The question really is, "where does the 'plot' LIE?" It's hard to adapt
to the fact that the plot *is* in the "description." They need
contemporary comparisons to help them. I don't know if you get BBC
America where you are, but I enjoy their techno-thrillers, like for
example "Spooks" -- known in the US as MI5. Anybody who watches it gets
almost more action than they can cope with, but what fascinates me is
the way Spooks turns the visual scene of London into an aspect of the
plot: dark, mordant, incredibly urban and modern. Of course those of you
versed in the repertoire of current noir movies and digital games will
have better examples. One of my English relatives was stunned and
shocked to learn of my fascination with Spooks! Elderly lady professors
are supposed to prefer Jane Austen (I like her too). Speaking of visuals
that tell the story, has anybody here seen "The Duchess"? I'm interested
in it because of course the Duchess in question is a lineal descendant
of the Sidneys. But that very high-end chick flick is expert at creating
an aspect of plot out of costumes, rural vistas, etc. Germaine.
--
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Germaine Warkentin // English (Emeritus)
VC 205, Victoria College (University of Toronto),
73 Queen's Park Crescent East, Toronto, Ont. M5S 1K7, CANADA
[log in to unmask]
“The primary rule of intellectual life: when puzzled,
it never hurts to read the primary documents” (Stephen Jay Gould)
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