Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by jamesgarvin (A) on August 24, 2007 at 07:19:14

In Reply to: RE: I bet you could make ice tea instructions complex. posted by tinear on August 23, 2007 at 18:03:34

"European films, for instance, must be considered differently than "Asian."

Sure. But films there are really two choices in terms of structure - plot driven or character driven. On the other hand, subject matter, scenery, language (by which I mean style) are always different.

"There are many styles of martial art films, almost all of which, by definition, are plot driven."

No argument there

"Films like those of Wong Kar-Wai are in a very, very small minority."

Not sure what you mean by this. You mean that most films from Hong Kong are martial art films? I would disagree.

"India also produces few films similar to those of Ray or Mehta, most being Bollywood cheapie productions. Ditto China. Taiwan."

Cheapie production does not equal plot driven, or character driven.

"I might add that Brasilian films, also, follow this general rule of many plot driven, few character."

In looking over my notes, I have seen two Brazilian films relatively recently, Mango Yellow and Carandiru. Mango Yellow was unquestionably a character film. I would argue Carandiru was as well because the film spends 95% of its running time exploring the various characters within a static environment. Place the same characters in a bakery, restaurant, etc., and you have essentially the same film. The signigicance of the the fact they are in prison does not take place until the last twen minutes.

"I'd bet that most films there are NOT character driven but the ones we know, historically, and the ones exported to our shores, are."

So now you are supporting your arguments not with facts but with assumptions? I'll play. I'd bet that most Films in France are character driven, and that what we see over here is a representative sample. Sort of like in an election when the first 20% of the votes are counted from a representative geographic area, the remaining 80% will more likely than not reflect the first 20%.