The term ultra-violence was coined by Anthony Burgess in his 1962 novel A Clockwork Orange. Over forty years later it has grown into a sub-genre of film and literature. It is not meant to be pleasant or light entertainment. When ultra-violence is done properly it is disgusting, difficult to watch or read and sometimes very funny.
But that does not mean that it is pointless.
I agree with Martin Scorsese’s contention that: “There is no such thing as pointless violence. CITY OF GOD, is that pointless violence? It’s reality, it’s real life, it has to do with the human condition.” It is an ugly side of life but it is certainly real and worth examining. And the best ultra-violence does this without flinching.
Take Battle Royale for example. While some might look at this as just being a bunch of kids murdering each other on an island it is both an indictment of the Japanese school system and a study of trust under fascism. Although it often compared to Lord of the Flies there is nothing but a surface resemblance. LOTF was about civilized children descending into lawless savagery. Battle Royale is about civilization forcing children into lawful and mandatory savagery. The themes are, I think, quite different.
Even in the most gratuitous, gory and stomach upsetting ultra-violence movie I’ve ever seen, Ichi the Killer, there is a theme. It is about the connections between sex and violence. It is also “an almost avant garde exploration of cinematic violence and audience implication in onscreen sadism.” But don’t let that fool you. It is not easy to watch, you will not feel better for having seen it and by the end you will be happy that the whole thing is over. Yet . . . There is something about it that makes it a worthwhile experience.
Amidst the pulp and exploitation epitomized by Ichi and its director Takashi Miike, there are other movies that reach the level of high art. I’m thinking specifically of Oldboy and the trilogy that it is a part of. (The other two movies being Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance.) While Oldboy is violent it is also the best and most beautiful suspense film since Hitchcock. As Ebert said: “We are so accustomed to “thrillers” that exist only as machines for creating diversion that it’s a shock to find a movie in which the action, however violent, makes a statement and has a purpose.” I’d go further and say that it puts all of Hollywood to shame.
I remember seeing Sin City a few months after I’d bought my bootlegged copy of Oldboy. By some coincidence Oldboy was playing in the same theater. Both movies let out at the same time. Sin City left me feeling like I’d sat through a Disney version of my favorite genre. The people leaving the theater were bubbly; happy to have spent a couple of hours reveling in unreal and ineffective violence. But the people leaving Oldboy were pale, silent and aghast.
I had to smile because that movie left me feeling the same way. All good ultra-violence does.
Trailer For Ichi the Killer – Definitely Not Safe For Work. Very bloody and disturbing. You should not watch this. But if you want to, don’t blame me and here it is:
4 comments
artopal
April 12, 2006 at 2:26 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I must agree with you. Any other movie worth mentioning? I also think of “Save the green planet” and “Full Metal Jacket”, but you named already all my favorites.
Marcia
April 12, 2006 at 5:15 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Someone actually emailed me using the phrase “Ultra violence” yesterday, and I replied with, “Really, 9:24am is a little early for the Clockwork Orange refs.”
At which point I was informed that it’s NEVER too early for the Clockwork Orange refs.
Grumpy Owl
April 13, 2006 at 3:55 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Artopal – The Wild Bunch by Sam Peckinpah is a classic. Romper Stomper has it’s moments. Natural Born Killers. A movies that could have been good if they had more guts – Danny the Dog – released as Unleashed in the states. Disapointing because of the potential. Just shows how shitty and cowardly Hollywood has become.
Marcia – You’re friend is wise.
Grumpy
April 18, 2006 at 10:42 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
And my punctuation sucks. You’re? Jesus.