Violence in Movies

Unfortunately most of the filmmaking decisions in this town are arrived at by a herd of young executives brought up on a diet of fast living, frenetic schedules, raucous noise and the omnipresent balance sheets. They feed us regular doses of the big-screen drivel that Walter seemingly supports, using as their edict the bottom line. In a sense they also help shape the mood of the impressionable mind, contrary to all of the ongoing negative impact studies.

Instead of teaching his students that conflict can only be betrayed violently, I suggest instead that Walter carries this further to embrace the more traditional method of dialectics employed in the Socratic dialogues, and out of which all good dramatic conflict springs.

ALAN A. ROSS

Malibu