Aaron Hillis had the opportunity to ask Casey Affleck about his role in 'The Killer Inside Me', a movie criticized by some for graphic violence against women. This is my favorite exchange:
Q: Since the film's premiere at Sundance, some have criticized the violence for being too extreme or misogynistic.
A: There has to be space for those voices. In the world and what we do, making movies and media, I think they are valid—and, at times, righteous. In this case, they're barking up the wrong tree. The irresponsible films that contribute to a desensitization of the culture aren't like this movie. If you're going to show violence, make it realistic and upsetting. The movies that bother me are the ones in which killing of any kind seems common and OK. People crash into each other, punch each other, stab each other, shoot each other and don't get hurt, or there's nothing upsetting about it. It mattered a lot to me that this be a realistic depiction of violence.
I couldn't agree more. Violence in movies has become cartoonish. Fist fights escalate into battles that would kill, but leave the participants with nothing more than a cut over the eye the next day, (when both eyes should be swollen shut, teeth missing, limbs broken, etc.).
Few movie makers take responsibility for the level of brutality in their work. Then, a desensitized public is outraged by realistic violence (and its consequences) in something like, say, 'No Country for Old Men'.
The bits I've seen from 'The Killer Inside Me' are gripping. Affleck is possessed by his character. Can't wait to see it.
If violent acts in this movie (or others) are supported by the story and character arc I don't think there's a problem, even if the action and its results are graphic and realistic.
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