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In Reply to: Why do you watch films? Entertainment, sure. But, on a site that's part of a posted by tinear on December 24, 2020 at 07:55:00:
There are a number of factors with art and what people like. One of my university Literature instructors liked Harlequin romance novel. She noted that you never reread these things - they're bubblegum.
That's why I always liked the term Bubblegum pop for music that is pure surface level doesn't make you think music.
Everything is somewhat layered. Some of it is only the surface layer. Right down to a person's career choice. Do you work to live or live to work?
There was an excellent episode of M.A.S.H where Charles Emmerson Winchester III finds everyone boorish and he, with his Harvard Education, is a Classical music elitist. One day a visiting music/comedy group lands in the camp and a woman is playing the Accordion. Charles grumbles at the absurd instrument and cacophony of the music played. The woman then sits down at the piano and plays a classical piece to his amazement.
Why would you waste your time with that (____) when you play the piano so well?
You know the spiel that the people want what the people want and if you want to put food on the table playing Mozart may not cut it. Are they a sell-out or as an artist do you want your art to be seen and appreciated by more people? There is also a kind of vanity or just a need to be loved and accepted where an artist gets life-affirming acceptance being a "star."
This carries over to other art forms such as film or movies. I separate the words film and movies because for me the latter is a sort of fantasy land to get away from "thinking" and to get two hours away from life and to simply enjoy - comedy/action/horror for example.
Half my music collection is classical/Jazz but as an English Literature guy, I also appreciate "lyrics" and storytelling through poetry which is what rock/pop/hip-hop/country etc can bring to the table.
With this latter music - you don't have to study the history of Mozart or read about what the composition is about to "get" the background. With modern music, the story or message or idea is in the lyrics. Listening to a piece by Mozart with zero reading going in is just a piece of music lalalalalalala - "oh that's nice but so what?" What am I "getting" from that?
To a degree, it's the same for Shakespeare. If you read Shakespeare with zero education on it from a math teacher who took the English teaching job - as a student your appreciation from a blank reading will be seriously diminished. I know so many kids and adults who hate Shakespeare as a result of the way in which it was taught.
A scene in Mr. Holland's Opus was effective because he was not able to get classical music through to the students - they were failing because he was failing them. Once he brought in the music they listen to and then to work back from modern music to Beethoven they became engaged with Beethoven.
And then there is your own taste - using Aristotle's elements of a play (can be used for movies and film):
Plot
Character
Theme
Language
Rythm
Spectacle
Each of us falls along a dominance line of the left/right brain hemisphere. A left-hemisphere dominant-minded person tends to be logical analytical and mathematical. They may respond to a film's spectacle (camera angles, lighting, visual effects, and logic associate with the plot). A right hemisphere minded person is more artistic (lead with the heart over mind) and will probably be more interested in Character/theme/Ryhtm(mood) and their appreciation of spectacle will likely focus on the grand sets or vistas than on lighting effects or technical aspects of the movie.
And many people are on some sliding scale.
So does one focus on the lyrics and the singer in pop or rock song or do they focus on the musicianship of the guitar player or how great the drummer is and give a pass to the lead vocalist?
Plenty of people rave about Bob Dylan's lyrics - he won a noble for it - but he's not winning "greatest singing voice" awards. People listen to the lyrics, not the person delivering the lyrics.
For me with film or music or TV and even music - I am a less is more kind of guy. I don't have the patience for films that spend a bunch of unnecessary time presenting me with visuals that say "see look how good I am with lighting" "This shot is so cool look how I got the reflection in the mirror to hit the floor in such a way - blah blah blah.
Have an interesting story with interesting characters that I care about and chances are I'll like the movie -- whether it is high art or mainstream holiday movies.
Mr. Plinkett's review comparing the original Star Wars to the Phantom Menace at the last 3 minutes of his Phantom Menace review says it all. He puts the viewers to the test. Describe a character without talking about their jobs or their looks. Han Solo. Then some character in the Phantom Menace.
He illustrates movie making 101. His reviews are far more entertaining than the movies he reviews and I have seen his reviews more times than the movies! His review of The Phantom Menace with all the parts is around 90 minutes - I would PAY to see his review in the theater before I ever pay for another damn Star Wars movie! I know I will walk out with a chuckle.
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Follow Ups
- RE: Why do you watch films? Entertainment, sure. But, on a site that's part of a - RGA 19:03:58 12/26/20 (0)
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