i don't speak frog but

in an interview over at telerama director michael haneke criticizes the present state of american cinema stating that it makes

"violence a product for mass-consumption. ... [the] loss of standards gets a little worse everyday in the media orgy of brutal images: a real pornography of violence. with the development of communication in every direction, it's even more present today. and art has not been spared. for many filmmakers, exploiting the distracting qualities of violence has become the pinnacle of cool. ... violence has always profoundly revolted me ... how can we revel in the suffering of others, even on the screen? i don't understand. as long as this unhealthy fascination exists, i won't stop speaking out about it and opposing dominant cinema." (thank the goodly folk at euro|topics for the translation).

while i can appreciate his revulsion, it is a bit specious to argue that america's fascination with violence is novel. the nation was formed from and girded with violence from the very start and its ferocious proclivity has only accelerated as its capacity for violence has grown exponentially. it's as american as apple pie and carjacking!