Angelina Joile's rape/love film

Hey, it's serious art if it makes serious profits. And she intends exactly that.

I am just astonished by the concept of the film - I don't know why, it's not new (didn't that ridiculous Swept Away have something like this in it??? nobody took that seirously tho)

Of all the complex and intense things one can say about the effects of rape, only being able to come up with 'what if she falls in love with him later?' is jaw-droppingly astounding. It's just torture porn once again, but with a woman's emotions on the rack rather than her body, selling it as ''serious art' is unbelievably moronic-slash-cynical, like saying Human Caterpillar is medical realism.

Hmm not overtly, I don't think, HB. There's the right-on party line (our liberal hearts bleed for ALL victims EVERYWHERE) and there's what really happens. It's taboo to SAY you don't care about rape victims.

Sorry to keep picking, will shut up in a minute. But that failing victims thing, is basically her saying "yeah, we're failing the victims, so fucking what?" In other words, certain victims have to be given utmost respect, their experience treated with reverence, honesty, sensitivity, while other victims, can just be pissed on and when that pissing on them is questioned, we can all pretend that all victims are pissed on by art, which just isn't fucking true. And of course, it's rape victims who are pissed on, very taboo breaking I don't think. Who does she think she's kidding? Pissing on rape victims taboo busting? Yeah, right, because rape victims never get pissed on normally, do they?

whooops
just realised I posted a disparaging remark about a woman's appearance ....in Feminism! My bad.

Herbeatitude
I know, he whips it off whilst she is left looking like a rubberised pencil (has the woman no hips?)

Just noticed how the language of 'artiness' is v simialr to the language of sexual violence.
Transgressive - breaking down barriers - brave.
Significant, or not?

She just shrugged her shoulders. Doesn't care. It's transgressive innit. Breaks down barriers. Brave. We've got Muslims in there. War. Sexual violence. 'Taboo busting'. She's a serious actress, you know.

LOL Greythorne, I knew someone would point that out, but he discards that cardigan pretty quickly, doesn't he?

And also, what does she mean, that any interpretation would fail victims?

Is she saying that Sophie's Choice was crap, Schindler's List, Philadelphia, Rabbit Proof Fence, the Magdalen sisters, etc. etc. - sorry, can't be bothered to think of a comprehensive and diverse list of exemples, but there are loads of films which have portrayed the suffering of various groups and the victims have said explicitly, that the film helped in making them feel they had a voice, had told their story, had vindicated them in some way. There's always a danger that you will fail victims when you try and interpret their experience, but it's not inevitable, is it? It's so fucking airily dismissive, that assertion and seems to me to be so dishonest, because of course the reason that films like Schindler's List etc., didn't fail their victims, or at least aren't generally held to have failed them, is because they generally try to portray the experience with as much truth as they can manage. You fail victims, when you set out to describe an experience untruthfully.

You can have a great film like Grease, which is brilliant as a film, but the premise of it is fucking abysmal - boy meets girl, boy falls out with girl, girl changes to get him back. Fucking awful. But it is a brilliant film, well executed, well acted, well produced, well done.

Off topic, but at the end of Grease, John Travolta's character has changed, too. He tips up at the funfair wearing a spoddy "letterman" jacket (like sporty / jocks wear), rather than his blck leather jacket.

Just a thought.

But the A Jolie thing stinks.

HB, the Nazis seem to be in a class of their own re 'evilness' in the popular imagination, as far as i can see. It's been touched on in the other thread, admittedly I have only skimmed it.

Listen up girls, rape isn't that bad. Keep an open mind! He might be just a scared, vulnerable, loveable boy inside.

I don't usually post in feminism as I'm not terribly articulate and feel pretty ignorant I think. However I will watch this thread with interest. I completely agree Beatitude.

Women! Pah, they love it really

I can't imagine her making a film about a concentration camp inmate falling in love with her nazi rapist and torturer and then dismissing criticism by airily declaring that of course any artistic interpretation would fail those people who experienced the holocaust. (Interesting that she thinks there's no problem with knowingly failing Bosnian rape victims).

Although didn't Dirk Bogarde make a film along those lines, the Night Porter? I can't remember the details of it now, I just remember the torpid ennui that overcame me while I watched it...

Vile! And an utter lack of respect for the women who have been raped, to trivialise their experience like that!

BBC news weblink

I found on reading the bbc news weblink at best confused on what it would really be about the other day? As there are a lot of false rumours.

Admittedly I am very tired at the moment. What do you all make of it after reading?

a story of a woman falling in love with her rapist? no need to watch, women spent many decades trying to make rape taken seriously for miss jolie to come with you know what, you can even love the bastard... and marry him, have kids and be happy, oh, except for the little trauma of the violation of body and soul. and remember, rape is still used as a weapon of war today, so no, not funny.

I don't think so, Sophable, no-one's arguing with the film, we're arguing with the premise of it. You can have a great film like Grease, which is brilliant as a film, but the premise of it is fucking abysmal - boy meets girl, boy falls out with girl, girl changes to get him back. Fucking awful. But it is a brilliant film, well executed, well acted, well produced, well done. This angelina film may be similar, but it doesn't stop the premise being crap.

errr, surely should watch film before making a judgement?

well yes, it is Hollywood.

or is she pandering to misogynistic rape myths in order to promote her own career without even a thought for the women who have actually suffered rape who are upset by this?

Hope it's the crack.

Good God

Is she on crack?