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Owlwise's Replies
There's one on every thread, isn't there?
A masterpiece, not only for its time, but for this time as well. A visual tone poem/symphony that conveys its depths through sublime imagery.
Well said!
Veronica65 above, from 10 years ago, got to the heart of it:
<blockquote>You have to think about the subtext. Romero said in interviews that a lot of the stuff about commercialization breaking them up was inspired by the breaking-up of the '60s generation (of which GAR was a member) and the erosion of the goals that they had. I read that when the movie came out and ever since that, I always see the fair as a commune of sorts.</blockquote>
It's also a statement by Romero about staying true to his independent filmmaker status, as opposed to working for a studio & compromising his vision. The ramshackle quality of the film is actually one of its virtues, I'd say. Not too neat & tidy, a little messy, but saying exactly what Romero hoped it would say. He trusts the audience to get the mythic & symbolic & deeply personal aspects, while also delivering an entertaining story to everyone who's willing to enter his vision.
And what is his vision, really? That one should maintain integrity, honesty, and strive to live by a meaningful code as best one can, despite the demands & temptations of the world. But he's also aware that one can't hide from the world, one can't use that code as an excuse for hurting people, as both Billy & Morgan learn by the end of the film.
I love that this film was released the same week as <i>Excalibur</i>, as between them they truly capture & embody what the Arthurian mythos is all about, whether in a legendary past of the imagination, or right here in the everyday world.
And as someone who was a teenager in the 1960s, this is the film I recommend to younger people who want to know what that decade was all about. It offers the best of what motivated so many young, earnest, idealistic people who sought a better world: camaraderie, fellowship, loyalty, the pursuit of something more than just worldly success & ego & status. Yet it has a healthy dose of humor, including self-deprecating humor, in its characters. A favorite film of mine!
And God bless us, everyone! :)
Succinctly & beautifully said!
We see enough of Fred to know that he is financially successful without being obsessed by it, and that he knows money is just a means to an end, not an end in itself. He clearly understands that a good & worthwhile life isn't measured by money, but by the emotional ties that hold & support people together. Fred is a happy man, not because he's making money hand over fist, but because he has enough to not only provide for his family, but also to help those in need. And he gives to those in need because he genuinely wants to. He has compassion & empathy, both for his miserable uncle Scrooge, whom he sees as trapped within his own miserliness, and for Bob Cratchit, whom he sees as an equal human being deserving of courtesy & respect.
I know, I know!
The meta aspect of this new Matrix is intriguing, turning its own grim & hard-won history into just a popular & entertaining fiction, all to keep Neo unaware of his true state & doubting his own memories.
Why is the first impulse of so many people to expect the worst? Maybe even anticipate it gleefully? I think a lot of people are actually <b>hoping</b> for a disaster of a film. And that's rather sad.
I'll agree to mixed feelings & uncertainty as to the wisdom of another film, but I'm also willing to wait & see how it turns out. Sequels more often give diminishing returns, but once in a while one will be surprisingly good & offer something new. It would be nice to get that with this sequel.
I agree with you. The "straight copy of the original movie" incidents actually seem to be deliberate & knowing self-references, all part of an even more complex & confining Matrix. I'll have to see it to know if that's true or not, but it's the feeling I get from the trailer.
Thank you! I agree, Renner's feelings are quite understandable & not to be condemned. A strongly humane & heartfelt story overall, beautifully done.
Well, that's the logic of the screwball comedy, just start with a premise & run with it, never worrying about it making too much sense. The main thing is to create an entertaining movie, a diversion from the outside world for a couple of hours. And to have fun!
Well, in that particular case, I can't argue. :)
And even then, it all depends on individual taste. For some, the most "dated" aspects are precisely what give them their charm. Every decade of film offers that window into the past, just as it was felt then. That's something current films about the 60s & 70s can never have, however worthy their other merits.
I grew up in the 60s & early 70s, so of course I'm powerfully bonded to those films. And while I can see why some aspects would be called dated—and in some cases genuinely <b>are</b> dated as far as being fixed in the amber of their moment—I can still appreciate & enjoy them simply for themselves, beyond nostalgia for my youth.
And there's also the fact that today's highly acclaimed films will undoubtedly be called dated a few decades down the line as well. That doesn't make them bad films, though.
"Not aged well" is like "dated" -- phrase so overused as to be meaningless, other than to indicate that the films in question don't conform in every way to what's popular right this very minute. Any story about real human beings, facing real human issues, remain forever timely & relevant. Yes, the clothing, the customs, the social mores, etc., may be very different—but that serves another purpose, i.e., opening a window onto the way people once viewed & experienced the world. And as I say, the human issues remain the same. Otherwise, why watch any older film? Why read any older novel? Why listen to any older music? Why look at any older art? Yet people find depth & meaning in those "dated" creations that supposedly "haven't aged well" every day.
Yes, anyone who has reached a certain age can identify strongly with that episode. A very human & humane story, bittersweet, but not without hope either. A recognition that some things in life can never be regained, but they can still be cherished as long as we accept that recognition.
I never saw the story as one about cowardice, but about naked fear in the face of horrible power driven by an immature, self-centered mind. That's something people in the real world have faced time & time again.
That's a powerful & disturbing episode, but if it hadn't been made, the series would still be remembered & revered for so many other fine episodes. Just from the previous postings, it's easy to see that it appealed & spoke to many human needs, fears, and desires. "Walking Distance" & "A Stop At Willoughby" are especially strong episodes for me, as an example. Questions of identity lost & found (or not); of human authenticity in an increasingly mechanized world; of basic compassion & decency in the face of greed & callous evil; loneliness; despair; imagination ... and those are just a few of the eternally human issues it grappled with.
Ah, I see. Thanks, Costumer!
Is he always in that narrowly & rigidly literal mode? Extremely & sadly limited, if so!