Author Topic: March MDC 2011 Documentaries: Write ups  (Read 10304 times)

Bondo

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 23082
Re: March MDC 2011 Documentaries: Write ups
« Reply #10 on: March 06, 2011, 08:57:37 PM »
If you like a piece of art does it make a whopping difference who did it?

This is my favorite question from the film. I suppose it is valid to like a story as much as the art itself but a lot of the time it seems like preferring the expensive wine because it is priced higher. Your interpretation is led not by the actual piece of art but of what you are told to expect/think from/about it.

ProperCharlie

  • Member
  • **
  • Posts: 287
  • Am I right sir? Ithangyou.
Re: March MDC 2011 Documentaries: Write ups
« Reply #11 on: March 07, 2011, 04:14:18 AM »

Between 1968 and 1972, 24 men escaped earth atmosphere and are the only people to ever see the whole earth. Twelve of those men stepped foot on another world. This film tells their story, but in doing so it really tells all our stories.

The history of humanity is told in exploration.

Human achievements like these make me understand what religious people are talking about when they speak of transcendence. I felt it, whatever it is, while watching this film. It moved me to tears more than once.


Absolutely.  I love it.  It's the simplest idea.  Making those first footsteps somewhere completely unexplored.  This film and these men convey that experience perfectly. 

Sandy

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 12075
  • "The life we build, we never stop creating.”
    • Sandy's Cinematic Musings
Re: March MDC 2011 Documentaries: Write ups
« Reply #12 on: March 07, 2011, 10:59:11 AM »
Thanks for the dictation and the review. I can't wait to see this!

smirnoff

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 26251
    • smirnoff's Top 100
Re: March MDC 2011 Documentaries: Write ups
« Reply #13 on: March 07, 2011, 11:22:47 AM »
My Kid Could Paint That

One thing I wish the film would've gotten into a little bit more is why certain revelations have such an influence on how people view the art. If I suddenly found out every Kubrick movie was made by his wife or something, sure Id be interested, but I would never think more or less of the work. 2001 and Strangelove would still be terrific movies. If I found out Tom Cruise was a crazy person I wouldnt be inclined to reevaluate movies of his I love  ;D. Why does it matter? If you like a piece of art does it make a whopping difference who did it? Shit, its not like your "Marla" ties the living room together any less if it was painted by a 35 year old dude.

4/5

So glad you liked it jrod, thank you!

As to your wish that the film would've probed more deeply into the "what difference does it make" question, you might find this TED talk quite interesting. It discusses how context can change the perception of art in ways that don't seem logical, which in many ways relates to this movie. You can skip ahead to 08:30 which is where he gets into the "synthetic happiness" side of the discussion and eventually to an interesting experiment involving art and choice. Or just watch the whole thing, it's all quite fascinating and gets you thinking. :)


Thor

  • Godfather
  • *****
  • Posts: 6535
    • KTQ
Re: March MDC 2011 Documentaries: Write ups
« Reply #14 on: March 07, 2011, 11:01:45 PM »
Harlan County, USA

Thanks, Corndog. I had been meaning to watch this for ages, but never have got to it. Really is pretty great - mixing verite doc style with the narrative structure of a frontier Western. Love the opening in particular, just showing the town for what it is. And I would have been happy with the film's portrayal of the men and women dealing the strike and picketing and just living hard and singing folk songs with missing teeth and wizened jaws, but then the events get really heightened in a way that seems just insane, with people calling in hits, people shooting at each other and the camera, and big burly women packing pistols in their bra, and the film kicks up to another level of intensity, full of scary Mexican-standoffs between the good villagers and the unruly, menacing outlaws (and this was only 40 years ago!). "Which Side Are You On?" There's no question about it all, those songs are too dman catchy and too truly sung. Kopple picks her side and shows us them rallying around the moral high ground while the villains demonize themselves, and the film is all the better for the simplicity of the staged battle. If that wasn't enough, it then kicks up to a final strata of greatness with its coda, in which, of course, it all got too much and too ugly, and yet nothing's changed, in fact it's likely to get worse, even though the fight was won so bravely by the plucky, poor idealists, and the rich capitalists will still trample them, because this is America, and that's how it works.

CINECAST!in' awesome.
Wanting for Thor what Thor wants for Thor.

MartinTeller

  • FAB
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 17864
  • martinteller.wordpress.com
    • my movie blog
Re: March MDC 2011 Documentaries: Write ups
« Reply #15 on: March 08, 2011, 10:24:45 PM »
Not Quite Hollywood - Australian cinema is a huge gap in my filmic education.  Out of the 50 or so movies referenced in this documentary, the only one I'd seen besides the standard arthouse staples is Mad Max, and possibly Felicity on late night cable a long, long time ago.  The thing is, I don't give a damn about exploitation (or, in this case, "Ozploitation") films.  I'm just not interested.  So 100 minutes of people waxing rhapsodic about movies that I most likely would hate (the first half seemed particularly loaded with exceptionally stupid films) isn't that fun for me.  There are a few entertaining anecdotes, and there was a small handful of movies I might want to check out at some point (Razorback, Next of Kin, Roadgames, The Survivor) but for the most part I couldn't care less.  Despite the enthusiasm of the interviewees, the documentary failed to get me excited about its subject, and probably appeals mostly to the already converted.  I also found the editing annoyingly rapid at times, although some of the graphics were clever.  And I like Tarantino's work, but listening to him talk about anything is a grating experience.  Rating: 5


egdar, if you want to dictate something else for me, I'm game.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2011, 02:41:56 PM by MartinTeller »

Thor

  • Godfather
  • *****
  • Posts: 6535
    • KTQ
Re: March MDC 2011 Documentaries: Write ups
« Reply #16 on: March 10, 2011, 03:30:05 PM »
Harlan County, USA

Thanks, Corndog. I had been meaning to watch this for ages, but never have got to it. Really is pretty great - mixing verite doc style with the narrative structure of a frontier Western. Love the opening in particular, just showing the town for what it is. And I would have been happy with the film's portrayal of the men and women dealing the strike and picketing and just living hard and singing folk songs with missing teeth and wizened jaws, but then the events get really heightened in a way that seems just insane, with people calling in hits, people shooting at each other and the camera, and big burly women packing pistols in their bra, and the film kicks up to another level of intensity, full of scary Mexican-standoffs between the good villagers and the unruly, menacing outlaws (and this was only 40 years ago!). "Which Side Are You On?" There's no question about it all, those songs are too dman catchy and too truly sung. Kopple picks her side and shows us them rallying around the moral high ground while the villains demonize themselves, and the film is all the better for the simplicity of the staged battle. If that wasn't enough, it then kicks up to a final strata of greatness with its coda, in which, of course, it all got too much and too ugly, and yet nothing's changed, in fact it's likely to get worse, even though the fight was won so bravely by the plucky, poor idealists, and the rich capitalists will still trample them, because this is America, and that's how it works.

CINECAST!in' awesome.

I just remembered the scene with cop, because someone was talking about the police in Wisconsin. Watching the scene in Harlan County, USA, I was thinking, "this amazing, no cop would do this now and be able to get away with this, speaking so frankly."  Truly one of the great scenes in any documentary.
Wanting for Thor what Thor wants for Thor.

Corndog

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 17025
  • Oo-da-lolly, Oo-da-lolly, golly what a day!
    • Corndog Chats
Re: March MDC 2011 Documentaries: Write ups
« Reply #17 on: March 10, 2011, 05:09:20 PM »
Glad you liked it Thor. Kind of figured you would.
"Time is the speed at which the past decays."

Corndog

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 17025
  • Oo-da-lolly, Oo-da-lolly, golly what a day!
    • Corndog Chats
Re: March MDC 2011 Documentaries: Write ups
« Reply #18 on: March 10, 2011, 11:00:33 PM »
24 City (Zhang Ke Jia, 2008)

Thanks for the dictation, oldkid! It also added to my director marathon.
"Time is the speed at which the past decays."

oldkid

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 19044
  • Hi there! Feed me worlds!
Re: March MDC 2011 Documentaries: Write ups
« Reply #19 on: March 11, 2011, 11:15:38 AM »
24 City (Zhang Ke Jia, 2008)

Thanks for the dictation, oldkid! It also added to my director marathon.

Glad you (kind of) liked it!
"It's not art unless it has the potential to be a disaster." Bansky