Philosophy of Film

How we talk about film

Re: How we talk about film

I suppose I talk about books I've read, but it is a strange sort of event in that its time frame is relative. The time line of the book is something I participate in in a way that is only loosely at best tied to my own time. A film is a little different in that it is more rigorously linear. We are along for the ride. Sure we can pause a DVD or fall asleep, but it general, the experience is cohesive. The event of the viewing doesn't necessarily correspond to a 90 minute timeline of the film. The film can hop around as much as it likes, but the film itself is such a direct engagement, that I think we are left with the past tense to refer to it. 

"I am reading a book" could perhaps translate to "I am watching a movie," but we don't often evaluate it until it's done. The experience is too immersive. Of course, that could all be changing. I'm thinking of all those Four Eyed Monsters reviewers who are doing their bit while watching the movie.

Re: How we talk about film

Re: How we talk about film

It is interesting though. There is this weird undertone at Spout, trying to figure out how to talk about film. It's a tricky thing. All these styles are developing and converging. How do you review a film? How do you capture your thoughts about it? It seems like directly speaking of the experience of watching the film is a little out of reach. We share our summations, our later thoughts, not the immediate ones. 

Yet elsewhere, there is talk of movies in the future, movies coming out, all the hype. Who signed what deal, etc. It's like how Entertainment Weekly (which always seems to be in the bathroom), is really two halves, the old reportage written months ago during the filming, spruced with more recent revelations, passed off as if it happened yesterday. The rest are reviews that might disparage that same film as vigorously. It gives this illusion of immediacy. Take from it what you will.

And now this "during," the raw experience of the encounter with the the film. The reaction you feel halfway through act 2. YouTube kind of changes it all up. I suspect there will be a lot more of this.

Re: How we talk about film

And people have spoken before about objectivity in reviewing or talking about films.  I've ever heard people have separate lists of the greatest films.  Such as well these are my personal "favorites" while this other list is what I deem to be "objectively" the best.  I always thought this was a rediculous notion.  I'm hoping considering all the different factors about the different ways we can talk about film and the new ones that are arriving, this myth of objectivity, at least in this dillusional sense, will start to fade away more.

It's necessary to realize that for a particular movie you completely love or hate, you may have had a completely opposite reaction if you had viewed it in a different situation.  If you watch a movie with other people who love or hate it.  What mood you are in at the time.  Are there any distractions?  And of course where where you at in that time of your life?  What movies, books, other art and influences on your life had you experienced previously?  Which of those things you had experienced previously did you love or hate?

I could watch a movie I could completely hate right now in a few years and totally love it.  Actually this phenomenon usually occurs more often with me with music more than anything else.

Re: How we talk about film

i am one of those people that has a list for pesonal faves and the other list is universally great:personal favorites simply means i liked the movie neverthless what anyone else thinks,maybe  i liked the movie even though it had low well-known crtiics ratings;Or i liked the movie even though i knew there were certain things(that i know deep inside me) that was not so great about the movie(idea/script/music/cinematography/unrealistic/cheesy-b movies,etc..)but yet something about the movie touches me(make laugh,sad,think,remeber stuff);maybe theres something about the movie i can relate to;Or maybe i just tend to be more lenient to certain genre/category of movies

Universally great movies are movie that i think most people would like(it is more to what i think others would like);But at the same time i like the movie too(this movie does not necessarily be a touching movie for me)

About viewing movies in different environments,with other people or alone,with or without distractions,and depending on my mood and how i am feeling(sleepy,wide awake,annoyed,calm,bored,etc.),my opinions about the movie can change depending on circumstance;I find the best way for me to see a movie(dvd/recordings) is alone,no distractions,not sleepy,with subtitles(  i am a sucker for subtitles;some of my family and friends hate that when i put on subtitles/close caption)and enough time to see the movie;then i usually will have the most honest sincere opinion of the movie;And if i liked the movie (dvd),watching the (good quality )extra features ,increases my awareness of the film ;Then i would be more inclined to like the movie even more.

When i watch movies with others,sometimes i tend to change opinions according to what the consensus say;Sometimes though,watching with others help because they they let you see things/ideas that i myself might have missed:If i watch with distractions,tired/sleepy,no subtitles,my rating of the movie might not be as high or low due to misunderstood dialogue,missed certain scenes or too focused on other things to really grasp what is going on.Example when i saw the fountain,i was moving around the kitchen getting something to eat and drink that i missed a lot of dialogue and scenes of the movie;I did not completely grasp the depth of this movie ,so i could not really say if i liked the movie or not;I have to watch it again ,to get a proper perspective

Now on watching movies at different time periods of your life,i can see how my views on the movie change;I rememeber watching ordinary people for the first time in the theatre and did not like it;i was not into that genre of movie and did not understand the emotional impact of that movie;But years later,when i saw the movie again and my taste has changed ,i understood the movie much better and i liked the movie;I was able to relate to the movie much better;Sometimes,also, you like movies at a certain time of your life because it was the hits back then and everyone else is watching it; Or you were into a particular actor/actress back then and you feel,you must watch the movie that actor /actress made

Sometimes also,you watch a hi-tech,big special effects movie that was awesome ,top of the line technolgy back then which contributed to making that movie great but watching that same movie today would not be so high tech;So your rating of that particular movie goes down;Example, when i saw thing back when it was newly released ,it was the coolest grossest,scary movie i have seen;Today that grossness not so gross and scary

Maybe, through experience of watching so many movies(or years of watching so many movies) from different genres,learning lots of things about movies online,books,magazines,etc..and going through different phases of movie liking,you develop your own sort of taste for movies;Tastes that might be different from your past,and therefore, may or may not change your opinion of a particular movie/movies

Soundtrack can sometimes make or break a movie;I use to love legends of the fall,but after watching it again yrs. later ,i did not find depth on the characters like i did before;the story was more like a soap opera drama; and minus that melodramatic soundtrack,then the movie would not be so sad;Ever have that happen to you, where , the music of the movie, is what makes the movie dramatic or suspenseful/scary/thriller?? A lot of horror/scary/suspense /thriller movies with shallow script depend on that music to put that -just right intensity/suspense/scare/suprise on the movie;they use music to scare/thrill you;Sometimes it is only the soundtrack that is scary ;nothing else is thrilling,(about the movie)not the script ,not the acting,not the effects

About book influences:When i first saw the bridges of madison county and many repeated viewings at different time periods,i liked that movie,it was my fave;But one day ,i manage to get a hold of the bridges of madison county book and i read it;After reading the book, i saw bridges of...... movie again and became very critical of the movie;I compared all the differences of the book to the movie and found many inaccuracies(the movie);My high ratings/view of the movie went down;It was no longer my fave movie

Re: How we talk about film

Re: How we talk about film

indieabby88:

On the subject of other art:

Maybe people talk about music or visual art in the present tense because these moments are shorter? Usually, if I'm talking about the last song that really turned me on, I'll be talking about it in the present tense, because Ryan Adams' "Everybody Knows" lasts roughly 1.5 minutes, and the particular instrumental parts I love last probably five seconds tops. "Pan's Labyrinth,"  on the other hand, lasts significantly longer, and my favorite parts in that movie last probably 5-10 minutes each. Also (at least for me) moments of inspiration in movies tend to be the strongest the first time I see them. After that, not so much. Moments of inspiration in music or visual art hit me almost the same way every time, unless I get overexposed to that particular piece, in which case I just get sick of the whole thing. 

I was thinking maybe it's also due to the fact that a favorite piece of music is something that you plan on and often hear over and over again.  While you may do this with movies, it seems more likely with music.

Re: How we talk about film

i like your view on two ways to talk about film and your view on watching a movie for the first time

On watching a movie for the first time,especially a suspenseful one or one in which there was a twist in plot ,ending that was not expected, i can see how the initial reaction would be fresh and more real because you were unaware of what might happen in the film;That is so long as nobody told you(or you did not read it somewhere) the spoiler of the movie;Ah, you still get suprised-a bit, even if you heard the spoiler beforehand; But the suprise is not so intense

For example when i first saw apocalypto,i did not know some other tribe of indians were going to invade the other tribes;i also did not know that it was about indians in central america until i saw the jungle/forest in the movie;i though it was someting like pocahantas movie taking place in north america;I thought the bad guys would be the europeans( i assumed).Well the europeans did come at the end of the movie but the movie was not about the europeans,for the main part;It is about a stronger indian tribe(mayans)more progressive and yet superstitiously more barbaric taking over other tribes;mayans trading other captured tribes,selling them,using them as slaves, and offering them as sacrifices;the story was quite suprising and i liked it;I also like the way it ended; Foreign vessels with foreign people arriving at the shore; They seem like aliens for them from a different world.They have no clue if they are friend or foe, or who they are and where they are from                                                                                                 

Re: How we talk about film

Yeah it seems like the first time you see a movie you may refer to it afterwards in the past tense because it was like an event that you were experiencing with the characters (assuming it's narrative of that kind).  But if you have seen it several times and already know what happens, you may be more inclined to speak of it in the present tense since to you it is more of an existing work rather than a past event.