| Subject: Re: Important films (and porn insight) |
Author:
Augie
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Date Posted: 00:17:30 03/16/04 Tue
In reply to:
marc
's message, "Re: Important films (and porn insight)" on 20:34:00 03/09/04 Tue
Warning: Somewhat long, may contain elements of preachiness, may cause vein in forehead to throb.
So we are talking about socially important films. Ok, I guess I'll be the guy who says, 'Citizen Kane.' This film is important in the sense that it paved the way for film to become social commentary, a vehicle and a voice, as well as entertainment. Also, the personal and public struggles that Orson Welles had to endure to get this film made, turned Welles, and his movie, into historical icons, and rightly so.
For those of you who haven't seen the movie and think it may be boring, well, you would be dead wrong. Welles was a brilliant filmmaker. Check out 'The Third Man' or 'Touch of Evil', and you may find much that is lacking in modern cinema.
Gibson's 'The Passion' is an important film, for obvious reasons. And Marc is right, history will judge and place this movie in its proper place. Yet, I would venture to say, Jung, that you are correct in regarding this film as inspired. For many people, 'The Passion' will become one of the most important pieces of cinema they will ever see.
However, most people don't care if a movie is socially important, only that it is relevant (ie. they can relate and respond to the content of the movie), even if it is hackneyed, or of poor technical quality. The success of movies like 'Easy Rider' and 'Clerks' bear this out.
I have read somewhere that 'Easy Rider' and 'The Graduate' are the two movies that encapsulate the 60's. I suppose I will have to take that on faith (born in the 70's and bludgeoned by the 80's). Having seen each of these films a couple of times now, I know that I will revisite 'Clerks' before it pops into my head to see these hallmarks of 35 years ago. And I would bet that someone who lived in the 60's could say, "strike that, reverse it."
In this sense, it can be argued, movies that are always relevant, or timeless, and eternally entertaining, are the most important. 'The Seven Samurai' fits nicely into this category. Even if you didn't enjoy this Kirosawa film, or have never seen it, you would know the story if you have seen a reasonable amount of film. It is such a timeless story that it has been remade, rehashed, retold, disguised, and reshaped into so many movies, that you would know it, without knowing.
As for porn - porn is NOT Film. Porn is a strobe light to disillusion the mind (Yes, I mean disillusion, not delude).
Images endlessly repeated, serving, in the end, to relegate sex into a static and banal act. I make no comment on the morality or usefulness of porn, only that it is NOT Film.
Don't get me wrong, sex belongs in Film, even graphic images of sex. It's just that for the mature mind, sex doesn't exist in a vacuum; it needs life, subtlety, and foreplay - it needs a context.
(Stepping off of Soapbox)
Anyway, I am a lover of Film and of stories. That being said, some of my favorite films would be considered unimportant by most standards - 'Big Trouble in Little China', 'The Big Lewbowski', and 'Mad Max' to name a few.
Also, IMHO, 'Empire of the Sun' is possibly Spielberg's best film (And yes, I know about Schindler's List, E.T., etc.). I'm sure a few of you miscreants may disagree. Feel free to froth at the mouth and gnash your teeth.
I could go on, but I have gone on longer than politeness would allow. Comments and flames welcome.
Be good,
Augie
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