Disc Era : Violence in Film: The Contemporary Film Review, #1

By Andrew Findlay, Daisy Hatwell, Willow Hewitt and Jack Leedham

The first edition of Contemporary Film Review serves as a gateway to understand the violence seen in contemporary cinema and uncovers the subtextual meanings in relation to our world. This is done through four essays that utilise theoretical standpoints and cover a range of films from a multitude of Countries such as France, Japan, Greece and the US.

A must read for those interested in a fresh outlook on film through a contemporary scope.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Disc Era Publishers
• Release date: Jun 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201086787

Book preview

About this book

The first edition of Contemporary Film Review serves as a gateway to understand the violence seen in contemporary cinema and uncovers the subtextual meanings in relation to our world. This is done through four essays that utilise theoretical standpoints and cover a range of films from a multitude of Countries such as France, Japan, Greece and the US.

A must read for those interested in a fresh outlook on film through a contemporary scope.

––––––––

The Contemporary Film Review Introduction

The Contemporary Film Review is the new annual Film Journal from Birmingham City University, where students can write on topics and films they are passionate about and self publish them.

The idea was birthed from student Daisy Hatwell and brought to the attention of film lecture Xavier Mendik. After further discussion with students and realising there was interest for this kind of project it was integrated into the curriculum. Students were given free rein on their volume’s overall theme, what their essays would be about and any additional contributions that would be suitable from third parties.

Being created by students it allows for their fresh perspectives and unique thoughts on classic or contemporary cinema. As well as providing an avenue for these thoughts to be heard through self publishing.

Disc Era Introduction

When first discussing ideas for this journal, it was clear from the beginning that this collective group of essays had to be based on something that is more prominent in contemporary film considering the ever changing trends of cinema. Violence- an act that frequently appears in film- is always expressed in media in many ways, whether it’d be reflecting upon the portrayal of violence against minority groups, connoting damaging acts to the world around us and the aftermath of that damage or through simply being used as a tool to cause chills and thrills when gazing upon a silver screen, the violence never stops being a cause of interest for film fanatics. 

These four film theorists banded together to create something in the hope to expand the current knowledge on film texts, but with this key focus of violence in contemporary cinema. Year by year, the brutality is growing more discernible. Considering the intensity of the cruelty that the world is surrounded in, there has never been a better time to further open up the conversation surrounding violence. We invite you to learn from our discussions on several different films such as Dogtooth (2009), You’re Next (2011), Audition (1999), and Raw (2017), that will hopefully help to inspire conversation on this important subject matter. A more modern update on film theory is needed as violence has upped the ante, and therefore the valuable insights of students in film is necessary to the present days themes and topics.

A picture containing linedrawing Description automatically generated

Chapter 1:

Yorgos Lanthimos and the Symbolic Depths of Violence

By Daisy Hatwell

Lanthimos’ directorial debut, Kinetta, was not received as well as he might have hoped, with a ‘metascore’ of 54,[i] whereas Dogtooth received 73[ii] and The Lobster was given a score of 82.[iii] While he may have simply honed his craft, focusing more on black comedy, giving it a more directed genre, he also homed in on his signature theme: familial or societal hierarchies as a whole, as well as the violence and abuse that is used to maintain these power structures. Violence seems to punctuate the text of his films; rather than being the main show, he uses violence intermittently but consistently in