Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox
In the wake of the tragic Florida high school shooting, the issue of violence in movies and video games was made once again this time by President Donald Trump. His comments are similar to criticisms that the NRA made in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shootings, in that a problem is the violent culture perpetrated by the entertainment industry.
Now, James Mangold, the director behind the first R-rated film for Wolverine, is sharing his thoughts about the level and usage of violence in PG and PG-13 blockbusters. Mangold told The Credits that he believes there is a lack of showing the consequences of violence in lighter rated films:
“I have a lot of misgivings about violence and PG ratings. A PG film might show hundreds of people dying, falling off buildings, getting mowed down by rapid-fire guns, but you don’t feel the deaths because the ratings system dictates the amount of agony being played by the actor.
In a weird way, that makes violence more palatable because when we excise the upsetting bits, we de-sensitize ourselves to death to the point where it’s almost like shooting ducks at a carnival.”
This is an issue that has been addressed by other directors like Mel Gibson who said Marvel movies are more violent than anything that he has done because of the scale of violence. As for Mangold, he went on to explain that the R-rating for “Logan” was important not just to show more blood on screen, but to offer a more realistic and adult approach to it and thus have it inform the character:
“We wrote a movie about a character struggling with the PTSD from three lifetimes of mayhem and violence, so it was important to feel the toll all that bloodshed has taken on Logan’s soul. This movie could not legally be marketed to children, which means there’s no Happy Meals, no action figures, no advertising on Saturday morning cartoons.
I don’t have to worry about the attention span of a 12-year old. I don’t have keep the story ‘up-cut’ to keep kids engaged. I only have to think about pleasing grown-ups. From writing onward through the directing, I had the freedom to make a more sophisticated movie.”
Mangold had to operate with a small budget relative to what we’re used to seeing from the genre. Even Hugh Jackman took a pay cut to portray Wolverine one more time. In the end, however, the result was a Wolverine solo movie specifically designed for consumption by an older and more mature audience.
Logan became the first superhero film to receive an Oscar nomination in the screenplay category. Logan earned a nomination for best adapted screenplay. The awards are handed out on March 4th.
What do you think of the level of violence in PG and PG-13 rated blockbusters? Do you think the rating system needs to be adjusted to take into consideration of the level and scale of violence being depicted? Do you think violent films and video games are affecting kids? Let us know in the comments section.