To try and start a campaign to stop the uk release of 'A Serbian film'

[spidersandglue]

I'm not suggesting anyone read the synopsis as that's disgusting enough. But I don't know how the government can allow this disgusting film to be released!

Surely this sort of film encourages paedophillia and violent rape.

There are more slaves alive now than there has been before at any time in the history of the world. The majority of this is sex trafficking.

I'm revolted that a film like this can be given even a censored release date (10th)

I also believe child-murder, baby-murder and baby-rape are expressions of hatred against women, against mothers (mothers are particularly hated)

I knew it too MumCentrePlus, and the same things happened in Rwanda and Sudan. I still find it not the best thing to read in detail late at night.

I still think the paragraph from the Independent Reviewer hit the nail on the head, as Litchick said, that the film is riven with self-loathing. And the fact that the protagonist at the end finds he is doing the same thing he has been doing to others to his own family is still very symbolic and doesn't seem very much like propaganda - more like an indictment of abusers.

I agree though that in enacting the abuse the film sensationalises and eroticises sexual violence in an unacceptable way, as the filmakers lack the integrity to portray the images in the right way. [something I said a long time ago in response to Commander's post]

Well done Dittany.

The stink you have caused about this film, has made my opinion go from "Hmmm...That sounds awful" too "Well, if it's getting this much attention there must be SOMETHING too it!"

So I have actually just spent £30 of my British Pounds pre-ordering the Collectors Edition for when it is released on the 4th of January!

I hope your Happy!!

Just read the Catherine Mackinnon link and whilst one cannot deny the genocidal rape of Muslim Croat women happened, I'm a bit that she keeps referring to Borislav Herak, a prisoner who has been sentenced to death for admitting to taking part in countless rapes and murders yet whose supposed dead victims have been found living in Sarajevo. A lot of people believe that Herak had his confession beaten out of him. A lot of people think that this is more widespread than we know.

Oh Mackinnon never let truth or logic get in the way of a good rant. And Herak's a man so he must be a homicidal rapist, because they all are.
As to this film, i believe the intention is to shock, horrify and disgust the audience and as such I doubt it glamorizes rape as much as, say, Gone With The Wind which suggests that raping your uppity wife will make her all loving and obedient and is what she really needs.
It's just a film; no one died in the making of it, and it's just the usual suspects having a squawk and getting their outrage glands all frothy to no particular purpose.

Personally, I'd like a ban on all of the SAW films. They're gratuitously violent with no real plot or justification for that extent of violence. And it's not inferred violence, it's very explicit. The films have been linked in a number of "copycat" cases in Australia and the U.S.

Can anyone work themselves up into a sufficient lather to try and get these films banned?

Christ, I just read the synopsis. How the fuck can someone call this art. You might as well say that the holocaust was a play in 60 million parts or that Fred Nile was the new Mozart.

I am all for freedom of speech and a persons right to their belief and opinion but this is one time when I will wholeheartedly support censorship!

Well, your not "ALL" for freedom of speech if you support censorship in this one case are you?

If you truly were "All" for freedom of speech then you wouldn't support censorship at all since they are totally opposing ideas.

This film on reflection sounds awful, tasteless and pathetic and I will not be viewing it, however I do not think it should be banned.

I believe in the "Freedom Of Speech" and aslong as these people aren't breaking any laws and it has passed through the BBFC then fine.

I may not like what someone has to say, but I will defend their right too say it.

Nerdy - Ok fine, pick me up on semantics. My apologies then.

HowstheSerenity: Well, the Holocaust involved actually killing people. This film does not. Isn't that a small but very important difference?

Of course it should be banned. It normalises, sexualises and eroticises rape and murder.

There is no place for this in a civilised society, because we live in a society which criminalises rape and murder - i.e. we think it is wrong. And also know that by watching things like this, behaviour can be changed.

I do not see the problem with this. We do not encourage babies to smoke, we do encourage people to shit in the street........it's just civilisation, nothing to do with free speech.

Actually we don't encourage people to shit in the street. Maybe, people who believe in freedom of speech wouldn't so much mind if we did though

Stuffing -true but I was referrring to it not in a killing sense, more as a horrific event played out as art. The same way as this movie which is a horrible thing being portrayed as art. It is not cutting edge or abstract but just horrible.

Stuffing -true but I was referrring to it not in a killing sense, more as a horrific event played out as art. The same way as this movie which is a horrible thing being portrayed as art. It is not cutting edge or abstract but just horrible.

NOT defending this film before Dittany and co leap on me BUT how is the film normalising/eroticising rape when it's clear from the synopsis that the protagonist is destroyed by what he has done?

It's an honest question. I'mnot denying that the film is unneccessary or vile but saying that it normalises rape confuses me.

"Normalization is a process where behaviours and ideas are made to seem "normal" through repetition, or through ideology, propaganda, etc., often to the point where they appear natural and taken for granted."

You can therefore see why exposing people to such depravity might be seen to be as propaganda type social influencing for the misogynist cause.

I think that they want you to assume there is some morality because the guy destroys himself in the end, but really it is just a horror film from the pits of humanity.

bupcake - I think that's the important question.
I have seen some clips of this film. I have read the interviews with the film makers. I have read various reviews by those who have seen the whole thing.

It seems to me an entirely bleak and nihilistic film. It glamorises nothing it portrays. It hates itself.

It is horrible, disturbing but titilating? I'm not sure.

My understanding is that the censors did remove a short scene that was felt to tip over into glamourisation.

But Ladyblahblah I often write about things that are very harrowing. Do I therefore normalise them?

Are we saying there are certain subjects that should not be touched on by writers/artsits/film makers?

You know, of course, it depends.

If you are writing about rape from the POV of the rapist and how much he enjoyed it, got off on it and how he got off for it in court, in the sense it gives tips and men a hard on, then it could be argued that that is irresponsible

If you are writing about the same rapist from the POV about how he has destroyed lives and is devoid of morality, then that is different

Of course there are certain subjects that you should not touch upon - and eroticising rape is one of them. I don't find that offensive to free speech.

Forgive me, Dittany, but I can't begin to guess what those x marks mean.

As for work which endorse or erotisise rape...I guess it entirely depends on what one thinks constitutes that.

Many writers for example write scenes from the point of view of the abuser - for example scenes written from the kidnapper in The Collector, scenes written from HH's POV in Lolita. I could go on and on.

If the writer is good, then we will be inside the head of the perpetrator, who may feel his/her behaviour is normal or enjoyable.

Is that an endorsement?

Honest question, Aside from not seeing the film or buying it? (The film has a set in stone release date for Jan 4th, a UK distributor and wouldn't be pulled at this late a date)

Aside from that, what can actually be done about it? It breaks no laws and while Morally Questionable there is nothing that can be done to stop people from seeing it is there?