Violence is endemic in the film industry and on TV – but its uses are inherently political
by Titos Christodoulou
Henry Fonda acting as a desperado pistolero. He has just intercepted and is robbing a train, somewhere in the wide plains of the Far West. In front of him stands an innocent farmer, trembling with fear. He is wearing braces, to hold his worn out trousers over a torn white shirt. “Do not kill me, please do not kill me”, pleads the shaking farmer. “I have six kids to feed, I have nothing to make it worthwhile for you to kill me!” Fonda appears to have softened on the poor farmer’s pleading. He turns, as if to leave, and then, with an air of disnissiveness, and with no further ado, he shoots the hapless farmer with three (or was it more) bullets. He then blows the smoke off the smoking gun and explains, nonchalantly: “I do not trust men who do not trust their trousers”.
