MOVIE VIOLENCE

In response to Kenneth Turan’s commentary (“Watch Out for the Recoil,” Aug. 23), it wouldn’t be the first time a society recoiled in disgust at the face of violence. The difference, though, between the carnage that American filmmakers put on the silver screen and, say, the bombing of a pub in Northern Ireland or the bloody purges of the Soviet Union, is immediacy. When the effects of violence hit home day after day and year after year, a society is apt to change much sooner than one that only experiences it vicariously.

The question is how much “play” violence can the American public absorb before it finally feels it has had enough? If it weren’t for such a desire to reap enormous profits on a worldwide scale combined with a distinct lack of compelling original dramatic material, perhaps we wouldn’t feel the need to reduce ourselves to the lowest common denominator of entertainment--the “one man hitting another”--that James Cameron speaks of.

The Roman Empire also faced such a dilemma--a society so culturally bankrupt and decadent that violence was seen as the greatest spectator sport. As our modern society files into its coliseums to watch gladiators do battle, we must ask ourselves: Has much changed?

Let us hope that public response to Steven Spielberg’s unmediated and very unglamorous portrayal of violence in “Saving Private Ryan” is a sign that the tide is turning.

MATTHEW BOGGS

Los Angeles

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There are no good guys and bad guys in movies anymore. It’s just two sides fighting it out for the idle amusement of what the studios think are the brainless masses.

There’s nothing wrong with violence in film if it is put in a moral context for that “world” we are witnessing. The essence of drama is conflict. But we must know that the heroes we are cheering on are actually human beings and not one step removed from the bad guys they are battling.

ANDREW HERLAN

Santa Monica

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“Saving Private Ryan” is a testament to any American who has known the horror of war. We may not want the violence in our faces but we do want to enjoy the benefits of each and every drop of blood lost.

Movies are made for a lot of different reasons. Some make us laugh, cry, think, and leave us wondering if we could have done things differently. We as adults have the “freedom of choice” to see what we want. As parents we have the responsibility to ensure that our children understand right from wrong, real from fake, true from false.

Would I take a child to see “Private Ryan”? No I would not. Have I explained to my child that his freedom came at a heavy price. Yes I have.

ISABEL DE LA VEGA

Montebello