[Vince Ferrer]

Movies are quite a bit LESS gratuitously violent these days. In the 1980s, say, there were copious amounts of blood in each action movie, and gore was pretty routine. Most action movies were rated R. Family organizations complained, but Hollywood just put them down and complained that no one had the right to censor their "art."

But some time around the 1990s, Hollywood discovered exporting movies to the rest of the world, and the rest of the world didn't like the violence. So Hollywood has learned to tone things down. Today you can hardly ever see blood on the screen, even in a war scene. I have seen the Dark Knight Rises, and there is no blood in the movie.

Exhibit One: 1990 Total Recall

Exhibit Two: 2003 Return of the King

[Vince Ferrer]

I have seen the Dark Knight Rises, and there is no blood in the movie.

Correction, he does get a cut on his forehead once.

[Kaosinla]

I don’t think that the international distribution had anything to do with trait. It was the fact that more money could be made off a PG-13 movie than an R. Directors/Studios do everything they can to keep movies a step away from an R rating.

However, violence is still as prevalent and Directors still attempt to shock.

See Saw (series, Hostel (series), P2, The Descent, etc...