Very famous filmmaker and opinion-haver Quentin Tarantino decidedly has some thoughts on trigger warnings in cinema, because of course he does. Namely, he feels that the statements warning consumers of disturbing material — scenes depicting violence, sexual assault, suicide and other forms of trauma — in the content are "ridiculous."
In a new interview with French publication La Libération, the director was asked a question about his feelings on when trigger warnings are employed in films. He mostly answered it.
"I reject the word 'offended.' Anyone can be offended by anything," Tarantino said. "Frankly, I think most of the time — and there are no doubt some exceptions — saying that you are 'offended' by a film is the first response of a very narrow mind. 'I didn't like it, and here's why, blah blah blah…'"
He went on, "But, man, being offended? Art is no offence. And, although, in rare cases, I can understand it, it's just ridiculous to be offended by the content of a film."
Providing a helpful example, Tarantino cited an unnamed movie from the last 10 years that "really offended" him. "But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was my problem. My fucking problem," the filmmaker explained. "I found it racist. I wanted to punch the director. I still think it's a racist movie. But it's just a fucking movie, man."
It's safe to guess that it wasn't a non-cinema Marvel feature, so the franchise has that going for them at least.
A 2021 article published by The New Yorker reviewed psychological research revealing that trigger warnings — albeit mostly in the context of US universities and literary works — might actually make things worse for people coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which relies heavily on building tolerance through exposure therapy. However, trigger warnings give people the power to choose whether or not any particular movie night on the couch or in the theatre is the time and place to be exposed to a trigger.
In a new interview with French publication La Libération, the director was asked a question about his feelings on when trigger warnings are employed in films. He mostly answered it.
"I reject the word 'offended.' Anyone can be offended by anything," Tarantino said. "Frankly, I think most of the time — and there are no doubt some exceptions — saying that you are 'offended' by a film is the first response of a very narrow mind. 'I didn't like it, and here's why, blah blah blah…'"
He went on, "But, man, being offended? Art is no offence. And, although, in rare cases, I can understand it, it's just ridiculous to be offended by the content of a film."
Providing a helpful example, Tarantino cited an unnamed movie from the last 10 years that "really offended" him. "But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was my problem. My fucking problem," the filmmaker explained. "I found it racist. I wanted to punch the director. I still think it's a racist movie. But it's just a fucking movie, man."
It's safe to guess that it wasn't a non-cinema Marvel feature, so the franchise has that going for them at least.
A 2021 article published by The New Yorker reviewed psychological research revealing that trigger warnings — albeit mostly in the context of US universities and literary works — might actually make things worse for people coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which relies heavily on building tolerance through exposure therapy. However, trigger warnings give people the power to choose whether or not any particular movie night on the couch or in the theatre is the time and place to be exposed to a trigger.