Byran Preston at Jun…

Byran Preston at Junkyard Blog note a difference in the reaction to two movies:

A year ago Easter, a film debuted that depicted a single killing. It was a violent film to be sure–the individual was tortured and mocked before his execution–but it wasn’t the most violent film ever made, or even the most violent film I’d ever seen. It was, in fact, a very moving film that told a true story that should be heard by all.

But long before that film opened, protestors were already out in force. Movie reviewers smeared it with every vile insult in the book–it was too violent, it was too bloody, excitable Andrew Sullivan called it “pornography,” and lots and lots of professional spinmeisters called it anti-Semitic. Yet it depicted the torture and killing of only one man.

That describes the first movie. Now the second.

A bazillion people die in this film, most of them after enduring some manner of inhuman treatment. Cops are almost all depicted as evil, hookers are noble (or hot gun-toting samurai, take your pick) and the biggest villians are connected directly to the Catholic church. In fact, the two worst villians are the only people in the entire film that seem to have any sort of belief system at all, and their belief seems to consist of pretending to believe in God while **SPOILER ALERT** eating His children. Yes, you read that right. Not only is Sin City violent beyond words and without a shred of decency, it comes with a side dish of Cardinal cannibalism. Lovely film. Make sure to bring the kids.

The first movie was “The Passion of the Christ”. The second one is “Sin City”. Now, Bryan points out something missing from the second movie.

But unless I missed something, no one’s out there protesting Sin City. It has gotten positive reviews and negative reviews, and has otherwise generated little reaction. No protestors line any street near any theater showing Sin City.

They protested that other film, which one guy essentially bankrolled by himself and which had few stars, though it was far, far less violent than Sin City, and unlike Sin City, it actually had a point.

What’s the difference?

Why did that film generate so much passion, when a far more pointlessly violent generates none? What was it about The Passion of the Christ that had excitable Andrew comparing it to the worst that the world of hard core can dream up, and had protestor shock troops out to denounce it as evil and racist? And why aren’t those allegedly anti-violence protestors out there now to battle Sin City?

I think we all know the answer. The passion about The Passion was not about the violence. It was about the Passion.

This has been another Liberal Double-Standard Alert. We now resume our regularly schedule blog.

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