I still just don't get this. Not having a go Hawk as there are far more people like you than there are like me, (I'm sure!) but all the hoo haa about CH nips my arse!
Yes, the poor muskrat dies. So does the turtle, pig and monkey. But people act like CH is the epitome of animal violence on screen. There are many films with animal violence in that no one turns a hair over. We don't get revised versions of Apocalypse Now minus the water buffalo decapitation, Weekend without the pig scene, Pink Flamingos without the chicken raped to death, the 4 octopi eaten alive for Oldboy, the 20 odd cats killed in the making of Milo and Otis and many, many others.
There seems to be a hypocrisy over CH that is not justified in context with some other films. There appears to be "snobbery" in that CH is a "horror" film and therefore has no artistic merit unlike a "respected" director like Coppola.
I've heard people come out with, "There is a difference between a quick clean slaughter and a protracted death, that's why the turtle scene is alright and the muskrat isn't." Really? End result is they both died for the camera, who decides exactly how many seconds of an animals death is okay for viewer consumption? 2 seconds okay, 3, unacceptable?
"Oh, but Deodato himself prefers the cut version!" No. Stop right there. The directors cut was the first version of the film put out, after 35 years of (Mainly British people, this fine animal loving nation that watches thousands of people die on the news every week and doesn't turn a hair but erupt into foaming, rabid, wanna-be killers if a woman puts a cat in a bin for half an hour!) moaning at him and bitching, he did it to have a bloody rest from it.
Has anyone ever been, or seen footage from, a slaughter house in the UK? Far, far worse than anything in CH and we won't even go into the halal and kosher aspects.
Bottom line is CH was made to shock. It does that admirably and is testament to that in still being controversial 35 years after it was made. In that respect it is a masterful tour-de-force of cinema and should only be seen in it's full uncut version.
Right, now I'm off to Diabolik to order it!
