Torture as Entertainment?

Rating: 6/10 (24 April 2006)

I found this film to be undeniably compelling and suspenseful, even well-directed. However, I just have a problem with the concept of torture as entertainment. I think that anyone who has ever given thought to the reality of torture in the modern world would find it repellent that the filmmakers would exploit it for a horror film. That goes for Mr. Tarantino as well. My assumption is that there is an ongoing effort to find material to exploit in the horror genre and this is the latest example. The film deals with elements of xenophobia, homophobia, phobia, phobia and more phobia! What makes this film especially disturbing is that, like the video game GRAND THEFT AUTO, the public seems to have little or no reaction on a moral or values level to this kind of material being put forth as entertainment from companies like Sony. Yet, when a film like BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is released, the public freaks out. Strange world we live in!