Interesting perspective. I haven’t watched the movie in a while so I’ll have to revisit. The scene was shocking when I first saw it as a child. However, the first few times I’d seen the movie, my parents made me cover my eyes during this part. I didn’t even realize what was happening at this part in the film until many years later.

I agree with your reasoning here about preserving art and culture, but I will say that without that scene the movie still conveyed a good amount of tension between Claire and Bender. I don’t think the scene is completely necessary, however this is me speaking from memories of my childhood. I wasn’t much of a cultural analyst back then. Perhaps I’ll change my mind upon rewatch!

Thought provoking essay! Thanks for sharing.