypse Now (1979) – Apocalypse Now is one of my favorite movies, and every time I see it, I’m impressed by the nihilism of its violence. The film is a thoughtful meditation on horror, packed with unforgettable imagery, such as the helicopters that bomb villages while playing Wagner, the graphic sacrifice of the water buffalo, and Colonel Kurtz’s horrifying kingdom.
2. eXistenZ (1999) – I tend to like stylized violence, so I’m a sucker for everything David Cronenberg. He has a knack for crafting the kind of violence that hovers between artful comic crudeness and aesthetic achievement. There’s something almost beautiful about the blood in his movies. eXistenZ is full of delectable grossness, including a gun made of flesh and bone, and plenty of that blood of which I spoke so highly. Every time flesh is torn (which happens quite frequently in this film) I find myself wondering what strange universe of disturbing oddities will emerge.
3. Natural Born Killers (1994) – As perverse as it may sound, the violence in Natural Born Killers strikes me as a natural extension of the love between Mickey and Mallory. The two characters’ damaged nature is so well explained that it seems that there could be no other way of life for them. Once I made that decision, their savagery played more like passion gone terribly awry. They kill just to kiss in the bloody aftermath; they destroy to keep from falling apart. That a string of deaths brings these offbeat lovers life is the film’s unexpected revelation.
4. A Clockwork Orange (1971) – A Clockwork Orange is hard for me to watch for the very reason that I include it on this list: its violence is so masterful. The more abhorrent the scene, the less I want to watch it, and the more culpable I feel when I do. The image of Alex raping a woman in her phallic-symbol-covered flat, while crooning “Singing in the Rain,” hits the scene’s intended note of horror so skillfully that it becomes wonder.
5. The Untouchables (1987)– I remember watching The Untouchables with my father at a fairly young age and being blown away by the polished coolness of the violence; you’re not rooting for the good guy or the bad guy, but whoever is about to shoot, just so you can see the bullets tearing through the air. This movie almost made me drop out of school and become a gangster. Although my life has taken a slightly different path, I will never forget sitting on the couch drooling over the cool speed of it all.
What are your favorites?
originally posted on PopcornJunkies
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Comments
My ears are half/deaf. Noises are garbled at certain decibels.
No let grenades blow-up! Let John Baca flop his hemet on it.
sorry.
Maybe I need a hearing aid? The DVD sounds all mumbo ups.
A film industry needs to give free popcorn to deaf and dumb?
apologies.
I'm a certain decibel deaf!
War did that! War cat scat!
A DODs GI needs to refuse!
No kill thee Afghan human!
A cat No promotes the war!
The bad oil-cats are snakes!
They are snakes with suites!
'Um sly oil-greedy-cat in fur!
About other films... have you seen "Swimming Pool" ? Charlotte Rampling gives a wonderful view of the intensity of being a writer?
And I do concur with adding "Saving Private Ryan". I nearly got up and left the theater on that one except for the fact that I knew where in "D-Day" the events were and knew that it should be calming down in about 5 minutes. But, wow it was gruesome.
Good post. Rated.
Additions to the list would include "The Godfather" by F.F. Coppola and an oddball little film called "The Professional" in this country and "Leon" elsewhere starring two of my favorite underrated actors, Jean Reno and Gary Oldman. And I guess I'll jump on the bandwagon and add "Saving Private Ryan" to make it an even (odd?) five.
Rated for thought-provoking topic.
R.
http://open.salon.com/blog/robert_brenner/2009/06/07/
jon_kate_plus_the_broodwith_apologies_to_david_cronenberg
If you are looking for more artsy violence, check out the films of Chan-wook Park, especially "Old Boy." He's sort of the Korean Quentin Tarantino.
And like Walter, I love the films of Sam Peckinpah, especially "Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia."
Hopes this helps your search for "a little of the ol' ultraviolence."
Arthur: as always, you provide a startlingly original response that is a post in itself. touché.
berrycomposer: "Fargo" is another good example. Violence not being pervasive doesn't discount a movie for my purposes because I'm more interested in violence that surprises me by being powerful and well done than really violent violence for the sake of violence (I think I should win some kind of award for mentioning violence so freaking many times in this post--it's downright violent).
Walter: I admit to not having done my Peckinpah homework. Thanks for the heads up:)
Silkstone: Exactly. eXistenZ used what violence, gruesomeness and gore it did contain towards creating an intellectually expansive film. That's what I love about it.
Carolina: Great additions. Of course I remember "The Professional," that's where I discovered Natalie Portman.
John: haha, I thought the scariest movie you've ever seen was "Blue Streak."
Robert: I love the Cronenberg post. Also, I'm with you on Chan-wook Park. I'll trade you a post for a post: here's my review of "Thirst": http://open.salon.com/blog/caroline_hagood/2009/08/07/an_oddball_hymn_to_horror_thirst_review
Apparently, the dummy and I have a lot in common where the moving images are concerned.
Harry Homeless: the evening news: you get points for succinctness and truth.
The sword fight at the end.
Made me physically ill. I almost passed out and had to leave the theatre.
Harvey: I hear you on the whole tender-hearted, fraidy cat thing.
Some my faves:
"Mark of the Devil" for simple gross out violence
"Texas Chainsaw Massacre" for relentless violence
"Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" A very stylized look at a serial killer espcially the beginning.
"Satan's Rejects." For creepyness.
Tarantino specializes in exploiting our love of violence. "Pulp Fiction" probably is still the best of his films. But "Reservoir Dogs" and the "Kill Bill" movies are really orgies of violence with sporadic outbursts of brilliant dialogue. Of all these, only Reservoir Dogs triggers my overactive sense of imaginary smell.
People are no longer shocked by "The Godfather" and "The Godfather II" but the first is long passages of lyrical dialogue and beautiful cinematography interrupted by horrible acts of violence while the second is long passages of a character's descent into heartlessness interrupted by horrible acts of violence. And the music--oh my goodness--the music!
You already hit on Kubrick, but his "Full Metal Jacket" is also built around its own violence. As Private Leonard says, "I AM in a world of shit!"
Finally, Caroline, you dig on some serious guy movies here and then later post on "Sex and the City?" Your complexity only adds to your allure, but I just cannot respond intelligently to the whole Carrie Bradshaw thing. I did enjoy "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," does that help?
Tarantino is certainly a master of violence. You know what makes his movies so great, though? It's the combination of those long, talky dissections of common things that his protagonists love so much that are suddenly broken into by an act of violence.
Ay, the Godfather movies. Beautiful, artful, badass. I would also add Goodfellas--that long tracking shot in the Copacabana=wow. And Full Metal Jacket, don't even get me started. Actually I have a post on Goodfellas and FMJ that I think I'll put up soon.
Finally, I guess I'm just a mixed bag:)