● Watched the 3D version of Life of Pi (PG) the other day, and found it visually stunning. Like the book, the film was emotionally moving at points, though this aspect tended to get dwarfed by the visuals.
One or two scenes of animals being eaten alive were however rather gruesome, and affected the flavour of the rest of the film.
A couple of young children in the audience kept whining in pitiful fashion, though it may have been that they were bored rather than disturbed.
The BBFC advises that the film features “mild language and threat”; the MPAA that it contains “some scary action sequences and peril”.
Scenes of ‘mild’ horror seem to be standard TV and movie fare these days, for kids as much as for adults.
How does one (as viewer) react to the practice of presenting violence, or other unpleasantness, as natural and value-neutral – other than by avoiding all modern audiovisual drama? I believe there is, broadly speaking, a choice of two stances: (1) get upset or depressed, (2) acquire a taste for it.
This choice seems to apply to other aspects of contemporary life as well.