Gliding through Southwestern Ontario via rail, I have lucked into a complimentary net connexion which has allowed me to finish my work in the early PM. It clears my head and plate for the later evening. Aldershot! ¶ This thought occurred to me last evening: cinema is largely trauma, realised. I don't think that trauma = drama, but in many cinematic instances, it certainly helps. For example, a revenge story is more compelling when lives are on the line as opposed to mere pride. Gambling stories only work when someone loses their Everything and not just their One Thing. I thought, last night, that books were exempt from this grip but the truth is I haven't read enough to know. Seeing Walk The Line had me wondering if real pill poppers would see themselves on screen or not. I suppose this is just a tiny observation about subtlety in storytelling. In Disturbia, the acceptable film I saw a couple of weeks ago, the hero has our sympathies right at the outset: he loses his good-guy father in an accident that he witnesses. Any further actions this character is involved in reminds us to keep this in mind (poor kid). The film is weak, as a direct result from this choice, not just because their choice was obvious. It was just easier. And easier is usually easy to see. This is why the great debate about Commerce vs. Art in film is largely moot. All popular art is sold but not all popular art is easy. Hell, even unpopular "hard" art sells. The idea that these choices are more conservative is something we all agree on. I think even the executives who clearly water down most Hollywood productions would agree to the label of conservatism via focus groups (i.e. they listen to focus groups). The real question is: does conservatism help or hurt the form? This happens in a lot of mainstream media. Is it really a good idea to put celebrities and headlines over all magazine covers? Maybe. But to me it just looks like one missed opportunity after another. Opportunities to carve our new niches, new interest, and as a direct result, new money. Crying "the reader will be confused" is like saying "I'm unsure of my role here." The details of our lives are like fine needlepoint. Easily lost when looking at the dress, but perhaps the defining characteristic of the dress. This stuff matters. It always has, it always will. Care is like fuel for art. ¶ Earlier this week I worked on a Mike Myers illustration that will be in this Saturday's National Post, Toronto section. Which is nice, because I'll be in Toronto.

Labels: Cinema, NationalPost, SitewayWorld, Train

¶ 12:58 PM
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