Foxy,

Did you get her message from the printed word or was it from her clear diction?

Dear SteeleRedux,

I don't like blood sports and therefore I hadn't looked
at "Knuckle" in the same way that you did. All I could
think of was - "Ah well, that's their culture, the poor
sods." I missed seeing any positive in what they were doing.
I guess that just goes to show that we all have our own
biases - right?

Thank You for showing me a different side to things.
Apparently I'm not as broad-minded as I thought I was.
But I'll go back and view "Knuckle" again.

Dear Is Mise,

Give it a rest.

You didn't like her.

We get that.

Dear Foxy,

No your instincts are right.

I'm not contending it is a positive thing they are engaged in, far from it. Rather it is less negative if you will. I'm more about showing the hypocrisy of those who would condemn them and then happily pay to watch an MMA fight.

Bare knuckle fighting is renown for the amount of blood it produces but the padded gloves of modern boxing have been implicated in causing far more brain injury. Comparing these lane-way bouts to modern MMA conducted for the entertainment of the masses should give us pause for thought.

That being said please don't watch the Knuckle through on my account. It is brutal and it sets the scene for a Shakespearean like tragedy. The younger brother we see getting married in the opening scenes goes on to dishonour the code. So much of his subsequent rage and striving for redemption through his fists is driven by that mistake. Although we do not learn of it in the documentary he later goes on to beat the bride we see to death.

I just wanted to illustrate the linkages I saw between the two films. This should not take anything away from Norwegi's piece which was marvelous. I feel the exploration of the ethical life is conducted in both works.

Dear SteeleRedux,

Thank You for understanding and for your further explanations.
I won't watch the link again because from what you've told
me I would find it too upsetting. It would live with me for
quite some time.

It's the brutality of the sport
and the damage done to those who take part in it.
I could never understand the thrill that some people get out
of this so called sport. Still, I suppose if that is the only
way to achieve glory or fame or a triumph over
adversity in one's life - some people will take on
whatever they can towards that end.

Although having said that I've got to admit that I do
enjoy films where good triumphs - films
like The Gladiator, Ben Hur, the Rocky films -
where against all odds the heroes win.

It's all a question of our own biases and perceptions -
isn't it? It's good though to be confronted with films
like the "Knuckle" and have discussions about them to
broaden our views and have a re-think of what we are
actually seeing - and look beneath the surface and our own
prejudices.

So again, Steele, Thank You for your insights.

Dear SteeleRedux,

Have you ever seen the film, "The Wrestler,"
Starring Mickey Rourke?

I'd be curious what you thought of it, if you've
seen it. It was sometime ago - in the 2008s I
think.