Richard, I read the (un)offending hollywoodoutsider piece and am yet again
amazed at what people take to be defamatory and how they seem willing to
condemn themselves by their actions. Im for words, not legal silencing.
As for the offensive language, it is cause for amazement just how much
criticism/reviewing is just talking a talk. I enjoyed looking through your
nice little collection of terms - and also Roberts info on helming and
lensing. Although I think a good critic could use these words (even without
a prophylactic) they are symptomatic of dull, idea-free criticism. I note
that there is a certain subgenus of this stuff that gets quoted in
advertising blurbs. In fact I imagine a film critic would actually have to
take quite a bit of care not to coin at least some snippets of readymade
blurb fodder. (e.g. '...disturbing...'). Meanwhile some too oft quoted
critics seem to have been body-snatched by the stuff. (By the way, I am
pleased to say that since I read your article I have managed to work
zeitgeisty into quite a few conversations and am now working on
weltschmerzy).
On the subject of criticism, can anyone recommend some good
critiques/reviews of Gangs of New York. I have only read pretty harsh
judgements. Even though some have been criticism of a reasonable standard,
most were of the... Im a Scorcese fan from wayback, but this film lacks good
narrative structure and this kind of warring gangs story is no longer
zeitgeistily relevant...kind. I.e. they seemed not to appreciate what I
thought was quite an impressive film about the modernisation of violence
through the state's monopolisation of its legal forms - with quite a few
visions of I what I would imagine hell to be like (as in e.g the opening
sequence where the protagonist is depicted as the son and heir of what for
all the world looked like an orc tradition (and much better narratively
integrated than LOTR). The quite common criticism that the gang story and
the civil war and riots story were not well integrated seemed to me to point
precisely to a theme about the supercession and juxtaposion of different
social historical forms of violence.
I am also looking for criticism/reviews of Todd Haynes Far From Heaven
Ross
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