Earlier this week, Casey Affleck spoke with Michele Norris of NPR’s ALL THINGS CONSIDERED about THE KILLER INSIDE ME.
Among the things discussed was the graphic violence of the film:
NORRIS: Did you have any trepidation about making this film, especially the violence – the violence against women?
Mr. AFFLECK: I thought about it a lot. But my fears were allayed when I spoke to Michael and he wanted to make it very, very realistic. And I thought, okay, Im in. Because to do the movie any other way, to depict the violence in a way that wasnt disturbing would be irresponsible. It would kind of contribute to desensitization of, you know, of our cultural desensitization to violence because it’s everywhere – in videogames and TV and movies.
And the audience never feels anything. They never really feel upset. And if you’re going to show that stuff, then let people feel something like what it might actually be like to experience that violence in real life.
NORRIS: This is hard to watch. I mean this is – there are a few scenes in this film that are very difficult to watch. And the British newspaper, The Independent, poses what I think is a very interesting question about this film.
Does a film fail if the viewer has to turn away, if the violence is so realistic that audience feels or actually has to leave the theater, or leave the set if they’re watching on the small screen?
Mr. AFFLECK: No. I understand that this movie is very hard to watch, and it’s not for everybody, but I don’t mind that. I don’t mind sending a message out to the world that says, hey, think about what you’re going to go and see. It’s a movie called “The Killer Inside Me,” and there’s a book out there that’s not as difficult and challenging, and if it’s something that you’re not up for, then you shouldn’t see this movie.
NORRIS: The studio is going to love to hear you say that.
Mr. AFFLECK: Well, you know, I don’t I don’t think we were trying to fool anybody. I mean, there’s a lot of horrible things happening in a lot of big-budget, mainstream movies that they let little kids go and see, and I think that is really wildly irresponsible.
I think Casey make some excellent points. Violence should upset us, yet we see hundreds of shoot-outs and explosions every year in film, almost none of which mean a damn thing beyond the thrill factor.
