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Author Topic: Movie Questions For You to Answer  (Read 50154 times)

MartinTeller

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Re: Movie Questions For You to Answer
« Reply #140 on: August 29, 2011, 09:52:37 AM »
What is a director's responsibility?  Not much more than what they have done already.
But what if real people get hurt in the name of art? Such as in the case of the movie I wrote about where the girlfriend untruthfully was pictured as if she didn't care and deserted her partner when things got rough? As you say, the audience takes the "based on a true story" as the truth.
Don't you think the director needs to relate to this and consider the consequences his lies may have for people in the world?

I think that the director said enough when he said "based on true events".  To me that means, it's not true.  I think it's sad that people don't realize it.  Like I said, I wish, for the sake of truth, directors would explain that it simply isn't true.  But then it ruins the film.  I don't have a good solution, but putting all the responsibility on the director doesn't seem a good answer.

Along these lines, I think it's the responsibility of the audience to understand that "based on a true story" does not mean "everything in this film is 100% true".  In fact, this applies even to documentaries. 

mañana

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Re: Movie Questions For You to Answer
« Reply #141 on: August 29, 2011, 10:40:59 AM »
Ecstatic truth is the only truth. I like filmmakers to have points of view, once it's on screen I'll determine if it feels honest to me or not.
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verbALs

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Re: Movie Questions For You to Answer
« Reply #142 on: August 29, 2011, 02:03:57 PM »
I recently saw Senna.  The archival footage and the story it told gave me the sense of realism and truth.  I'd be devastated to learn that any of that was a lie, or even a stretch of the truth.  On the other hand, I know that film isn't a history lesson, but one person's view of the truth.  In that way, it never surprises me to learn that the "truth" is skewed, always subject to interpretation.

The only lie about Senna the film was that it didn't convey how dangerous Senna was considered to be at the time. At a time when drivers died quite regularly the film didn't show how intimidating he was to other drivers. The film shows how cavalier he was in a positive light , that's not how it was.

However the film is so damn good I can forgive that slight niggle whilst I was watching it. I am reading The Interruptors reviews as if I was reading Senna reviews so it must be good- a golden age for docs obv.
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Bill Thompson

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Re: Movie Questions For You to Answer
« Reply #143 on: August 30, 2011, 05:26:03 PM »
I'm of the mindset that I don't need a film to be historically accurate. I guess things like a director's responsibility to the truth don't matter to me that much, I'm more interested in the story. As long as the story is a good one I am a happy camper, that's why I'm okay with history being flushed down the cinema toilet.

Documentaries are another case, simply because the genre itself is trying to aim for something more truthful. Docs are pretty much the only time I care about historical accuracy to the point where the inaccuracies are a detriment to the film. This is one of the many reasons why I can't stand the majority of docs, especially those by Michael Moore.

oldkid

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Re: Movie Questions For You to Answer
« Reply #144 on: August 30, 2011, 08:16:57 PM »
I can appreciate your ideal, Bill, but I think docs have gone too far down the road for them to be called "truthful".  F is for Fake, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Michael Moore, Morgan Spurlock and even Errol Morris, let alone the one sided diatribes of conservative or liberal politics, or the religious wars come to documentaries.  And what about 24 City?  Is that really objective?  I think we need to recognize that at least half of the documentaries out there aren't made with the ideal of objectivity, and the other half often fail at that goal. 

However, that doesn't make them good films.
"It's not art unless it has the potential to be a disaster." Bansky

Junior

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Re: Movie Questions For You to Answer
« Reply #145 on: August 30, 2011, 10:51:42 PM »
There was something clever I said once about Braveheart but I can't remember what it was.

For me, the only truth that matters when it comes to film is the emotional truth. And then it's only the emotional truth when it comes to the director that matters. Who gives a shit if William Wallace wasn't a Christ figure in real life, if Mel Gibson wants to portray him as such it is interesting in that light. Feel free to twist as much as you want to make that work. If I wanted a history lesson I'd hop in my TARDIS and check it out for myself. Then I'd make a biased movie about it.
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ferris

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Re: Movie Questions For You to Answer
« Reply #146 on: September 01, 2011, 03:51:43 PM »
Then I'd make a biased movie about it.

:D
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1SO

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Re: Movie Questions For You to Answer
« Reply #147 on: September 08, 2011, 01:49:28 AM »
NEW QUESTION:

What is your All Time favorite movie goof?



There are literally thousands of these, with websites devoted to them and youtube clips counting down personal favorites.
For Ebert the answer is Jaws: The Revenge when Michael Caine's plane crashes into the ocean and he is pulled on board completely dry.
The one that springs to mind for me is in Gladiator. After the opening battle, Maximus walks up to his horse and a P.A. in modern day jeans appears under the horse's neck.



The scene continues and the P.A. tries to casually back up until he is blocked by the horse.

jim brown

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Re: Movie Questions For You to Answer
« Reply #148 on: September 08, 2011, 09:29:08 AM »
My go-to gaffe is the boy covering his ears before the gunshot in "North by Northwest".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAhKLfzDHcI
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Supreme Being: I think it has something to do with free will.

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Tom: Sister, when I've raised hell you'll know it.

Sandy

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Re: Movie Questions For You to Answer
« Reply #149 on: September 08, 2011, 10:40:31 AM »
I liked how they kept this in. Maybe they thought it was as funny as I did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBQaLuqwtl8