Abuse in the Movie Unleashed - Research Paper Example

of the of the Abuse Submitted:  Abuse in the Movie ‘Unleashed’ Introduction Abuse may be defined as ‘the manipulation of another person through intimidation or intrusion into his psyche through fear’. Abuse may be of many kinds including physical, verbal, sexual or emotional abuse. In recent times, we have also come across instances of social, economic, intellectual and spiritual abuse. However physical and economic abuse is most common across cultures, with child abuse and sexual abuse being most common for children and females respectively. Another kind of abuse is the utter disregard of the rights and needs of a fellow human being. Danny is a victim of this kind of abuse. The film Danny the Dog (2004) also released as Unleashed (2005) is a stark and compelling reminder of the segments of society that promote and condone abuse for their own selfish ends, and how victims are treated. These sordid details are often never brought to light as they are shameful to civilized societies, yet they persist in secrecy either with or without the support of corrupt officials and criminals. Fighting to the death is common in Taiwan, Bangkok, Vietnam and many other nations where this illicit sport draws crowds yearning to see one human being inflict punishment on another till he gives up, is maimed for life or worse still, loses his life just to please the organizers, his manager and a bloodthirsty crowd who are looking for cheap thrills but should clearly know better. All such activity is illegal and punishable by Law in all civilized cities of the world. Originally released as Danny the Dog (2004), French director Louis Letterier’s action thriller starring Jet Li in the lead role was his first experiment with the action thriller genre. Louis Letterier is himself the son of director Francois Letterier. He was originally interested in music but began his foray into films by studying at the Tisch School of the Arts in New York University. Louis has gone out to direct such action thrillers as the Transporter & Transporter 2 (2005), The Hulk (2008), and the recent remake of Clash of the Titans (2010). Discussion While John Woo (Mission Impossible II) and Quentin Tarintino (Kill Bill I & II) are known to glorify violence in their films by making an ostentatious display of things, Louis Letterier’s approach in Unleashed is that of a quiet sophistication. He lets the viewer decide for himself by getting involved in the story and Danny’s strange and despicable predicament. This story of abuse is a shocker yes, and yet we are glued to our TVs to see what will happen next. We cannot help feeling pity for Danny the Dog. It is clear that Danny is a prisoner of the cage that has held him for some time, and it is not clear how much he is capable of being a normal human being, or part of society. The treatment of Danny by his owner Bart is cruel and inhuman, as if Danny were a wild animal, but even wild animals deserve and often get better treatment as shown on National Geographic and Animal Planet (Walker, 67). Abuse has been defined in the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR ) under "Other Conditions That May Be a Focus of Clinical Attention”(DSM, 2074). Child abuse was the earliest form of abuse to be recognized in the 1950s in the USA and it amazingly was brought to light when a medical doctor began examining and questioning children in relation with certain bruises that appeared to be intentionally inflicted by others. Although I am an avid film watcher, the trailer of this film (Unleashed) was shocking and left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. I could not believe that such barbaric treatment of a human being was possible in today’s world. It was inconceivable to me that no one else would report to the law enforcement agencies about this human being in such a predicament. But then, I forgot these were gangsters and loan sharks that no one would want to mess with. Inhuman though it may seem, the film sends a clear message against cruelty and barbarism towards human beings. It also seems that the mental growth of Jet Li’s character Danny has been stunted through his constant imprisonment. While this may serve to enrage him and make him more fierce and feared, it is the apathy of his owner Bart, a loan shark played by Bob Hoskins and the use of Danny for Hoskins’ own gains that make the latter all the more despicable. Danny is enslaved by a remarkable piece of social conditioning which ensures that while he will remain comparatively docile under a collar, the removal of this by Bart turns Danny into a ferocious human being and a highly skilled martial arts expert. This is somewhat similar to Ivan Pavlov’s experiment with carrier pigeons and B;F Skinner’s with Operant Conditioning. Skinner was against corporal punishment, claiming that it causes undesirable side effects in children. The specter of abuse is increasing in modern society. We today have wife-battering, marital rape, aggravated assault, child and elder abuse, sexual, mental and physical abuse as some of its many forms. Another form of abuse is blackmailing another to do what someone wants by threatening suicide or some other disastrous consequences. By some estimates, around 4 million women in the USA are victims of sexual abuse. With abuse being recorded in all age groups from infants to the elderly, it’s time we looked this evil in the face and decided not to be a part of it, whether instigator or victim (Baumeister,12). Bart meanwhile realizes that he could end his loan shark days and take a more ‘respectable’ career as owner and manager of Bart by registering as a prize fighter in these secret underground brawls. Danny would survive by winning fights and earning dollars for Bart, the latter remaining the former’s owner. A few weeks into this career change and Danny gets a lucky break. A fight with a fellow criminal results in serious injuries to Bart. In the melee, Danny manages to sidestep his owner. Away from the vicious cycle of violence and abuse, Danny is able to show softer qualities such as an appreciation for music. But his luck does not hold and one day Danny runs into Lefty (Dylan Brown), Bart’s right hand man on the street. Lefty captures Danny and he is once again brought back to Bart. Unbeknown to Danny, a fight has been set to the death between him and other martial arts experts. Bart shoves Danny into the pit, where he is pummeled by these four fighters, but refuses to retaliate or kill them. Amazed by Danny’s change of character, Bart puts Danny back in his cage. The sheer violence and misanthropy that is shown here is worthy of note. A victim of abuse all his life, Danny nevertheless has respect for other people, which is more than you can say for his owners. Bart tells Danny a half-truth that his mother is long gone, however we are shown subsequently that the real truth is that Bart kills her when she challenged him one day. Since that day, Bart has raised Danny as a dog, a martial arts ace and a prize fighter to aid in recovering amounts from defaulting customers in the loan shark business. Danny manages to escape Bart once again the next morning. However, Bart sends a group of thugs to apprehend Danny and bring him back. Bart approaches Danny gun in hand and even uses the dog leash to trap Danny into acquiescence, telling him that he is not meant for a better life. Bart has been telling Danny that he will never amount to anything more than ‘life as a dog’. The intelligent viewer here will of course understand that all the while it is really Bart’s vicious and animalistic nature that has forced Danny into being what he is. It is Bart who is the real dog, the misanthropist, the villain of the piece. He has just been using Danny to do his bidding all along. Conclusion To start with, this film is not for the faint hearted. It has a mean streak that runs through it, and this is constantly maintained through action and dialogue. I have not met a single soul who did not feel pity for Danny the Dog and his peculiar predicament and pitiable condition at the hands of his callous and apathetic owner. And as the film and its story unfolds, the viewer is introduced to new insights about the movie through its plots and characters. We feel pity for Danny the Dog because no human should ever be raised or treated this way. It would please a sadist no doubt, but is utterly repulsive to a normal human being. That is why I had to turn away from the screen more than a couple of times- I could not believe what I was seeing. Anyhow, this film has been rated highly by the majority of people who have seen it, and even got good reviews from the critics such as Roger Ebert. It puts jet Li in a challenging new role, where he gets to show off his martial arts skills, but also had to sink into this difficult role which is very hard to do. Could you imagine letting go of civilized behavior entirely and reverting to animalistic behavior all through the shooting of this movie. This movie covers abuse and brutality like few others in its entirety and eloquence. Its visual representation, superb shots and capture of emotions leave a lasting, rather indelible impact on the viewer. Like it or not, that is the stuff that makes for a memorable experience (Herman, 1997). It seems amazing that Louis Letterier has managed to spin off such a winner appealing to the masses after such as short experience as a director. The movie manages to touch our hearts and emotions as we are glued to watch what will happen to Danny. Will he get free and get a chance to live a better life? Will this cycle of abuse ever end? Louis Letterier sure knows how to make a good movie. Maybe its in his directorial genes. Works Cited American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th edition. Washington, D.C, 2000. Baumeister, Roy F., PhD. Evil: Inside Human Violence and Cruelty. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1999. Herman, Judith, MD. Trauma and Recovery. 2nd Revised ed. New York: Basic Books, 1997. Walker, Lenore E., PhD. The Battered Woman. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1979. Read More