Image courtesy of Universal Pictures
The Purge franchise, which has been around since 2013, is often misunderstood by a portion of its fans. While interpretation is always open to the audience, James DeMonaco, the franchise’s creator, writer, and director, finds it difficult to watch certain individuals project their views onto his work.
DeMonaco recently opened up about the worst aspects of his own legacy in an interview with We Got This Covered. He expressed his struggles, as a filmmaker, in witnessing his art being misinterpreted and used as a platform for others to live out their fantasies through the screen:
“It’s terrifying, man. It’s very scary. I hate that. Listen, I believe the metaphor: the right audience sees. This is what’s so hard about being a filmmaker or any kind of person creating any kind of art, I would say, or book/TV show/movie where something could be misinterpreted from the original intent.
The intent of the piece was something I was writing as a treatise or a reflection of the lack of gun control laws in America. Also, the treatment of the disenfranchised in America. And some people actually look at the The Purge movie, as wish fulfillment, like they would love to be able to Purge!”
The Purge franchise is not just another action-horror series, but rather is political and socio-economic commentary. Consequently, it is hard to understand how some manage to draw wild interpretations, as in each installment, viewers are presented with the world from the perspective of the terrified, defenseless, and those fighting tooth and nail to survive the night. Nevertheless, as in life, certain individuals will always see what they want to see.
DeMonaco remains saddened by how some choose to interact with his art, but recognizes that not everyone missed the point:
“But I’d say a good portion of society – it does make me happy – sees the movies for the original intent, which is like I said a moment ago, which is the lack of gun control laws, and the treatment of the disenfranchised, and the current state of political discord. You know, we can’t be worried about interpretation, but yes, it makes me sad that people think that The Purge could be a very natural extension of the current climate.”
Despite DeMonaco’s concerns, a sixth Purge film is currently in development. Let’s hope it resonates with the right audience.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
