On-Screen violence against women is exploitative, not empowering
Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut “Blink Twice” has been at the center of online controversy since its Aug. 23 release, with audiences questioning the necessity of the film’s graphic portrayals of sexual violence against its female protagonists. The reality is that graphic on-screen depictions of sexual violence against women are often sensationalized and unnecessary. “Blink Twice” is a recent reminder of how common these scenes are despite being avoidable.
The film follows Frida as she is whisked away to a billionaire’s private island with a group of glamorous strangers who she relaxes poolside with by day and parties with by night. Everything seems perfect, until it is revealed that the men on the island drug the women and commit violent sexual acts against them at night that they forget the following morning.
I watched “Blink Twice” in theaters and for the most part enjoyed it, but when the “big twist” was revealed, my opinion soured. I found the film’s depiction of sexual violence unnecessarily graphic and extremely hard to watch. In defense of the film, Kravitz told Vanity Fair, “You’re not supposed to like that scene.” She continued, “You just need to look, and let it sit there for a second.”
I can respect Kravtiz’s efforts to raise awareness about sexual violence through her film, but her approach is not completely effective. Sexual assault on screen may serve as a painful, triggering reminder for the one in six American women who have been the victim of rape or attempted rape.
It also has a tangible impact on how society perceives victims. In a study conducted by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, participants were repeatedly exposed to films that featured explicit scenes of sexual violence against women before watching footage of real domestic violence trials. The study found that participants expressed significantly less sympathy for domestic violence victims and rated their injuries as “less severe” when compared to a control group that received no film exposure.
Media studies and film Professor Xandra Castleton explained, “I think if you were to do a study on a number of rapes in commercial cinema, and compare them to violent pornography, often you’d find that these scenes are filmed in such a way that caters to a hetero, male perspective.”
Her sentiment was echoed by film Professor Zoe Salnave, who said, “I think [scenes with sexual violence are] always going to be exploitative… Some people are going to fetishize it and be turned on by it… and then you’ve also got people in the audience who are going to be really emotionally impacted and perhaps traumatized by those images on screen.”
A trigger warning appears before “Blink Twice” starts, warning that it “contains mature themes and depictions of violence — including sexual violence” before directing viewers to the film’s website for additional resources. While including a trigger warning is an important step that I wish more filmmakers would take, the more responsible option would be to explore the issue in a less explicit way to begin with.
This is not to say that I think filmmakers should always shy away from exploring dark topics including gender based or sexual violence. Films serve as a powerful tool for bringing attention to and prompting meaningful dialogue about taboo issues, but it is unnecessary to create a graphic spectacle out of what is a horrific reality.
Castleton said, “I don’t like hard and fast rules, and I’m wary of censorship. However, I feel that it’s pretty rare where there is actually a good reason or a need to actually explicitly show a sexual assault, especially in full.”
Portraying sexual violence in film without explicitly showing it is possible. “Promising Young Woman” is one example of a film that deals with this issue right. This film follows Cassie who sets out for revenge when her best friend, Nina, commits suicide after being sexually assaulted by one of their classmates.
Viewers did not need to visually see what happened to Nina to empathize with her or understand the gravity of what she experienced, it was enough to see the aftermath of the assault. Rather than dedicate screen time to explicit portrayals, filmmakers should focus on the lasting impact sexual violence has on victims and their loved ones.
On some level, responsibility does fall on viewers to research the media they consume beforehand for triggers. At the same time, filmmakers have a responsibility to weigh the potential impact their on-screen depictions of violence against women might have on audiences. Sensationalizing these issues can desensitize viewers and perpetuate harmful narratives rather than foster understanding for victims. If filmmakers truly hope to provoke thought and discussion about sexual violence, they should work to create art that does so without exploiting trauma and handles the issue with the care and sensitivity it requires.
Editor-in-Chief: Jordan Premmer, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia McCrackin, Managing Editor: Jordan DelFiugo, Opinion Editor: Dakota Duran, Scene Editor: Elina Graham
