MovieChat Forums > The Host (2013) Discussion > Violence Against Women? Melanie hit mul...

Violence Against Women? Melanie hit multiple times??

posted 12 years ago by glowflies
41 replies | jump to latest

I found this film to be morally irresponsible in relation to violence against women and girls. In fact, it disgusted me.

Melanie/Wanda is punched in the face:

1) In the desert by a man

2) In the desert by an old woman (then Mel is blindfolded which looks terrible)

3) In the cave she is punched and knocked unconscious by a man

4) In the cave by a man who tries to kill her

I found the violence against this female character was sickening and SO over-the-top.

Shame on the filmmakers for allowing this to occur in their film. Too much violence against women in the world-- it shouldn't be happening in Hollywood films, too.

[–] x-turquoisefalls 12 years ago

Honestly, I'd like to say it seems like they displayed the truth. In fact, many violence are made against women and girls today.

[–] stellarsiren 12 years ago

Wow. Did you, or any Woman abuser get that Melanie's body was POSSESSED by an Unidentified Life Form to the so-called Experts of EARTH??? Do You get that this story is FICTION even though making a bit of a statement regarding VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN WHICH if you noticed Ian and others are against once it is proven that Melanie's "Soul" is not a threat to Human Kind. And Only Complete Morons that take ANY ACTION ON FILM AS FACT would commit violence towards Anyone

[–] officerhaughty 9 years ago

Actually, that isn't true. The overwhelming majority of crime victims are male.

[–] mauvemage 12 years ago

I found those scenes awful to watch. But in context they think she is dead and
being used as a puppet by an Alien Parasite.

I found the book worse in some ways because the terror they keep her in lasts much
longer than in the film.

[–] bkitchin-2 12 years ago

If the human character had been a man, he would have been attacked just as well. He might have been stronger physically. But the point of violence against anyone has nothing to do with who is stronger. The violence in this story (as it was in the movie, the screen writer and director added no violence to Meyer's book) was against the soul (or parasite as they considered it. It was violence against aliens.

I don't know why Meyer's made the character of the host with Wanderers soul to be female. Maybe because she is more comfortable writing first person stories about females. See Twightlight Saga.

Anyway, you should address the question to Stephanie Meyers who created the whole thing. For myself, I hate violence against women in real life and find its representation in "art" repugnant. But your comments seem to be to be thoughtless knee jerk reaction.

In the book, all the people who were violent against her EXCEPT the woman (Maggie) later repented of it. They saw Wnaderer (Wanda) as the kidnapper and killer of Melanie (whom they loved) and believed that Melanie was gone. They were attacking what they thought was 'just' an alien. They didn't even realize until much later that the alien also happened to be female equivalent in her species.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] IndaChood 12 years ago

Violence happens all over the world to both men and women.

Are you saying only men should get punched in the face on films?

You are a misandrist and discriminatory. Both genders should be treated equally, that is the only way we will ever reach true equality.

No, I am not promoting violence against women. Im just telling you it is wrong to say that violence against one gender is ok to show on film but not another.

Stop being a hypocrite.

[–] AminaHPlus 12 years ago

She was just asking for it. Bringing her alien ass around these parts. I gonna finna beat her too with them blue glowin eyes.

My blog. My life. My narcissism. :
[ http://aminawright.blogspot.com/ ]

[–] ceruleantear 12 years ago

I'm surprised by the responses you've been getting. I just saw the movie and I too thought there was an amazing amount of face slapping going on. It would have been funny if the slaps hadn't sounded so painful. Seriously, that girl's cheek should have been badly bruised.

[–] Mykewood 12 years ago

Are you people missing the point of the movie? Her body had been taken over by a parasite. As far as they knew, Melanie was dead. Her body was a host. And they were all angry at the parasite for killing their friend.

I have to ask again... Do you people actually understand the concept of the movie? Do you get angry when female zombies or vampires are killed? It's a friggin movie.

"Her cheek should have been badly bruised" WTF??? Do you honestly think they were REALLY hitting the actress???

It is a MOVIE!!!

Wow...

Peter Gibbons: "It's not just about me, & my dream of doing nothing!"

[–] Fenris25 12 years ago

Please put the violence in the proper context.

WAR!

You're complaining about soldiers hurting the soldiers of the other side.
Sounds a bit naive, doesn't it?

This is not a woman getting hurt. This is an alien invader, responsible for the decimation of practically the entire human race. Trust me, you'd slap the living hell out of her as well, given those conditions.

The fact that Melanie was in there, is irrelevant to the violence.
Remember: The violence stopped, the second they believed she was in there.
You were shocked because you knew something they didn't.

[–] officerhaughty 9 years ago

I'm surprised by the responses you've been getting.
You're surprised that not everyone is as sexist as the OP?

[–] Black_Dahlia 12 years ago

Making phrases like "violence against women" into a "thing" subtly implies that violence against men is not as bad and is more permissible, which is simply false. Violence is violence, and no matter if you're more inclined to feel sympathy for certain types of victims each victim, regardless of gender, race, religion, age, etc, feels the same pain.