Netflix recently released a controversial movie "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile".
In the opening of the film, Goethe's famous saying is played, few people have the imagination for reality, that is, few people have the imagination for reality. We tend to think that movies that emphasize dramatic conflict will exaggerate certain details, making the story more impactful and appealing.
But in fact, movies based on reality often put soft light on the truth, because the absolute reality and the complete truth are uncomfortable and even unacceptable. The title of the film "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile" actually comes from the judge's summary of the United States' most notorious serial killer Ted Bundy.
Extremely evil, shockingly despicable, using the devil to describe it is worse than it is. Ted Bundy was the killer who frightened the nation during the 1980s. There was no such thing as a serial killer in that era. People could not believe that a person would continue to kill people to satisfy their desires.
Before his arrest, Ted Bundy traveled through six states and raped and killed more than 30 young women. Due to the lack of DNA technology support, coupled with the legal and investigative difficulties between the states at the time, only more than 20 people were determined to be killed by Ted. However, based on the evidence that has been discovered later, experts estimate that the number of victims is estimated to be at least 35 people, maybe even as many as 100 people.
From the first crime in 1973, the first arrest in 1975, and the last arrest in 1978. During the period, Ted Bundy escaped from prison twice, and continued to kill during his escape, even torturing and killing two college girls at one time. The police and experts were incredulous. Ted Bundy became the American "Jack the Ripper" in the 1980s. Girls were afraid to go out alone at night. Everyone was worried that they would become Ted's next goal.
Although he was arrested quickly every time he escaped from prison, the case dragged on. It was not until 1989 that Ted Bundy was executed in Florida for his last murder. The film "Extreme Evil" does not show bloody and sensational killing scenes. You can't see any abnormality and madness of Ted in the film. Zac Efron, who is very outstanding, plays Ted Bundy. He is personable and interprets Ted as a public lover and a friend of women.
Lily Collins, the heroine who played his lover, and the supporting actress Kaya Scodelario, have never forgotten him. They don’t want to believe that he is a murderous devil, and remain committed to him during his long trial. Go ahead and succeed in succession.
The film has always obscured Ted Bundy’s crimes without revealing evidence of his crimes. Many viewers who don’t know the past history even doubt whether he committed a crime. Coupled with infinite charm, Ted Bundy's rich personality, who can personally argue for himself in court, is indeed easy to capture the hearts of the public. This makes many viewers who know the history question, is it rare to beautify a "murderer"?
This is not the case. The director put the "suspense" at the end, and the ambiguous treatment of Ted Bundy's true personality actually reflected the public's attitude towards Ted Bundy at the time. Ted Bundy's appearance is extremely deceptive. He studied Chinese and law in college, and even made a lot of friends of good standing. It was these friends who made him escape the court many times because of insufficient evidence.
Ted Bundy’s killing tactics were extremely rare at the time. He relied on his gentle talk and pretended to be injured to deceive sympathy. He only showed his brutal side when the women relaxed their vigilance and was alone with him, which made the other party stunned. Unexpectedly. The most troublesome thing for police and judges is Ted Bundy's personality traits that have a desire to perform. In court, he directly fired his lawyer and defended himself as a lawyer himself. Every time he appears in court, he will dress up carefully, as if he is the leading actor on live TV.
His handsome appearance, decent conversation, high education, and high IQ make him easily capture the opposite sex. His friends commented on him, "He is the kind of person you want to marry your sister to him." Later, more and more female observers came to watch Ted Bundy in court, some even became his fans, and some said they really "fall in love with him." There was even a fanatical woman who had sex with him after visiting the prison. Ted proposed to her in court, and the two became "prison couples." The woman also gave birth to a daughter for him.
When the sentence was pronounced, the justices affirmed his intelligence, saying that if he is not a criminal, he would definitely welcome him to work in his court, thinking that he has a bright future. It is such a deceptively deceptive and intelligent young man who has become the most notorious serial killer in American history. "Extreme Evil" uses Ted Bundy's deceptive side to conceal part of the truth and contrasts his unknown demonic nature.
The film also tells people that some murderers are not necessarily brutal in face or from humble origins. He may hide by your side like a close friend. Knowing people is hard to know.
In the film, the heroine Liz played by Lily Collins is a manifestation of public perception. She is grateful for Ted's entry into her desolate single-parent family life, has unlimited expectations of him, and loves him madly. In the end, she was not sure that Ted was the murderer, she forced him to ask him, she hoped to exchange the truth with her love for him, another "heart death".
The handling of "Extreme Evil" may be uncomfortable, but if you combine it with past reality, you may agree with the director's narrative method. But the film also conceals the motive of Ted Bundy's murder. In order to exaggerate the deceptive nature, the shadow of Ted Bundy's childhood and the root cause of him to become a demon is not mentioned in the film.
Ted Bundy said that there is no motive for killing and he is "the coldest beast in the world." However, after searching by experts later, it was discovered that Ted Bundy was insecure since he was a child and lived a life under the fence. His grandfather had a serious tendency to violence, which buried him with personality defects. This caused him to encounter obstacles in dealing with feelings in his youth, and then developed into murder to vent his anger, in order to satisfy his erotic needs.
This is a bit addictive to drugs. After having the first time, he can't help but have the next time, and the increase in the pleasure threshold makes him have to get more and more serious again and again. The satisfaction of lust can never be achieved through a catharsis. In the end, he couldn't stop committing many crimes and became a serial killer.
Ted Bundy has a huge influence on American culture. After he was executed, Hollywood made many films based on him. The protagonist Hannibal in "The Silent Lambs" was based on him.
"Extreme Evil" has no bloody pictures, but after watching the film, you feel terrified at this elegant murderer. Because the most terrifying thing is not the devil, but the devil who turns into a human being and is by your side.
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