[Marq]

Originally Posted by reapersaurus

the point is that for many people (obviously not all), brutality like this is not something they want to bring voluntarily into their viewing life.

I certainly don't want that and yet I still found Irreversible to be one of the most compelling, heart-wrenching and powerful films I've ever seen.

Originally Posted by reapersaurus

nor do I prefer them used in such a way in my choice of movies, as Irreversible apparently does.

So therefore, it's just not within your "choice of movies". We all make choices in regards to what films we prefer or want or choose to watch. I largely avoid some Hollywood blockbuster films and I often seek out smaller films that touch on subjects rarely examined in popular film. That's a very broad generalization of my viewing habits, but it's one way of looking at it. That doesn't mean I'm open to all and any depraved film that uses suffering for profit or other non-artistic reasons, but I suppose it does mean I'm more open to challenging cinema that doesn't hold back from examining the more difficult realms of societal behaviour.

My least favourite film of all time is perhaps "I Spit on Your Grave", which is completely and senselessly brutal - and for some they automatically categorize Irreversible as being in the same league as it solely because it involves a rape scene. Not taking into consideration that one artlessly uses it as pointless shock-value (I Spit) while the other contains it as a way for the audience to meditate on such unfortunate victimizations and human brutalities that are even more tragic as the film unfolds after that scene (Irreversible).

I certainly understand one's apprehension to see the film, or to simply avoid it because they don't like seeing such things in movies. I just disagree with your assumptions about it.