Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by DWPC (A) on May 25, 2004 at 13:02:06

In Reply to: I have not seen the movie yet...... posted by Ruben on May 25, 2004 at 11:35:38:

I've seen Moore's previous works, and found them tedious and contrived to the extent that they diminished his message. He's like the portraitists of the classical period who guaranteed sales by knowing what patrons want and ensuring that's what they're presented. Moore and his Cannes award are exemplary of what I think is the great problem of art since WWII; its dominance by "artists" who's skills in self-promotion greatly exceed their talent to express sentiment indirectly; by subtlety, allegory and analogy. There's little art to wielding a bludgeon.

To me, there is no more artistic merit in a film that simply strings together manipulated segments of news clips and other mostly third party images under a narration expressly intended to inflame emotion. (I think that might also define propaganda.) The Cannes Jury is supposed to maintain the sense of film as art of merit that Hollywood long ago abandoned in favor of populism and profit. Instead, they sold out to politics.