Friday, September 02, 2005
Hello -- it's a movie!
Critic Anthony Kaufman's politically engaged version of The Constant Gardener may be "the movie to see" but without a doubt, far fewer people would bother. And isn't Hollywood having enough box office problems already? Get real buddy. I'm just as liberal as the next sap when it comes to big pharma evil and the exploitation of poverty-stricken Africans. But moviegoers aren't going to care just because YOU think they should.
In Little White Romance Kaufman writes:
"In many ways, these protagonists (Fiennes's character in The Constant Gardener and Cheadle's in Hotel Rwanda) function as surrogates for the uninformed American audience member: journeying from uninformed naivete to passionate advocacy. And yet, leaving the multiplex after the evils have been vanquished,moviegoerss can feel they have done something good as well, and in turn, feel better about themselves -- and then do nothing at all."
Entertainment has no obligation to change the world. But the fact that it can be used to slip these issue into people's consciousness is a blessing that needs to be treated gingerly. People are more leary and weary of propaganda than ever.
The article's insistence that a political agenda be met reminded me of Laura Barcella's political critique of Rize , which pissed me off a couple months back (LaChapelle is a white, middle -aged fashion photographer who's career was launched by Andy Warhol. He can keep his sociological thoughts re: hardship of life in South Central L.A. to himself, thank you very much. Let the man do what he does best -- make and capture pretty pictures). You want a documentary that looks at the political roots and implications of krumping? Cool. Go find some cultural anthropologistss and someone that can sell the idea to a couple of producers
On the extra tracks of Hotel Rwanda the director spoke specifically to a responsibility to inform movie goers about the genocide and how it was ignored, etc. but yet to also make a movie that would hook the audience and make somehow entertain them as they processed the horror. A big part of that hook was the romance between the hotel manager and his wife.
