Nothing Is More satisfying to a moviegoer than the exciting point toward the end of the film when the hero defeats the villain, order replaces chaos, and justice prevails. Whether they're rooting for the beleaguered marshal in High Noon, the plucky Kansas farm girl in The Wizard of Oz, or the outnumbered rebel forces in Star Wars, audiences applaud as good ultimately triumphs over evil.
But while watching more recent movies, I've noticed that my jaw is clenched and my hands grip the arms of the theater seat as I anticipate this showdown. What in past years has been an enthusiastic rooting for the hero, today has more often become a craving for vengeance.
The emotion of revenge is such a strong one and so easily summoned that filmmakers frequently use it as the centerpiece for their plots. Sometimes it's just a small part of a more balanced story, but often it is itself the story. Ironically, when the climactic confrontation arrives, it's usually more violent than the original incident that set events in motion, but (surprise!) this time we're cheering, because we're now convinced "the bad guys had it coming."
