"Not all men are monsters," says the so-called backlash against #metoo and similar movements.
We often speak of "violence" as the actual physical strike, but I think we all know that it's more than that.
The social position of Man is fraught with violent potential. Masculinity itself is a constant presence of violence that can be realized at any moment. The question is not one of individual demeanor; the question is what all men might do and without repercussion.
Stylistically, lush films have the potential to carry meaning through images alone.
Revenge fantasies then have a potential to function as a cathartic release.
So why do films like Lady Macbeth (2017) and Lizzie (2018) have so many people reaching for the tired clichés of "don't become the thing you hate! Be so nice to people that they stop oppressing you!"
Sources:
Reviews of Lizzie:
NYT Review of Lady Macbeth