Non-response to (emotional) propaganda in Movies

[Gustav]

A few days ago I was watching a movie. 'no strings attached'. I spoiled the movie because I foretold the whole movie after a few minutes. Of course, girlfriends do not like this. Still she was touched by the story etc.

I, on the other hand felt absolutely nothing, except irritation over the whole concept projected. As I am experiencing with most movies that I watch the last few years. Not that I am a wizard, but I have this with almost every movie.

Two days ago I was thinking about this. Why is it that I do not feel anything anymore. I do not get sucked in by the movie that I watch. At least not the general ones. Not that I think it would be a bad thing. I felt I had to watch a movie that felt right. So than I remembered the remark of someone on this forum about how Hypatia was torn to pieces by an angry mob of (early) christians in Alexandria, Egypt. It suddenly emerged that I had obtained the movie about it (Agora) quite some time ago. I watched it and was in almost in tears. I felt the pain she was going through, the inner struggles of some of the characters. But it was so intense. Really weird, I had not experienced that in a very long time.

So, to come back tho the purpose of this thread. What does it mean?

Foremost I would like to know if people here have experienced the same. I am also interested if that could mean that I see (partly) through the hollywood propaganda that instructs those who passively take in the images to mold them.

Well, I wanted to share this with you all. I hope you find it as interesting an observation as I did.

[butcherman]

yep bang on the money having spoilt the plot on most films and soaps the family have band my thoughts and opinions to this forum hostile tv makes me numb our children are what we see on our tv plain and simple we manipulated the minds to seek the tropiys of spoil as gold had it been 50 years of love and lassie and 50s style presenters i wonder how amish society would be today
tell me when u watch tv and its one of those clips where some one hurts themselves then another clip and sow on i get a sharp fiscal pain in my groin just cant watch the more intense the victims pain so is mine now what is that. i think your on to some thing.

Butcherman

[jimbojp]

Yep, I can see what you are saying here.
I find it almost impossible to watch a film nowdays, its like I cant allow myself to be drawn into the story.
In the old days when people used to tell stories around a fire, it was left up to the listner to use their own imagination to create their own images.
I find that watching most films is a very passive experience no imagination required!

[Lord Sidious]

Maybe the old buttons they pushed don't work on you now that you are more aware of the way things are?

[Gustav]

Thank you for your responses. I think I indeed have replaced some buttons, because movies from a decade ago are as crappy as those of today, so that can't be the change ;).

I must say butcherman it is not so much that I transfer the pain felt by victims to my own body. But you are right, it is making anyone who watches dumb and numb and I don't know when that change occured for me, but am sure glad it did.