Violence to Animals in Film: October 2014

Heads Up, Ears Down

This blog accurately identifies depictions of violence and cruelty toward animals in films. The purpose is to provide viewers with a reliable guide so that such depictions do not come as unwelcome surprises. Films will be accurately notated, providing a time cue for each incident along with a concise description of the scene and perhaps relevant context surrounding the incident. In order to serve as a useful reference tool, films having no depictions of violence to animals will be included, with an indication that there are no such scenes. This is confirmation that the films have been watched with the stated purpose in mind.

Note that the word depictions figures prominently in the objective. It is a travesty that discussions about cruelty in film usually are derailed by the largely unrelated assertion that no animals really were hurt (true only in some films, dependent upon many factors), and that all this concern is just over a simulation. Not the point, whether true or false. We do not smugly dismiss depictions of five-year-olds being raped because those scenes are only simulations. No, we are appalled that such images are even staged, and we are appropriately horrified that the notion now has been planted into the minds of the weak and cruel.

Depictions of violence or harm to animals are assessed in keeping with our dominant culture, with physical abuse, harmful neglect, and similar mistreatment serving as a base line. This blog does not address extended issues of animal welfare, and as such does not identify scenes of people eating meat or mules pulling plows. The goal is to itemize images that might cause a disturbance in a compassionate household.

These notes provide a heads-up but do not necessarily discourage watching a film because of depicted cruelty. Consuming a piece of art does not make you a supporter of the ideas presented. Your ethical self is created by your public rhetoric and your private actions, not by your willingness to sit through a filmed act of violence.

Amarcord

Amarcord. Federico Fellini, 1973.

😿

Edition screened: Criterion Blu-ray #4, released 2010. Italian language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 123 minutes.

Summary: A toad is violently kicked.

Details: A young man finds a toad is in the grass and gives it a violent kick 1:14:12-1:14:17. The actual impact is not shown, but the scene is realistic in its asinine and pointless violence.

8 1/2

8 1/2. Federico Fellini, 1963.

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Edition screened: Criterion Blu-ray #140, released 2009. Italian language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 138 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals.

The Criterion release also includes the autobiographical film, Fellini: A Director’s Notebook (1969, 54 minutes).

7 Faces of Dr. Lao

7 Faces of Dr. Lao. George Pal, 1963.

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Edition screened: Warner Archive DVD, released 2011. English language. Runtime approximately 100 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals.

The Thief of Bagdad (Berger, Powell, Whelan)

The Thief of Bagdad. Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell, and Tim Whelan, 1940.
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Edition screened: Criterion DVD #431, released 2008. English language. Runtime approximately 106 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

Bonus features on the Criterion DVD include the 1939 RAF pep talk, The Lion Has Wings.

Lunch Hour

Lunch Hour. James Hill, 1962.
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Edition screened: BFI Flipside Blu-ray #017, released 2011. English language. Runtime approximately 63 minutes.

No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

The BFI Blu-ray also provides three short promotional films for British Petroleum directed by Hill, Skyhook, Giuseppina, and The Home-Made Car.

Lou Reed’s Berlin

Lou Reed’s Berlin. Julian Schnabel, 2007.

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Edition screened: Artificial Eye Blu-ray, released 2008. English language. Runtime approximately 81 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

Lost in Translation

Lost in Translation. Sofia Coppola, 2003.
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Edition screened: Universal DVD, released 2004. English language. Runtime approximately 102 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

Lost Horizon

Lost Horizon. Frank Capra, 1937.

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Edition screened: Columbia/Tristar ‘Restored & Remastered’ DVD, released 1999. English language. Runtime approximately 132 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

I found this to be an enjoyable viewing experience.

The Lord of the Rings (Bakshi)

The Lord of the Rings. Ralph Bakshi, 1978.

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Edition screened: Warner DVD, released 2001. English language. Runtime approximately 132 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies. Peter Brook, 1963.

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Edition screened: Criterion Blu-ray #43, released 2013. English language. Runtime approximately 90 minutes.

Summary: Killing and mutilation of pigs.

Details: There are two pig killing sequences.

1) The first begins at 27:08 when a small pig is pursued by the boys, cornered and killed with sharpened poles at 27:33. We see the boys yelling and stabbing and hear the pig squealing, but don’t see the actual death. The film returns to Ralph at the fire site, 27:36-29:32. From 29:32 through 33:20 are vignettes of the dead pig being hauled to the fire site, cooked and eaten. This sequence ends with Jack wearing the skin of the pig’s face as a mask, 33:23-33:35.

2) The second sequence occurs 58:20 through 1:01:52. The first 15 seconds are of the pig being pursued and stabbed as in the previous scene, followed by 22 seconds of the boys mutilating the pig (off-screen), laughing and discussing their actions. The famous mounting of the pig’s head on a pole and Simon’s meditative experience watching the flies gather on that offering occurs 59:40-1:01:52.

The boys’ behavior is violent and stupidly adult-like, but the actual visual images presented are not horribly graphic. If you skip these scenes, note that the first one contains the major confrontation and power struggle between Jack and Ralph, resulting in Jack striking Piggy and breaking his eyeglasses. The second scene is intercut with dialogue among the more peaceful faction of boys who acknowledge that trouble is eminent.

The Long Voyage Home

The Long Voyage Home. John Ford, 1940.
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Edition screened: Warner DVD, released 2007. English language, and John Wayne speaking with a Swedish accent. Runtime approximately 105 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

The Long Good Friday

The Long Good Friday. John Mackenzie, 1979.

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Edition screened: Arrow Blu-ray, released 2015. English language. Runtime approximately 114 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals. The scene in a meat locker shows hanging sides of beef but nothing gory.

Lonely Boy

Lonely Boy. Wolf Koenig and Roman Kroitor, 1962.

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Edition screened: Included on New Yorker DVD Privilege, released 2008. English language. Runtime approximately 27 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

Lolita

Lolita. Stanley Kubrick, 1962.

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Edition screened: Warner Blu-ray, released 2011. English language. Runtime approximately 153 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

Lola Montès

Lola Montès. Max Ophüls, 1955.

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Edition screened: Criterion Blu-ray #503, released 2010. French language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 115 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

Living in Oblivion

Living in Oblivion. Tom DiCillo, 1995.

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Edition screened: Sony DVD, released 2003. English language. Runtime approximately 90 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals.

Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine. Jonathan Dayton, 2006.

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Edition screened: 20th Century Fox DVD, released 2006. English language. Runtime approximately 101 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

The Lion Has Wings

The Lion Has Wings. Michael Powell, Brian Desmond Hurst, and Adrian Brunel, 1939.

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Edition screened: Included with Criterion DVD #431 The Thief of Bagdad, released 2008. English language. Runtime approximately 76 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Wes Anderson, 2004.

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Edition screened: Criterion Blu-ray #300, released 2014. English language. Runtime approximately 118 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

A customized Gottlieb wedgehead can be seen several time on the ship.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, 1943.

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Edition screened: Criterion Blu-ray #173, released 2013. English language. Runtime approximately 163 minutes.

Summary: Repeated displays of exotic hunting trophies for cultural shock value.

The Lickerish Quartet

The Lickerish Quartet. Radley Metzger, 1970.

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Edition screened: Cult Epics Blu-ray, released 2011. Original English dub. Runtime approximately 88 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals. 3/5❤

The Libertine

The Libertine. Laurence Dunmore, 2004.

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Edition screened: Genius Products/Weinstein DVD, released 2006. English language. Runtime approximately 114 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals.

Letter Never Sent

Letter Never Sent (Neotpravlennoye pismo). Mikhail Kalatozov, 1959.

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Edition screened: Criterion Blu-ray #601, released 2012. Russian language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 96 minutes.

Summary: Bird hunting.

Details: A pheasant is shot and retrieved during a hunting trip, 19:00-10:10. Back at camp, the dead bird remains in frame 21:56-22:26.

Letter from an Unknown Woman

Letter from an Unknown Woman. Max Ophüls, 1948.

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Edition screened: Olive Blu-ray, released 2012. English language. Runtime approximately 87 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

This is a remarkably beautiful and romantic movie. The evening in a Viennese amusement park, 40:40-45:25, is especially wonderful and seems a message of true joy sent from the past, unreceivable by smartphone.

Let the Right One In

Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in). Tomas Alfredson, 2008.

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Edition screened: Magnolia DVD, released 2009. Swedish language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 115 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

This is a calm, satisfying vampire film, not played for juvenile laughs or Tiger Beat lust. The film is hurt by a short scene, starting at 1:17:30, in which the newly ‘infected’ Virginia comes into an apartment filled with cats who identify her for what she is. They attack her, and woman and cats all flail around a bit before tumbling down some steps. The scene is wince-inducing not because of any animal issue, but because of the spielbergian comedic tone and distracting CGI. This type of misfit low point sometimes indicates a work’s starting point. The rest of the composition develops and improves around it, but the embryonic gesture, often involving a disproportionate investment of time and resources, stays a sacred liability.

Léon, the Professional

Léon, the Professional. Luc Besson, 1994.

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Edition screened: Included in Sony Luc Besson Collection 6-DVD set, released 2001. English language. Runtime approximately 133 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

Lemony Snicket’s ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’

Lemony Snicket’s ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’. Brad Silberling, 2004.

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Edition screened: Paramount DVD, released 2005. English language. Runtime approximately 107 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals.

Bonus points! … In a remarkable display of non-violence, no attempt is made to kill or even strike the omnivorous eels that attack the boat in which Aunt Josephine and the Baudelaire children are afloat.

Leaves of Grass

Leaves of Grass. Tim Blake Nelson, 2009.

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Edition screened: First Look Blu-ray, released 2010. English language. Runtime approximately 105 minutes.

Summary: Fishing violence.

Details: A woman catches a huge catfish with her bare hands at 51:14, then cleans it through 52:30 while reciting poetry at Edward Norton.

Leave Her to Heaven

Leave Her to Heaven. John Stahl, 1945.

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Edition screened: Twilight Time Blu-ray, released 2013. English language. Runtime approximately 110 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

Laurel Canyon

Laurel Canyon. Lisa Cholodenko, 2002.

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Edition screened: Sony DVD, released 2003. English language. Runtime approximately 103 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

Laura

Laura. Otto Preminger, 1944.

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Edition screened: 20th Century Fox Blu-ray, released 2013. English language. Runtime approximately 87 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

The 20th Century Fox Blu-ray also includes two decent episodes from the A&E Biography series, Gene Tierney: A Shattered Portrait (1999 Steven Smith) and Vincent Price: The Versatile Villain (1997 Kerry Jensen). Each is about 44 minutes long and contains no animal cruelty.

Late Autumn

Late Autumn (Akibiyori). Yasujirô Ozu, 1960.

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Edition screened: BFI Blu-ray, released 2011. Japanese language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 129 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence or harm to animals.

The BFI Blu-ray also includes Ozu’s A Mother Should Be Loved (1934)

Last Year at Marienbad

Last Year at Marienbad (L'Année dernière à Marienbad). Alain Resnais, 1961.

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Edition screened: Criterion Blu-ray #478, released 2009. French language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 94 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

So many have said so much, yet we still have not adequately assessed this mesmerizing film. Lisa Thatcher's comments are very satisfying.

The Criterion Blu-ray (as well as the the StudioCanal Blu-ray) also includes the short films Toute la mémoire du monde and Le Chant du styrène.

The Last Waltz

The Last Waltz. Martin Scorsese, 1978.

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Edition screened: MGM Special Edition DVD, released 2002. English language. Runtime approximately 117 minutes.

Summary: No depictions of violence toward animals.

The Last Pistolero

The Last Pistolero (L'ultimo pistolero). Alessandro Dominici, 2002.

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Edition screened: Included on Blue Underground Blu-ray Django, released 2010. No dialogue track. Runtime approximately 8 minutes.

Summary: No depictions of violence toward animals.

The Last Lullaby

The Last Lullaby. Jeffry Goodman, 2008.

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Edition screened: Millennium DVD, released 2011. English language. Runtime approximately 93 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

The Last House on the Left (Iliadis)

The Last House on the Left. Dennis Iliadis, 2009.

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Edition screened: Universal Blu-ray, released 2011. English language. Runtime approximately 114 minutes.

Summary: No depictions of violence or harm to animals.

The Last House on the Left (Craven)

The Last House on the Left. Wes Craven, 1972.

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Edition screened: Arrow ‘Uncut Limited Edition’ DVD, released 2018. English language. Runtime approximately 84 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

The 2-disc Arrow package also includes the “Krug and Company” and “R-rated” cuts of the film, along with an enormous quantity of supplemental material, new and vintage.

The Last Circus

The Last Circus (Balada triste de trompeta). Álex de la Iglesia, 2010.

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Edition screened: Magnolia DVD, released 2011. Spanish language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 107 minutes.

Summary: Survival encounters with wild animals; sport shooting

Details:

1) An elk falls to its death 56:52-57:00. Brief depictions of death twitches and tongue lolling are presented for comic effect. Immediately following is a depiction of the partially butchered carcass and uncooked meat being eaten, 57:12-57:28.

2) A wild boar is shot 59:18-59:24.

3) A bird shooting outing is depicted, 1:01:44-1:03:15, with a typical gang of overdressed and overprivileged thugs releasing pheasants just to shoot them down. The scene contains two passages of pheasants being shot down and retrieved.

Laila

Laila. George Schnéevoigt, 1929.

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Edition screened: Flicker Alley DVD, released 2011. Silent with Norwegian intertitles and English subtitles. Runtime approximately 145 minutes.

Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.

An exceptionally enjoyable, well acted, and beautifully created film.

Kill!

Kill! (Kiro). Kihachi Okamoto, 1968.

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Edition screened: Criterion DVD #313, released 2005. Japanese language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 114 minutes.

Summary: Tormenting of a cat.

Details: At 44:43 our ex-samurai picks up a small stone and throws it at a house cat in order to cause a small disturbance. The cat squawks and walks off, provoked but probably not particularly hurt.

Goto, Isle of Love

Goto, Isle of Love (Goto, l'île d'amour). Walerian Borowczyk, 1969.

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Edition screened: Arrow Blu-ray, released 2014. French language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 94 minutes.

Summary: Depiction of executed dogs.

Details: At around 1:11:09 we see a military firing squad aimed on two dogs at close range, prepared for a ceremonial execution. At 1:11:12 we see the commander give the order to fire and hear the shots. At 1:11:26 we see the body of one dog lifted by two men.

This brief scene is unfortunate in an otherwise clean movie. Goto is an important work in European film history and should be watched attentively. The quick dog execution scene clearly is staged, is over very quickly, and depicts no blood. It is part of the antiquated funeral of the Prince who owned the dogs.

The beautifully remastered Arrow Blu-ray includes several new featurettes by Daniel Bird: A 15-minute gallery tour of innovative sculptures by Borowczyk entitled The Profligate Door: Borowczyk’s Sound Sculptures, and a too-brief introduction to the film by articulate painter Craigie Horsfield.

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