Alice Haddock reassures us that the classics will live on with the next generation… it’s just going to take some convincing.
Tuesday afternoon in the cafeteria, my acquaintance, Cathy, who can be
hopelessly blunt at times, was asking me whether I’d seen some recent
movies. Frankly, there wasn’t a single movie on her list that I’d seen.
My close friends, sitting nearby, were trying hard not to laugh as she
went down her list, which consisted of “poorly filmed” time wasters
like “The Grudge”. Finally, exasperated, Cathy demanded to know what
sort of movies I do watch. My answer was sweet, short, and succulent.
“Good ones.”
Modern Film
Industry
I’ve been seriously considering an occupation as a film director in my
future. Inspired by master directors like Steven Spielberg and powerful
films like “Casablanca”, “The Untouchables,” “Star Wars,” and even some
fairly recent ones like 2000’s “Gladiator”, I want to be able to craft
storytelling in one of its most powerful mediums: film. However, the
state of the modern film industry leaves me hesitant.
It’s saddening that rapper Eminem’s movie “8 Mile” is the 2nd highest
grossing R-rated movie, falling short of “Hannibal”. And that last
year’s fairly well filmed “Lost in Translation” was so good that it
grossed $45 Million at the box office, exactly how much money “The
Grudge” raked in during it’s first five days. Yes, that’s precisely
where the film industry seems to be heading….straight down.
Surrounded
It’s bad enough, I know, when you spot an ad for some movie that
despairingly looks like another frenzied demolition action film, CGI
bloated sci-fi, or whatever creepy things that seem to be the
mainstream now. Oh, but it’s worse. Much worse. In the midst of high
school, I get daily documentary material showcasing the rapid and
sickening deteriorating state of the film industry. Outside of my small
circle of close buddies, the names Clark Gable, Alec Guinness, and
other great movie legends are lost.
Guys like Sean Connery, Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford, and Robert Del
Niro are still hanging in there, but the outlook is bleak. People still
know who Charlie Chaplin is, but have they seen his silent films? I
doubt it, having only recently been enlightened myself.
Instead, it’s now Adam Sandler, Josh Hartnett, Orlando Bloom. I thought
it was a joke that people actually think Adam Sandler’s movies with
“stand the test of time”. But nope, some people actually believe that
sentiment. Kind of makes you afraid for the next generation’s future,
don’t it?
But there is hope on the horizon…current celebrities like Russell Crowe
and eccentric Johnny Depp are actual actors, too.
The Cinematic Experience
My generation is unfortunate. Unless we go to special screenings, real
films like “The Godfather” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and other
enduring acts of storytelling on the big screen. Films no longer seem
to consist of memorable characters. In new movies, the character is
lost, and thus the story. People no longer have layers*, mental
conflicts, mystery. We no longer see powerful characters that are
larger-than-life, yet as down-to-earth as you or me. The way they are
supposed to draw you inexorably into the plot is lost. The sense of
connection that lingers at the closing credits of a movie is gone.
Engaging characters are rare in recent films. I blame it on reality
TV.** (I cannot go in depth into this topic, since the content would
consist of colorful vocabulary used to express my disdain.)
And what if old-fashioned movie story telling is lost from pop culture
forever? What if this greatest outlet of passion, hate, truth; this
void of emotions declines? As a great movie critic put it, “will we
really have lost the recognition that there’s something out there
greater than ourselves?”
Not All Hope is Lost
I am very grateful that my close friends have not succumbed to the
horrible carelessly plotted movies of the modern film industry that
disgrace the rich history of film. I always leave a party satisfied
when my Indiana Jones movies are well received; when a bad movie is
almost instantly spotted and ruthlessly cast out of the DVD player,
never to foul it’s reputation ever again. Although I have not yet been
able to persuade my friends to watch some authentic black-and-white
Golden Era films, their time will come. And when it does, there will be
a part of the new movie going generation that will have truly
experienced film.
