Film is not only an Art, but it is a paradigm of the Better Future we sometimes envisage for ourselves.
I watched the film Doubt again. She-who-must-be-obeyed was again awe struck by the wizardry of Meryl Streep's uncanny recreation of a Roman Catholic nun who was principal of an elementary school in the 1950's. Uncanny.
Upon reflection, perhaps the Director, John Patrick Shanley, who also wrote the original play and then wrote the screenplay, had exercised considerable influence in this matter. It was he, after all, who did create the original.
And perhaps there were numerous scenes which were not so good, scenes where the actors did not look their best and did something a bit out of character, or gave the wrong sort of look or movement which placed them into some other period of time: these were taken care of by the Film Editor, Dylan Tichenor.
Then the Cinematographer, Roger Deakins, the Set Design, the Production Design, Costume Design, and the Music. Then just consider how important the Make-up was in creating the sense of verisimilitude. And there are numerous other people and departments involved.
Film is the first Art that cannot be contained within the individual genius of the Artist, and needs a team of artists and technicians to create its artistic statements. Film also requires a good chunk of cash: it's hard to imagine a film being shot for less than $100,000.
Film is the Community as Spiritual Shaman and Bard: it is the work of many minds and hands, organized and working towards a representation which, in its most perfect form, is tantamount to Truth. The film which gave rise to this meditation was To Kill A Mockingbird. Upon reflection, you will see what a profound symbolic statement that film was. In the 20th Century, we reached for the stars, we contemplated the beginning of the Universe, and we collaborated for good and for ill; in our best moments, we were a band of brothers and sisters moving beyond ourselves to something like Mockingbird, a work of Art and Healing.
Film is in its very essence more like Prayer than our old-fashioned ideas about Art.
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http://mylawyerwillcallyourlawyer.blogspot.com/2011/06/to-kill-mockingbird-1962-directed-by.html
source of inspiration.
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3 comments:
Happy. So happy. Yes. A community of artists.
I also feel this about blogs, in a different way. My fellow blogger/artists inspire me, and my work is layered on their shoulders. We don't create one entity, like a film, but we are influencing one another.
But this about film and community, and later your facebook post, yes, so cool. I like your mind.
Thank you. It is like I've always said: I get my inspiration while at other websites. As I write a comment, I am forced to think about stuff maybe I have never thought about before. Bingo! There it is.
I am so-o-o glad I looked at that site about Mockingbird. I never thought about films beyond the usual approaches of the important modern critics and Siegfried Kracauer. Now I sort of have my own way of thinking about them; layered upon the shoulders of other bright minds.
I am following their site now too. It's cool to have two people present each review as they do. Thanks for leading me there.
BTW, I left more dialogue after your footwear comment at the Mt Shasta post . . they were Clarks Treks ...
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