People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have been forced to step in to defend a controversial scene in Lars Von Trier’s new film The House That Jack Built.

Von Trier already sparked huge controversy when 100 people decided to walk out of the Cannes premiere before the end due to it’s brutal nature.

Trier, who has made a name for himself with such work, has made a two-and-a-half hour film depicting 12 years in the life of a “highly intelligent” serial killer played by Oscar nominee Matt Dillon. Set in 1970s and 1980s Washington, Von Trier has described the film as celebrating “the idea that life is evil and soulless” but has been described as ‘murder porn’ by some critics. Some went as far as saying that the Danish writer-director had “gone too far” with his latest effort.

Film critic David Erlich said he would “never forgive Von Trier” if a real duck was harmed in the filming of a particularly brutal scene. Due to it’s realistic nature, numerous people reported Von Trier to PETA who have been forced to issue a statement.

“Following numerous calls about a scene in Lars von Trier’s film The House That Jack Built in which a young child uses a pair of pliers to cut a duckling’s leg off, PETA has confirmed that the ‘leg’ was created using movie magic and silicone parts,” they saud.

“While depictions of gratuitous violence like this may leave viewers sickened, it’s true that serial killers, like the character in the film, often get their start by first torturing animals, making the scene all the more realistic and disturbing.

“PETA is also happy to report that the images of tigers in the movie were from stock footage, yet again proving that there’s no need to use live wild animals in productions, thanks to the many humane alternatives being embraced by filmmakers today.”

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