Raider’s of the Lost Ark and Film Violence Essay

Raider ButtonsIn his book, More Than a Movie Ethics in Entertainment, F. Miguel Valenti examines nine wild stilltons of strength creative elements that filmmakers use to manipulate viewing audience reactions to onscreen violence. (99) These elements, posited by researchers conducting The subject area Television Violence Study (Valenti, 99) are choice of perpetrator, choice of victim, posture of consequences, rewards and punishments, the reason for the violence, weapons, realism, use of humor, and prolonged exposure (Valenti, 100) . Raiders of the Lost Ark is a ruffianly, up to now well loved film which would be interesting to examine in this light. In Raiders, the choice of perpetrator is our hero, indium J geniuss.We do not hark back of him as a perpetrator, he is the good guy, withal he is shown bringing ab let on the demise of many people. Victims of violence usher out be portrayed as likeable, in which case the effect on the audience is to increase fear and anxiety. If violence croupe happen to psyche *like* me, it can also happen *to* me, they reason (Valenti, 101), however, if the victim is mingled to the viewer and NOT likable, the viewer can more easily every rationalize the violence or dismiss it because in some instruction the victim got what he deserved (Valenti, 102). The victims in Raiders are Nazis, not insouciant Joes, their characters are not individualized, or if they are, they are over-the-top evil, like Arnold Ernst Toht the sadistic and ruthless Nazi Gestapo agent (Raiders). Raiders is chockfull of weapons knives, machetes, submachine guns, and firearms of all sorts. Weapons in most cases firearms of one sort or another can trigger aggressive feelings in viewers and cause them to interpret a seemingly neutral lieu as potentially threatening (Valenti, 104).This is knowledge Steven Spielberg puts to good use in the scene in Raiders where a Nazi approaches the bound Marion ominously with a vile looking weapon in hand, viciou sly flicks it open and hangs his coat on the wooden hanger (Raiders). This leads us to the subject of humor in ferocious situations. humor strips violence of the moral outrage the viewer might other feel. And if our hero can joke about the destruction he is causing, for sure we can as well (Valenti, 107). Indiana Jones is confronted by a large, stigma wielding man and after watching his elaborate swordsmanship, Indiana tiredly pulls out his gun and drops him with one bullet to the rousing cheers of the audience (Raiders).Social scientists convey that when violence is shown in context, complete with depictions of the pain and suffering ca apply by the trigger-happy acts, aggressive behavior in the viewer is inhibited(Valenti, 102). If a violent act is rewarded through the perpetrators attaining his goal or get the girl, the likelihood of learning aggressive behavior is increased (Valenti, 103). After Indiana Jones battles his way onto a ship, hes so bruised he cant move, s o Marion, a beautiful woman, kisses the pain away. This is the only natural consequence we see Indie suffer (Raiders). In Raiders of The Lost Ark, the violence is abundant from beginning to end, a death tally of 63 (allouttabubblegum) but we accept it because it is always the bad guy getting hurt a greedy guide is skewered by a bed of nails, a rigorous thug is chopped by a plane propeller, and numerous Nazis occupy their comeuppance by having their faces melt off (Raiders).The violence is often bloodthirsty and realistic. According to the study, the reason for the violence unravels to affect the viewers response to the violence. When a violent act is seen as unjustified, aggressive tendencies are reduced in the viewer (Valenti, 103) the body count of Raiders consists entirely of Nazis, baddies, and thugs, which would make the audience tend to feel less anxious, and thus according to Valenti, actually increase the viewers aggressive tendencies (103). If the existence of audi ence created websites such as The Incredible resolve Nazi (YouTube) posted in the Comedy section, can be used as evidence, there may be something to that. Works CitedASHPD24. (Indiana Jones And The) Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981) corpse Count Breakdown. AllOuttaBubbleGum.com. WordPress, 31 January 2010. Web. 15 January 2013.Raiders of the Lost Ark. Dir. Spielberg, Steven. Paramount, 1982. Film. TheScarredLovers. The Incredible Melting Nazi. YouTube.com.You Tube, L.L.C., 23 May 2008. Web. 15 February 2013Valenti, F. M. (2000). More Than a Movie. Boulder, CO Westview Press. Print.