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Jan 20, 2003

I just refreshed my page and got a butterfly.
Nick ::: 11:55 AM ::: 0 comments

I don't know what to think about awards shows. Sure, they're fun to watch. It's interesting to see what films are getting notice from Hollywood bigwigs, and it's fun to root for the movies and actors you like. But what awards shows lack -- what they have always lacked -- is just what they have always claimed to have: the ability to identify great films.

Now, I'm sure that every movie there could be called "great" in one way or another, but when I use the term "great film," I'm talking about something that has lasting interest. I'm talking about a movie that will stand the test of time, and still be viewed and appreciated for many, many years to come. We say that Shakespeare was the greatest English-language playwright of all time, because his work has held the interest of the world in such a defined way for so long, yet while he lived, he was often snubbed by the artistic community for his taste for lewd jokes pleasing to commoners. It is very rare for awards shows to really recognize the movies that people will remember.

Let's take a poll.

How many of you have seen Star Wars? Now, how many of you have seen Annie Hall?
How many of you have seen E.T.? How about Gandhi?
Here's an even better test. In 50 years, will your kids have seen...
...A Beautiful Mind or The Matrix?
...The Hours or The Lord of the Rings?
...The English Patient or Austin Powers?

My point is that truly iconic movies are almost always snubbed by the artistic community. The reigning artists haven't changed in the past millenium. They've always lived for the immediate impression, something that makes them go "ooh" at first glance. The movies that win Best Picture are generally very nice films that will be utterly forgotten in a couple of years in favor of movies that cater to the audience rather than the artists themselves. Why is it that all the Best Picture nominees come out just before the Oscars? You're exactly right when you say that the moviemakers want them fresh in the minds of the judges. Best-Picture films make a great first impression, but then they wear thin. A truly great film should have staying power. Such movies do not diminish in anyone's mind over mere months.

I'm not really upset or bitter about anything. This is the nature of art; it's always been this way and probably always will. I just think it's amusing how few people seem to realize it.
Nick ::: 11:54 AM ::: 0 comments