The top image is an unedited photograph scanned directly from expired B&W 35mm film negatives I shot and developed in my closet. It represents a good example of high visual intensity because of the dramatic tonal contrast. Below it, I’ve taken the same image and utilized Lightroom to bring down the image’s highlights and reduce contrast, lowering the visual intensity. The difference between the blacks and whites in the edited photograph is less extreme, which provides a greater affinity.
Emotionally, one could argue that the first picture is likewise more intense. If an image’s intended message were to be one of despair or sorrow, for example, the unedited photo on top could certainly portray this in a more dramatic manner than its edited counterpart.