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Re: FW: Good flicks?
> Hey. Thanks for your response. I was hoping that someone would respond. I
> may be pretty touchy about that whole subject because I once knew someone
> (a good friends husband) who went down that path but chose the other
> direction. He destroyed his wife, daughter, and the girls life. And I once
> worked for a man who had an obvious problem with the way he looked at
> teenage girls. It scared me to death. So... I must admit that anything on
> that topic alarms me.
Why? This is something that confuses me. Now I understand if the film
ended with the support of such behavior, then I would have a
problem. I think that most mainstream films that have 23 year olds
playing teens, which in turn influences young girls to attempt to portray
a similar exagerated maturity. This film seems to be a reaction to a
society permeated with the sexualizing and deconstructing of the entire
female gender.
> Plus I suppose it's unfair for me to make any calls
> without having seen it... I always try not to do that... I guess I'm just
> really wrestling with this whole issue of where the boundries are for
> society, for art, for holiness... etc. I tend to agree that the message of
> the whole piece is the important part to grapple with... not picking it
> apart like a puzzle. It was meant to be a whole. Not pieces. But... well I
> guess I can't say anymore about American Beauty in particular without seeing
> it... but in general.... is any means justified as long as your coming to a
> good end artistically? I don't know for sure what I think right now... what
> I do know is that we can never say "you can't make that". That would be a
> scary world. However... I would be guilty if I stopped grappling with what
> was good for my soul.
Yes, see the film before saying anything. I always find it allowable to
express reservations, but these must be strongy separated from personally
licensed opinions which come with a more complete knowledge.
It has been explained to me in the past that all creations of a culture
act as "maps of reality". The power of these maps lie in their
assumptions. For example, a film that portrays a teens struggle with the
choice to smoke will not influence a viewer as much as a film in which the
teen protagonist smokes. Movies especially set up worlds that many
viewers find attractive in many ways. What attracts them isn't
necessarily themain struggle for resolution but the details of the world
that they live in. For example, I don't watch Bond films because I really
want to know whether he saves the world or not. I watch because I want to
see if the girls are better than the best (Dr. No for the curious) or if
the gadgets have gotten crazier and smaller. Does this make sense to
anyone else? Or is it just me?
Steve
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