I’m not quite an old soul [read: hipster], but I was raised with an appreciation of what you might call grand old things [read: pretentious things]. I enjoy going to the opera and I will take Humphrey Bogart over Brad Pitt any day. I get defensive when older people assume that my generation gets bored with black and white films. Hello?! Haven’t they seen Pleasantville? But seriously, I’m crazy for the old movie magic of Gaslight, the passion of Casablanca, the blind patriotism of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, the mystery of The Maltese Falcon and The Third Man. When I was young and couldn’t sleep, my dad would bring me downstairs and cuddle with me as we watched whatever was playing on TCM. I have a particular memory of Arsenic and Old Lace, every child’s favorite bedtime story.
This is why I’m so happy that The Artist and Hugo were the big winners at the Oscars this year. Many of the movies nominated were not just period pieces but odes to the glory of old times and old cinema. Despite the rumors that crowds demanded their money back when they learned that the movie was in fact silent, The Artist‘s win for Best Picture proves that American’s have not completely sacrificed their attention spans to Vampire Dance Moms…
(this show would be a guaranteed success)
Sitting in the movie theater watching The Artist with my father brought me back to the dark living room of my childhood and I was captivated by the excitement and passion of the movie, even if there was no dialogue to be heard. But this silent movie has come ages from City Lights. Charlie Chaplin was undeniably and unwaveringly wonderful, but the silent films of the early century could always rely on the wonder of the audience at the technology that they could watch moving pictures. The Artist had to fight the audience’s disdain at the simplicity and bore of silent pictures. It had to call back to an older time, using the technology of today, and satisfy an audience that was used to seeing this technology stretched to its limits. Jean Dujardin, whose face is naturally emotive (I think his face is what Gaston’s or Flynn Rider’s might look like in real life) allowed us to see and feel George Valentin without feeling that we needed dialogue to understand his moods or story.
The Artist was not the only movie at this Oscars to wax nostalgic. Midnight in Paris showed us that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the space time continuum. And Hugo. Hugo was not just a children’s movie. Hugo was a testimonial to the saving power of the movies and how wonderful they can be in the eyes of children. I know I know, if you love it so much then why don’t you marry it? I admit my rhetoric is a little strong, but I can’t deny that I love movies, and ever since I was little and sitting up at night watching TCM, I have found the magic in them.
Given my love of film, people may wonder if my experience at RedEye has been like touring the sausage factory. To these people I say, yes I’ve read The Jungle and yes I’m still eating hot dogs. Or more straightforwardly- seeing some of what goes in to making the final product has made me even more awed at how the final product has come out. I’ve learned that putting together film is not just a technical maneuver but an artistic one as well.
Emily
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Emily Magida was a Spring and Summer 2012 RedEye Intern
One thought to “Oscars 2012 – Reflective Cinema”
A writers ability to use words in their own way says a lot about their creative confidence ie. “straightforwardly”. And I would say that you are, in fact, an old soul in a funky hip casing.
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