Rachel Griffiths says watching Game of Thrones on mobile phones should be illegal

Aussie actor Rachel Griffiths says there is one trend that politicians should swiftly shut down and outlaw, for the good of our own cinematic experience.

Actor Rachel Griffiths says politicians should deem it illegal to watch Game Of Thrones on a mobile phone.

‘I would like to talk to (Victorian Major Events Minister) Martin Pakula about making that a state crime if not a federal crime,” Griffiths said.

“It’s so sacrilegious. Don’t even get me started.”

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Griffiths, Oscar-nominated for her role in Hilary And Jackie, and star of US television hits Six Feet Unde r and Brothers And Sisters, said massive-scale shows like Game Of Thrones and Westworld, which screen on Foxtel, deserve viewer respect, and should be watched on a proper TV, preferably with other people.

“The scale of GOT — the ambition, cinematography and direction — is world class and cinematic. You get absolutely lost in those worlds,” the Melbourne based star said.

“What we loved about movies was the immersion and going into the big dark room and those doors closing. In a weird way, (shows like Game Of Thrones) is taking us back to that communal experience.”

Griffiths said she was staying with a friend in Sydney when the new season of GOT premiered two weeks ago.

Rachel Griffiths with the Screen Worlds exhibition which is closing after 10 years, at ACMI Flinders St Melbourne. Picture: Alex Coppel

“She told me: ‘Oh, yes, I’ve got the Foxtel,’ then with five minutes to go, she realised she didn’t have the appropriate package,” Griffiths said.

“I’m calling Foxtel and I’m watching the clock. I lost my s---!”

Griffiths, who directed the Michelle Payne biopic Ride Like A Girl, made the comments as the ACMI exhibition Screen Worlds closed last week while the museum undergoes a $40 million transformation.

As Game Of Thrones nears a climax, and gears up for its most epic battle scenes to date, film and television academics agree with Griffiths’ comments about watching the show on an appropriate screen.

“TV has become more cinematic, and everyone has a wide-screen TV. That’s the norm. And TV shows have a much higher production value, with Game Of Thrones being the most extreme example of that,” Dr Liam Burke, cinema and screen studies co-ordinator at Swinburne University said.

Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington in a scene from Game of Thrones. Picture: HBO

Dr Burke said “media convergence” — the ability to enjoy shows on “every device” — is convenient but “purists would say there’s too much availability.”

Asked if it’s disrespectful to watch GOT on a mobile phone, Dr Burke said: “I can’t imagine it’s enjoyable. Disrespectful is too strong a word, but it’s not giving attention to the level of detail that’s gone into producing one of those episodes.”

The upcoming episode of Game Of Thrones, a superlative showdown between a united army of former enemies and the walking dead, took 55 gruelling nights to shoot.

“That’s thousands of people working on production and post production of this singular episode,” Dr Burke said.

“It will have detailed battle scapes which will be hard to pick out, even on the biggest screen.

“So how are you going to get that depth and detail on something that fits in the palm of your hand? Whether it’s about respect for the people who put time and energy into it, or enjoyment, seeing it on a full sized screen is the best way to experience it.”

Game Of Thrones screens exclusively on Foxtel.