“We do not represent sexual violence in the program“.
The following article contains a discussion of sexual misconduct that some readers may find disturbing.
‘Game of Thrones’ was known for its strong dose of sex, violence and sexual violence. On more than one occasion, the latter’s portrayal on the show drew criticism from various groups of viewers.
The upcoming prequel series ‘House of the Dragon’ was originally slated to “retreat” from sexual violence, according to showrunner Miguel Sapochnik in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. But in that same interview, Sapochnik seemed to say that the next HBO show would still depict the brutalization of women in some way.
“Violence against women is still a very important part of the worldSapochnik said, adding that scenes in his series depicting such violence would be done “with care.”
He continued: “In any case, we are going to shed light on that aspect. The violence that men perpetrated against women at that time cannot be ignored. It should not be minimized and it should not be glorified.“
Nevertheless, series writer and executive producer Sara Hess recently clarified the series’ stance on sexual violence in a statement given to Vanity Fair. In fact, he claimed the opposite to Sapochnik.
“I would like to clarify that we do not represent sexual violence in the program. We handle an instance off screen and instead show the consequences and impact on the victim and the mother of the perpetratorHess said.
“I think what our show does, and what I’m proud of, is that we chose to focus on the violence against women that is inherent in a patriarchal system.“.
Hess explained that many other historical shows often “romanticize” men in relationships with women “who are not old enough to consent.” “We put that on screen, and let’s not shy away from the fact that our female leads in the first half of the show are coerced and manipulated into doing the bidding of grown men.“explained the producer.
The producer and writer continued: “This is not necessarily done by those we would define as rapists or abusers, but often by generally well-intentioned men who cannot see that what they are doing is traumatic and oppressive, because the system we all live in normalizes it. Less obvious than rape but just as insidious, albeit in a different way“.
Bottom line: ‘House of the Dragoon’ will include violence against women, maybe even rape, in its storylines, but will not explicitly depict these acts on screen. This is in contrast to ‘Game of Thrones’, which featured several on-screen rape cases that were heavily criticized by viewers.
‘The House of the Dragon’ opens on August 21 and stars Matt Smith, Paddy Considine, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke and Rhys Ifans. The series is set 200 years before the events of ‘Game of Thrones’ and follows the War of the Targaryen Succession, which was the beginning of the end for the powerful house of Westeros.
Source: Fotogramas
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
