Other lists are better suited to these trawls through collective memory. Also, the subject is rather loose - a bit like saying 'what films have aeroplanes in them?' - and a little analytical focus might have helped. There are some very interesting relations between train-as-machine and cinema-as-machine, for example, for which the Ciotat film is a metaphorical example. Perhaps some critical weight might have helped early on.
I think Mike is just annoyed that his inbox has been filled with thousands of these posts over the weekend. I would agree with his point of view, but before I do...
anyone mentioned Keaton's The General yet?
Damian
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Armstrong [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Mon 17/05/2004 13:14
To: [log in to unmask]
Cc:
Subject: Train Films : An Apologia
I take Mike's point about the recent fixation with locomotive movies and realize I have been as transfixed with this rather trivial issue as anyone else. But I suspect it begs the wider issue of what this chatroom is for. I know we call ourselves film-philosophers and the site is intended as a forum for the sort of weighty discussion that this suggests. But another of its functions is to respond helpfully to passers-by in need of assistance or stimulation and I for one have appreciated this function as much as I do in-depth discussions of Heidegger which I value in a disinterested way because most of the time they go over my head.
At the end of a long day of churning out reviews, encyclopedia entries etc, what I value most is the camararderie to be found among some very intelligent people. There's always something stimulating to respond to, and if my brain responds most readily to trains in movies at the end of the day, it's probably because I'm knackered, searching for distractions, and hoping to make a contribution, however circuitous, to someone's thesis. But when trains tire me, I get off the track.
Richard * * Film-Philosophy Email Discussion Salon. After hitting 'reply' please always delete the text of the message you are replying to. To leave, send the message: leave film-philosophy to: [log in to unmask] For help email: [log in to unmask], not the salon. **
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