The effect of films as It Ends with Us on victims of domestic violence: ‘it makes topics more discussable’
Today is White Ribbon Day, a day where violence against women is highlighted in over 60 countries. In Belgium, every month two women are killed by their
(ex-)partner. And in 2023, there were about 260 cases of potentially fatal partner violence. The last few years, many books and films have been made with domestic violence as a theme. It End with Us being one of the most recent. How do these creations affect victims of domestic violence?
One in three women in Belgium was once victim of domestic violence says a report of Statistiek Vlaanderen. 20% of these women were victimized by psychological violence, where the most common way is through insults and humiliation. According to a study by the Inter-federal Institute of Statistics, one in ten women were in turn victims of physical violence.
A theme in books and films
Domestic violence is something that is often portrayed in books and films, think of Big Little Lies, No Visible Bruises and the recent film adaptation of the bestseller It End with Us by Colleen Hoover. In the story, Lily Bloom falls in love with the very handsome and very charming Ryle Kincaid. Soon the perfect love story turns into a more difficult one than Lily intended.
The film was widely criticized for being insensitive, too focused on a romance with a happy ending and during the campaign, actress Blake Lively was more focused on promoting her hairline than on the subject of the movie: domestic violence.
@independent_usa Fans are criticizing Blake Lively for her “tone-deaf” approach to doing press for her new film, It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book about domestic violence and abuse. #blakelively #itendswithus #colleenhoover #justinbaldoni ♬ original sound – independent_usa
In what way can a book or film about a sensitive topic help victims? ‘Movies about sensitive topics such as domestic violence can have a positive effect on victims if done properly,’ says Ciska Hoet of centre of expertise RoSa VZW. ‘It can make young people realize they are a victim, or it makes the topic more discussable among friends for example.’
A missed mark
Yet in a way, It Ends with Us missed this mark. Especially the marketing campaign was an unmitigated nightmare. As said before, the makers and actors made it seems as if it was just another romantic comedy and not a movie about a sensitive topic. When are these kinds of books or films not okay? Hoet reacts: ‘A movie is problematic when you, as a filmmaker, contribute to a normalization. For example, a story where a toxic relationship is normalized. This gives people the idea that it’s something normal and good, which it isn’t.’
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How to do better?
‘To make a film that is acceptable, the makers need to think of a few things,’ Hoet explains, ‘They need to think through what they want to show and in what way.’ Think about explicit content, some things might trigger a viewer more than it helps them. Hoet continues: ‘Moviemakers need to know what message they want to give, and they need a control team. An inclusive team existing of all genders and skin-colors, ensures you get a broad picture with lots of varying voices.’
‘It can always help to put a trigger warning, but I feel as if many moviemakers and movie theaters do that already,’ adds Hoet.
Text: Nohr Pardon
Image: © Cottonbro Studio