In Reply to: Whatever happened to elegance? posted by danj on August 19, 2009 at 08:45:17:
'Top Hat' was on one hand a musical, because musicals were very popular at the time it was released, but even more so it was a fantasy. It, like many (hundreds?) released during the Great Depression, were set pieces showing the supposed lives of the wealthy and carefree. Hence, they allowed the large percentage of the U.S. populace who were poor-to-dirt-poor to, for a few cents, sit in a dark theater and dream about a life they would never have. Do you really want movies like 'Top Hat' to be part of current production? I sure don't-they were a product of their time, and though they may be "elegant", they're ultimately silly and insincere, without even the thinnest veneer of realism. Needless to say, that can describe a large crop of current cinema, but at least we rarely see people eating supper in a tuxedo. In retrospect, it's a wonder theater audiences of the time didn't rise up out of their seats, grab pitchforks and torches, and storm the Bastille that is Hollywood.
Hey, that might be an idea for a screenplay!
"dammit"
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Follow Ups
- There's no mystery. - powermatic 18:16:17 08/20/09 (6)
- "Top Hat" was just an example - danj 11:02:38 08/21/09 (2)
- RE: "Top Hat" was just an example - powermatic 18:45:07 08/21/09 (1)
- Yes, but again I'm talking about the mood rather than the film - danj 11:27:14 08/22/09 (0)
- "...storm the Bastille that is Hollywood." GOOD IDEA! - grhughes 07:50:06 08/21/09 (2)
- More.......As you storm the Bastille...your battle cry.... - grhughes 08:57:20 08/21/09 (1)
- RE:LOL! - powermatic 18:21:57 08/21/09 (0)