You can say you don’t enjoy the absurd images of cartoon-like violence and graphic sex in his films, but Verhoeven knows you like it. It’s absurdly apparent how accepted violence is in film and TV. Don't get me wrong, I think violence is a part of life and can be shown on TV if it works for the story. The issue is that audiences can say that violence in real life is inherently bad as we stand in line to watch a film where people are killed in the crossfire. There is a thrill to violence that has numbed the US audiences, and Paul Verhoeven knows how to exploit the hypocritical parts of human nature in his films. Verhoeven is a filmmaker that people either love or hate. He started his career as a mainstream filmmaker in Holland, but his high-brow melodramas that put sex and violence on display made finding financing for his films a challenge. Verhoeven then moved to the U.S. and was shocked by the casualness of violence and sex in the media, but knew it was the perfect place for him to create his vision. Verhoeven was able to showcase his reaction to American culture and excess because he was an outsider. Read More...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Wednesday, 21 July, 2021