Savage Cinema: Sam Peckinpah and the Rise of Ultraviolent Movies
Prince (communications, Virginia Tech) looks at the theme of violence in Peckinpah's films and his influence on the ultraviolent filmmakers of today. Peckinpah made films in the 1960s, not coincidentally a time when the Vietnam War, urban riots, political assassinations, antiwar violence, and rising street crime were appearing on home television screens. In The Wild Bunch, Peckinpah thought extreme movie violence would have a cathartic effect, leaching away the audience's aggressive drives. But in most of Peckinpah's mature films, violence has negative consequences, and the pain of the survivors is obvious. This is completely different from today's ultraviolent movies, with their cartoonish depictions of death and mayhem. Much of the book discusses the cinematic techniques Peckinpah used to make the audience aware of the moral implications of the character's actions. Highly recommended for academic collections.AMarianne Cawley, Charleston Cty. P.L., SCCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.