[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: a few things
haven't caught up on my list reading yet but I got far enough to notice the
film discussion going on and having just read this by John W. Whitehead I
thought I'd share it.
"...good movies do not merely entertain. There is a crucial distinction
between art and entertainment. Entertainment is aimed at placating the
audience for the purpose of monetary profit. Art, however, does not look to
the profit motive. It is primarily ideological. Good art forces the viewer
to pause and consider. In other words, the eye will stop when viewing good
art and stimulate the thinking process. A good film, thus, like any good
art, will seek to elevate the human condition.
If, for example, your only urge after viewing a movie is to discuss the
best place to eat, then the film has failed as art. If, on the other hand,
the film prods you to think and to dialogue, then it has served its purpose.
This is true even if your reaction is that of hostility -- that is, if you
hated the film and what it had to say. As long as it stimulates the
cognitive process, it can be art."
kevin (not sure I buy such a black and white distinction between E and A and
I'm sure there's much to say on this but it's been a long day and I gotta
crash. Just thought I'd throw it out there since it is perhaps pertinent to
the discussion at hand)
---------------
Unsubscribe by going to http://www.actwin.com/OtR/