Representations of Violence in Kick-Ass

The movie Kick-Ass, based on the comic series by Mark Millar, came out yesterday. Went to see it tonight with some friends. People familiar with Millar's work will probably know immediately if this is a move for them or not. If that name means nothing to you, well, the name of the movie is probably a pretty good indicator. For my part, I was plenty entertained, but be warned, it is very violent and profane and obscene at times, too. Lots of critics have talked about the amount of violence in Kick-Ass, particularly whether or not it's reasonable to have so much of it being perpetrated by a character who is supposedly 11-years-old. For my part, I was just fascinated by the completely different approach the movie took with filming violence depending on the character perpetrating it. Spoilers ahead, obviously.

Let's start with the title character. Kick-Ass doesn't actually engage in a whole lot of violent activity; and when he does, it takes one of two distinct forms. At the start, when Kick-Ass first goes out and starts picking fights with criminals, the action is chaotic and uncoordinated. This is obviously fitting. Kick-Ass isn't really a fighter. He has no training and is in completely over his head; and he gets his ass kicked as a result. At the end, when Kick-Ass is actually living up to his name, it is in the most ridiculous, nerd, wish fulfillment ways imaginable. In those twin moments, Kick-Ass is living his dream.

Hit Girl, on the other hand, gets several impressive action sequences in which she brutalizes her enemies mercilessly. The over-the-top, hyper-stylized approach taken here is also fitting. Hit Girl, being a child raised to think that this is normal (and, as her father says, to look at it sort of as a game), likely has no real concept of what she's doing. She's acting on instinct, doing as she's been taught. Not thinking so much as responding. There are two exceptions to this rule: The scene in the lobby of D'Amico's building, and the showdown with D'Amico himself. The first scene comes just after Hit Girl is overcoming the death of her father. Suddenly aware of the stakes of this game, she talks her way into the building and does what she needs to do efficiently and coldly. Notably, she isn't wearing the Hit Girl costume in this scene. Once it's back on, the theatricality and sense of distance return. The fight with D'Amico is different because it's the only time she ever seems to be in real danger, and she responds to it. There's a sort of panic hindering her, and some of the chaos (and lack of coordination) of the Kick-Ass fights enter the picture.

The one time we see Big Daddy taking out multiple opponents is strikingly similar to Hit Girl's sequence in the lobby. The scene is visceral and clean. If there is chaos, it is only on the part of the thugs as they try to figure out what is happening to them. Unlike his daughter, Big Daddy knows exactly what he's doing and why he's doing it, and, as a result, he moves with purpose and efficiency. It's stark in its contrast from most of the rest of the film.

Not much else to say on the matter. I just thought this was interesting and figured I'd put it here instead of bugging people over and over with it. Like I said, I enjoyed the movie, and I'm particularly glad that, even in what was entirely meant as a popcorn movie, Matthew Vaughn took the time to add touches like this.