Right: The Age's film critic Jim Schembri, who calls Michael Carr-Gregg's comments on Seven Pounds and suicide "far-fetched".
Arguments against 'Seven Pounds' being given at least an MA classification
1. Films do not cause people (adolescent or otherwise) to commit suicideIt has been argued that films are not a major influence on how people behave. According to this point of view, a film will not make a person a depressive, nor will it cause him or her to become suicidal. Those who hold this view maintain that behaviour and personal predispositions are shaped by far larger familial, social and genetic factors. It is further claimed that focusing on the supposed influence of films, turns attention away from the true causes of whatever problem is being discussed.
This point has been made by The Age's film critic, Jim Schembri. The critic has stated in relation to 'Seven Pounds', 'Films have long made convenient punching bags for hot-button issues seeking headlines. We saw such knee-jerk hysteria over Lolita (1997) for its alleged promotion of pedophilia, Romper Stomper (1992) for its relish of street violence, Trainspotting (1996) for supposedly glamourising heroin abuse and Baise-moi (2000) for its depiction of rape. In no case was the media hysteria justified.
The chief drawback of this "blame the film" syndrome is that rather than tackling the social causes of a problem, it trivialises the issue by offering the public a simplistic, high-profile scapegoat.'
It has further been suggested that rather than promoting suicide, any film or other fictionalised treatment of the issue may help those who are depressed and considering taking their own lives view the action in a more realistic manner.
This point was made by an Age blog correspondent replying to Jim Schembri's observations. This blogger observed, 'Seeing Will Smith committing suicide in a movie does not increase the rates of teenage (or other) suicides. On the contrary, the very fact that this raises the topic for discussion does probably a lot more to prevent suicides than quietly ignoring the elephant in the room.'
A similar point was made by 'Keith', another of those who responded to Jim Schembri's observations via The Age's blog facility. This reader noted, 'It clearly hasn't occurred to any of these panic mongers that a disturbed teen watching a film where the protagonist commits suicide (by box jellyfish no less!) may actually cause them to view suicide in a different light. Not as a feasible solution to the issues plaguing them, but the non solution that it actually is.
In my angst ridden teen years, seeing a character on screen battling similar demons to my own was a source of comfort and courage, certainly never inspiration for the unthinkable. We really need to give teenagers more credit than this.'
The point was made again by another of Jim Schembri's blog correspondents who noted, 'By wrapping suicide in cotton wool, Carr-Gregg does nothing other than to stigmatise those who might choose suicide, and the memory of those who have. Suicide is the preventable manifestation of an illness. We do not cry foul when cancer or HIV deaths are portrayed in film. His objection is a nonsense. Discussing suicide openly, and honoring the victims of depression with dignity is a nobler pursuit.'
2. The film neither romanticizes nor attempts to popularise suicide
It has been argued that the film in no way seeks to normalise suicide, nor to make it appear a desirable or attractive course of action. The film's protagonist, played by Will Smith, kills himself in an unusual manner, unavailable to most people and one which would presumably be unlikely to appeal to those contemplating suicide.
This point has been made by The Age's Film critic, Jim Schembri. Mr Schembri notes, 'Any claim that Seven Pounds depicts suicide in a way that normalises, sanitises or glamourises the practice is laughably deluded.' Mr Schembri elaborates, 'If anything, the film's use of such an elaborate method - death by box jellyfish! - is designed to abstract the portrayal not, as Carr-Gregg insists, render it "very, very graphic". '
Some of those Age readers who responded by blog to Jim Schembri's response to Michael Carr-Gregg's criticisms of the film 'Seven Pounds' also noted the far-fetched nature of the device the Will Smith character uses to kill himself. One reader, 'Leia', observed, 'As much as I love Will Smith, I'm not even going to bother renting this on DVD! Death by jellyfish? The writers must have been on crack!...
"So, how's he gonna do the deed?"
"Yeah, let's try and make it, like, really out there ..."
"What about we make him face a deadly animal?"
"Yeah! How 'bout he throws himself in a lion enclosure at the zoo?"
"Or, what about he cuts himself and goes for a swim to attract sharks?"
"Dudes, I got it. How about we put him in a bathtub with a box jellyfish?"
"Awesome!"...
Please...'
Jim Schembri, in obvious agreement, replied, 'And it's not explained how one gets hold of a box jellyfish. Do you get them in stores?'
3. Changing the film's classification will not significantly control who is able to view it
It has also been suggested that changing the classification of any film, including 'Seven Pounds', is unlikely to control who is able to view it. Film classifications attempting to regulate who will be admitted when a film is given its cinema release no longer determine who will ultimately view the film. The film will also have multiple free-to-air television screenings. More significantly, it will be viewed via its DVD release and key sections of the film (including in all probability the suicide sequence) will be transmitted over the Internet through forums such as YouTube.
The impossibility of fully controlling who is able to see this or any other film has been stressed by The Age's film critic, Jim Schembri. Mr Schembri has stated, 'The notion that bumping up the rating from M to MA would somehow restrict teens from accessing the film suggests that things such as DVDs and the internet do not exist. The MA rating would no more keep any teen from seeing the film than those "confirm birth date" windows prevent them from watching softcore porn on YouTube.
It has further been suggested that even during a film's cinema release its classification may not be strictly enforced by theatre managers. This point was made by one of The Age film critic, Jim Schembri's, blog correspondents, who noted, 'Kids as young as 13 can get away with watching things [classified] MA, MA+ without parent guidance. It's the cinemas such as Village , Hoyts and others [that] sell tickets regardless of their [audience's] age. They just want to make big bucks.'
4. The film's trailer does not reveal the suicide element in the plot as to do so would reduce the story's impact
It has been repeatedly suggested that the advance publicity for 'Seven Pounds' did not reveal the suicide that formed part of its plot because this would have reduced the film's impact on audiences. Therefore, this aspect of the film was not promoted prior to the film's screening in order to increase the audience's involvement in the film during their initial viewing of it.
This point has been made by Pulitzer Prize winning American film critic, Roger Ebert, who noted, 'I am reminded of a film you should see some day, Melville's "Le Samourai," about a man who lies on a bed in a dark hotel room and smokes, and gets up, and pays meticulous attention to his appearance, and goes out into the night, and we have no idea who this man is. I find this more interesting than a movie about a man whose nature and objectives are made clear in the first five minutes, in a plot that simply points him straight ahead.' Many of those who found the film a worthwhile viewing experience where pleased by the fact that they had not gone into the cinema knowing they were about to view a film that dealt with a man's suicide. They were also impressed that the film took some time to reveal what its protagonist's motivations were. Roger Ebert further noted, 'I haven't even hinted about the hidden motives in this film. Miraculously for once, even the trailers don't give anything away.'
Therefore, a number of those who have yet to view the film have objected to being given pre-information about it, including the fact of the Will Smith character's suicide. They clearly valued that the trailer had not given them this information. Some of these people corresponded with Jim Schembri on The Age's blog site to complain that this advance information had spoiled the film for them. This would appear to suggest that there are those who do not agree with Dr Michael Carr-Gregg when he argues that audiences should have been given more advance knowledge of what this film contains.
5. It is inconsistent to focus on 'Seven Pounds' as an encouragement to adolescent suicide
It has also been noted that there are many other films which have dealt directly with adolescent suicide (unlike 'Seven Pounds') and about which there have been no call for reclassification.
This point has been made by The Age's film critic, Jim Schembri. Mr Schembri has noted, '... why this particular film has raised such ire is baffling given the use of suicide in so many high-profile films and TV shows. The story of the Oscar-winning Dead Poets Society (1989) hinges on a schoolboy's suicide, the depiction of which is far more vivid and dramatic than in Seven Pounds. Yet the film has been freely available for more than 20 years and it is rated PG. Similarly, the excellent Australian film Looking for Alibrandi (2000) also has teen suicide at the heart of its story. It is rated M, is popular among teens and the source novel by Melina Marchetta is a school text. Yet no outcry.'
Mr Schembri then went on to consider a number of other treatments of adolescent suicide, both recent and long-standing, which have not led to warnings and calls for reclassification. He has noted, 'Children of Men (2006) presented a bleak future world where suicide was attractive, serene and legal. It was rated MA, the deterrent effects of which count for zero on DVD.
In the new season of the animated show Family Guy, which distraction-seeking teens are far more likely to see than a dull Will Smith movie, we see Peter Griffin blow his brains out. And, of course, every episode of the classic, ever-popular prime-time sitcom MASH features the iconic theme Suicide is Painless.'