Gore and Knowledge
What Do We Mean by Gore?
First of all, the definition of gore, according to Google: “Gore (or ‘splatter’) refers to a subgenre of horror and media focused on explicit violence, blood, and graphic injuries, but it can also mean a triangular piece inserted into fabrics (such as balloons or clothing) or an area of land between conflicting surveys (topography). In short, it is a term with two main connotations: extreme violence in films/games and a format or segment in sewing or cartography.” The point of this introduction is as follows: gore is nothing more than a lack of knowledge about a given subject.
Documentary, Violence, and the Question of Atmosphere
With that in mind, let us expand. Supposedly, Act of Seeing with One’s Own Eyes is a documentary; therefore, it is not about violence. And why do I say this? Because for gore to be effective, there must be an atmosphere, and this atmosphere is the construction of tension. I watched this film in two ways: one edited with a soundtrack, and the other in its silent version. Thus, my perception of the documentary’s effectiveness turned into a debate about how gore needs an “aboutness,” a context around it.
Narrative Aura and the Failure of Added Music
Terrifier, the main reference for gore in modern times, needed to create an aura around its villain; it needed to do what a narrative does. I mention this not merely to cite an example, but because the edited soundtrack attempted to create lightness in a film that does not ask for it. The film wants to explore the explicit, what is real and frontal. With the soundtrack, it felt as if I were watching something trying to redeem itself, to “apologize,” and even to feel ashamed of showing the truthfulness of what is being depicted.
Why Is Gore a Lack of Knowledge?
Finally, we arrive at the initial topic of this text: why is gore a lack of knowledge?
When we watch a gore film, we get the impression that such violence is the maximum that fiction can reach, and we do not think about what reality actually is. There are real cases of violence, cases that make fiction almost—well—fictional.
Reality, Medicine, and Professional Distance
But turning to the field of health, people who work in mortuary clinics are not shocked by gore itself, but by the atmosphere. And what is the basis for this? The logic is simple: a person who works with mortuary practices sees themselves portrayed in a film that explores gore.
This portrayal is an expansion of what professionals of death, and even doctors, see daily; it is common. But the magic of cinema is what differentiates medicinal gore from cinematic gore. Suddenly, scenes similar to those in Act of Seeing with One’s Own Eyes, when seen through the lens of professional study, are not disgusting, nor are they “beautiful.” They are knowledge, medicinal documentation, human and individual history.
Soundtrack as Displacement
Therefore, we return to the soundtrack and, consequently, to cinema: why does the added soundtrack in this version displace us from the central point?
The truth is that the original work asks for seriousness above representation, above anything else. The film demands a critical view of the work itself.
Death, Framing, and the Living Presence
It is a film that expands death, with scenes so well découpage that we follow a line of reasoning exploring the dependence of death on the living. I highlight scenes in which we see part of a dead body sharing the frame with the silhouette of someone alive. It is a philosophical and increasingly humanistic relationship, which we will now develop.
The Legitimacy of Death and the Meaning of Cemeteries
Death depends on life in order to be recognized as legitimate, a dependence that is more subjective than strictly medicinal. For what reasons do we have cemeteries? This is the center of our question. The cemetery of the animal world is the Earth as a whole, but human beings exclusively possess a perception of dignity. It is a narrative of wanting care, of having affection for a loved one, whether a person or an animal.
Absence, Humanity, and Memory
This is not something to be proud of as humanity, but rather something to understand: love and the relationship with death are not judged by what is done in life, but by absence. Absence in itself is a relative feeling, and within it resides humanity. Humanity, despite its name, is not a human concept; it is a concept of existence. No one is completely forgotten. Stories are passed from family to family, through art, through phrases that become sayings. There is space for everyone in the world.
From Shock to Reflection
In the end, the film ceases to be a frontal documentary and becomes a reflection. It is not a film recommendable to everyone, and I will not include images for obvious reasons. Therefore, do not feel obligated to watch the film because of this text—you will not miss the central point of this debate.
A Document of Humanity
Instead, value absence, reconstruct what makes you human, the concept of your feelings, and how you translate them. In short, it is absurdly astonishing. The shock itself is null, despite being so explicit. As stated at the beginning, it is a document of humanity.
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