Recently I have gotten back into Game of Thrones (I know, late to the party). I’m not one to enjoy the blood and gore which makes some scenes difficult to watch, but I have found that they don’t over do it. I would not describe Game of Thrones as a particularly ‘gory’ show, while it does include a lot of gory material. I attribute this to the way it has been shot.

Game of Thrones has been brought to life. The intricacies of the story line and the details of all the characters make Westeros seem so real and life-like that I have found that when I am watching a particularly bloody scene, I don’t feel like I’m watching blood and guts. I feel like I’m watching the terrible things that have been happening to some characters (whether they deserved it or not). I feel like the world has been brought to life and the things that happen in that world (mostly death) are just a part of it.

I would also attribute this to the editing team. The camera does not show particularly horrible things in details, it does not highlight the gore. Instead it shows the audience what they need to be shown (mostly to get the idea of the suffering of the character) and then it moves on, usually to another character. While you can still hear what is happening, you are watching the reactions. I think this is what makes it real. The reactions of the actors make you feel what the characters would be feeling, instead of the ‘ickiness’ of the blood and guts.