A bit of the ol' ultraviolence

It was due to a combination of weariness at hearing “I’ll never hear that song in the same way again” and a £3 bargain that I purchased and watched a copy of Reservoir Dogs.

It was a good film.

I always find there is a particularly strange dichotomy in my attitude towards violence. On the one hand, my moral philosophy is to act with the biggest amount of kindness possible, which should afford the greatest peace, considering that violence is abhorrent. On the other hand, I have never necessarily shied away from a bloody film or a good first person shooter. From my point of view, for me as a singular, a bit of violence in the media is good. Not too much. Just enough to curb my own psychopathic tendencies, as it were, to let the bad blood. I’m by no means heartless, but to deny that any human being contains the full spectrum, sinner to saint, child to mother, is unhealthy. An understanding and acceptance of our dark sides allows our virtuous selves to flourish. And yes, I know, “it’s all very well to say that’s why violence in the media is okay, but what about the copycats?” What about the people who gorge themselves sick on this violence and let it spill into their own conduct? Well, all I can say is that they’re not approaching it in a balanced way. I can’t say that that’s the conclusion to the problem, only that I recognise the immense difficulties in this area.

However, for the sake of all the balanced people and considering the output from the skill of someone such as Quentin Tarantino, isn’t it beautiful? All the thought and the richness tied up in it has had me thinking about layer after layer of elements of the story. For me, the theme here has been fallibility: errors of judgement, loyalty and betrayal, mortality, stupidity, bad luck, suspicion.

I got invited to see Saw IV tonight, but I’m afraid I felt no urge to accept after this film. Reservoir Dogs is to a fine, ripe Brie de Meaux as Saw IV must be to that “squezee cheese” that comes in an aerosol can. And by the way, the scene in question with “that song” wasn’t as bad as I believe people have made it out to be. I probably will think of it in the same way because I always did like it. It is a good song.