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Somewhere along the line, violence against women became an increasingly popular theme in movies and television. As the uncomfortable theme thrived, the level of violence has continued to increase to an unpalatable degree, with certain titles subjecting their female characters to so much on-screen abuse that it can not only be traumatizing for viewers, but a sign of a deeply flawed film and TV landscape. Yes, atrocities against women occur all the time and it’s important for art to explore and reflect on real life, even real life tragedies — but particularly when the world we’re exploring is a fantasy, it stops feeling like a necessary evil and starts feeling a lot more like a misogynistic world re-asserting how they see the role of women.
We are, of course, in part talking about Game of Thrones and its new prequel House of the Dragon, whose premiere episode included a (*spoilers!*) excruciatingly long, graphic scene of a woman having a child cut out of her pregnant stomach without her knowledge or consent to the procedure, killing her in the process. At a time when pregnant people have less access to safe healthcare in America than they did in the ’70s, it’s certainly a *choice* to show a woman being brutally sliced up to save her unborn child, and it’s hard to imagine this scene causing any sort of social change that might justify it. At a certain point in the Game of Thrones universe, you have to wonder: Do George R.R. Martin or those who adapt his work care, at all, about women? Or is this all an extended thought exercise in once again embodying a world in which women existed only for sex or marriage, and those who rebelled against their roles were swiftly cut back down to size?
Ultimately, it’s entirely possible to get the message of female abuse across without getting into brutally graphic depictions that are given far too much screen time. The following titles not only include extremely gruesome scenes but also push the boundaries on how far productions can take the violence against women trend, which has us wondering just where we draw the line, as a society, on what’s appropriate for entertainment and what’s considered truly dangerous subject matter that could lead to the normalization of violent aggression toward women in a world that already favors misogynistic ideals.
Read on for the shows and movies that you should definitely, definitely avoid if you’re looking to skip long scenes of women being abused (we don’t blame you!).
‘Game of Thrones’
Game of Thrones is arguably the most violent show to ever reach the masses. With rape, beheadings, dismemberment, sexual mutilation, and other various forms of horrific, graphic torture taking place in every single episode, GOT set a new precedent for violence against women in TV and movies, which it came under heavy criticism for throughout its running.
‘House of the Dragon’
Following in its predecessor’s footsteps, House of the Dragon has already continued Game of Thrones‘ theme of outrageous violence just a few episodes into the prequel series. Miguel Sapochnik, a co-showrunner for the production, told Vanity Fair, “Violence against women is still very much part of the world… You can’t ignore the violence that was perpetrated on women by men in that time. It shouldn’t be downplayed and it shouldn’t be glorified.”
While the show draws inspiration from medieval Europe, it’s worth noting that it’s complete fiction, making Sapochnik’s defense a bit flat, to say the least.
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
The entire plot concept for The Handmaid’s Tale is violence against women — sexual violence being the most prevalent form exercised in the show. Depictions of rape, forced pregnancy and birth, disfigurement, brutal death, and other forms of abuse make the show more akin to “torture porn” than the drama it claims to be. It’s especially difficult to watch given the current socio-political climate in the United States feeling a little too similar to the extremely disturbing premise of the fictional work.
‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo features one of the most graphic depictions of an intensely brutal rape seen in a movie. While some argue it’s necessary for character insight and development, others believe the scene could have been much shorter and certainly less graphic.
‘Django Unchained’
While reimaginings of history through film can be a great way to widely educate audiences, Django Unchained takes violence against women — enslaved Black women, specifically — too far. It’s to be expected from director Quentin Tarantino, but the movie features routine rape and other acts of sexual violence, brutal whippings, and more forms of severe torture performed to subjugate women.
‘The Invisible Man’
Using domestic violence as a tool to make a woman seem insane is the general concept behind The Invisible Man. Themes of manipulation, isolation, sabotage of reproductive choices, physical abuse, and rape are all prevalent throughout the entire film, making it a rather miserable experience. We just have to ask, is Elizabeth Moss okay?
‘Speak’
Speak tells the story of a teenage girl who is raped at a high school party and is so traumatized by the experience that she becomes mute. Kristen Stewart’s character becomes isolated by everyone at her school, including her closest friends, becoming the target of incessant bullying and ridicule by cruel kids, teachers, and her own rapist. While Stewart’s character finds redemption by the end of the movie, the plot is basically two hours of sexual violence and mental abuse of a young girl.
‘Orange is the New Black’
While prison is an undoubtedly dismal place to be, Orange is the New Black explores pretty much any and all themes of violence against women throughout its six-season run. Rape and other sexual exploitations take place in each season, in addition to unnecessary deaths, dehumanizing acts, routine beatings by corrupt prison guards, and other forms of extortion and brutality, all used as plot devices to depict women’s prisons in America.
‘365 Days’
Highly controversial for its take on consent and sexual abuse, 365 Days is widely perceived as a story about a “romantic” relationship that resembles Stockholm syndrome much more than true love. The film has been criticized for romanticizing abuse and sexual assault and glamorizing rape, but apparently Netflix is cool with that because they released not one but two sequels following the original film.
‘Anatomy of a Scandal’
Anatomy of a Scandal’s plot revolves around a rape case unfolding in court. The sexual assault is depicted repeatedly throughout every episode in the series, sensationalizing the act in graphic and brazen gratuity. By the end of the show, rape culture seems to be fetishized, which is something we shouldn’t have to outright condemn, but here we are. Sexual violence, and any violence against women, has no place being glorified in mainstream media.
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