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.

Moby Dick

Moby Dick. John Huston, 1956.
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Edition screened: MGM DVD, released 2001. English language. Runtime approximately 115 minutes.

Summary: Whale hunting, killing, and butchering.

Details:
1) The first whaling sequence begins in earnest at 34:30 when the whalers ‘strike’ a whale, that is, drive spears into her back with ropes attached that will tow small boats along. The blood flows 45:08-45:35, followed by the shipboard butchering, 45:54-46:40.
2) The second whaling sequence has a strike and tow starting at 56:10, with real gore 56:30-57:58, then the whale is hauled back to the Pequod at 58:10.
3) The final hunt, Moby Dick himself is struck at 1:46:20. Captain Ahab becomes literally bound to the whale and stabs repeatedly and violently into him with a long harpoon, 1:48:35-1:49:00.

Hahahahah! They all die at sea except for stupid Ishmael, who appears to be rescued but probably dies from some injury.  Heeheehooha! Captain Ahab got dragged to Mickey Dolenz’s locker without knowing if he actually killed the Great White Whale or not.  Hardy har har, hoohoo!  Stupid Pequod rammed, smashed, and sank. Heeheeheeheeheeeeee!

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