Last night we saw the second movie in the series. The gist of it was that some of the "tributes" (ie young people forced to fight to the death for the amusement of upper classes) were forced to return and fight again because of some law about the 25th year anniversary of the government's takeover--even though they had been assured that by law they would fight once and if they survived they'd be allowed to live in peace.
Our heroine played by Jennifer Lawrence was forced back into the brutal scene, where she persists in being quite human with emotions and an aversion to killing. She is an excellent actress. I won't tell the ending in case you want to see it, but I will warn you that it is exceedingly violent. The killing and brutality in these movies turns my stomach. I cannot sit through it, have to close my eyes, or get up and go to the back of the theater to do yoga. When it turns particularly awful I take a bathroom break. Even with these approaches to keep from being disturbed by the violence, it disturbs me. My heart rate goes up, I sweat, and I don't calm down completely for 4-6 hours after such a movie. This movie series is not the only one that is so violent. The vast majority of movies for young people are very violent, if I am to believe what I see in the previews.
It appears to me that many young people sit through these movies and do not get disturbed by the violence. They don't seem fazed at all. The only way that I can imagine not finding this stuff disturbing is to be emotionally shut down. Watching people be beaten and die horribly for unjust reasons is enough to induce PTSD in a normal human. Even in the movies. So if these kids are really undisturbed by violent movies, I wonder if they are sociopaths. If they actually enjoy seeing such violence, they might be psychopaths. Are we creating a generation of pathologic youth by exposing them to this kind of material? It is a question worth asking.
As I was watching the movie I was thinking about the research study I'd like to see done. I'd like to see whole audiences wired to monitor heart rate, sexual arousal, and palm sweat. I'd like to have them tested for adrenaline, testosterone, and cortisol, before, during and after the movie. I'd like to know if they youth really aren't fazed by this stuff, or if they are just pretending to be tough and cool. It matters.
Our heroine played by Jennifer Lawrence was forced back into the brutal scene, where she persists in being quite human with emotions and an aversion to killing. She is an excellent actress. I won't tell the ending in case you want to see it, but I will warn you that it is exceedingly violent. The killing and brutality in these movies turns my stomach. I cannot sit through it, have to close my eyes, or get up and go to the back of the theater to do yoga. When it turns particularly awful I take a bathroom break. Even with these approaches to keep from being disturbed by the violence, it disturbs me. My heart rate goes up, I sweat, and I don't calm down completely for 4-6 hours after such a movie. This movie series is not the only one that is so violent. The vast majority of movies for young people are very violent, if I am to believe what I see in the previews.
It appears to me that many young people sit through these movies and do not get disturbed by the violence. They don't seem fazed at all. The only way that I can imagine not finding this stuff disturbing is to be emotionally shut down. Watching people be beaten and die horribly for unjust reasons is enough to induce PTSD in a normal human. Even in the movies. So if these kids are really undisturbed by violent movies, I wonder if they are sociopaths. If they actually enjoy seeing such violence, they might be psychopaths. Are we creating a generation of pathologic youth by exposing them to this kind of material? It is a question worth asking.
As I was watching the movie I was thinking about the research study I'd like to see done. I'd like to see whole audiences wired to monitor heart rate, sexual arousal, and palm sweat. I'd like to have them tested for adrenaline, testosterone, and cortisol, before, during and after the movie. I'd like to know if they youth really aren't fazed by this stuff, or if they are just pretending to be tough and cool. It matters.
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