For analysis, I chose a scene depicting the battle for Chicago in the film Transformers: Dark of the Moon, as it aligns well with our theme: violence forms the routine structure and plot of Hollywood franchise action films. The scene, which will be discussed in the analysis, shows when one of the film’s protagonists, Optimus Prime, destroys a space bridge and the Decepticons in his path of destruction. This scene is the climax as the battle for Chicago nears its end, leading up to the final confrontation with the one who sparked the war in the city. The entire scene, along with its staging by the director, is filled with visual and emotional noise that serves as a backdrop, intensifying the seriousness of the situation and guiding the story toward its conclusion. The film’s conflict itself is quite straightforward, so the directors and producers attempted to add excitement by introducing a new character who plays a vital role both in the plot and in the scene we are analyzing.
To begin the analysis, let’s look at how the visual composition of the frame highlights scale and destruction. The city is shown in a dire state: smoke and fire obscure the rubble of buildings and demolished infrastructure, all of which underline the chaos and vastness of the disaster. This was designed to lend weight to the subsequent scene and immerse viewers in the story, so that during the action, they could feel the emotional and impactful impact of each blow or explosion. Optimus Prime, the franchise’s emblem, is flying across the sky, symbolizing hope for a better future. This contrast to the chaos and the characters’ discussions about uniting forces sparks enthusiasm from the moment he appears on screen. The mood shifts from an apocalyptic gloom to a ray of hope as he descends, accompanied by the sound of jets, into battle, with the main character shouting his name – the last hope that this nightmare will come to an end.
The giant robot with wings actually appears as a symbol of hope, like an angel who descended onto the battlefield to fight for the losing side, the hope of humanity. The entire scene after Sam’s cry screams about how the directors show how powerful Optimus is and how his return will affect the entire apocalypse in the city. At the beginning of the scene, the mise-en-scène continues to emphasize scale and chaos. But it is not only the arrival of one of the protagonists that influences the scene, but also the song that accompanies the scene itself. At this moment, against the backdrop of the arrival, the track It’s Our Battle begins to play, a track that accompanies the character as he lands, a track that gives viewers goosebumps about what will happen next, a track that speaks to viewers and shows the mood not only of the scene but also of the character Optimus himself.
Along with the destroyed city and Cybertron, which can already be seen on the ground, Robo Jesus flies into battle. The entire staging of the scene is kept to a minimum of frame changes, as if everything is happening in a single frame. The protagonist of this scene, having shed his wings, dances on the field of battle as if he were a dancer with explosions happening behind him, where bullets fly from side to side but cannot touch him, and his allies cannot cope with such a large number of enemies, but suddenly the battle turns in their favour. And Optimus finishes off his already wounded enemy and uses his weaponry to stop the one who was his teacher, and the one who went down the wrong path.
Despite the apocalypse in the city, it was meant for the family audience to view. Hughesman (1998) notes that stylized violence without realistic consequences for people is well suited to the perception of viewers, which is why it does not evoke associations with violence as such, and the work can even be suitable for children, provided that everything is shown correctly. This is used for many shows and media, such as Samurai Jack.
On the other hand, modern studies on media violence suggest that repeated exposure to stylized violence also hurts the mind. Anderson et al. (2003) argue the opposite of Hughesman, claiming that violent films increase aggressive thoughts and reduce empathy, even if the violence is not real or is presented differently. In a scene where Optimus shows his anger and deals with his enemies, it may seem like “justified aggression,” violence that can be condoned, and that no matter how it is presented, it will still affect the minds of viewers.
Some studies confirm this idea. Fanti, Vanman, and Moulds (2009) found that even brief and insignificant violence can reduce our empathy, which negatively affects our view that aggression and fighting are normal and that violence is the answer.
References:
Anderson, Craig A., Karen E. Dill, and Brad J. Smith. Violent Video Games and Aggressive Thoughts. New York: Academic Press, 2003.
Fanti, Kostas A., Emma Vanman, and Michelle L. Moulds. Exposure to Media Violence and Empathy. London: Psychology Press, 2009.
Hughesman, Jane. Stylized Violence in Family Media. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998.
ChatGPT. “Consultation on Analysis of Media Violence in Transformers: Dark of the Moon.” OpenAI, 2025.
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