What Has Happened To The Movies?

Last night, I watched Chinatown for at least the tenth time. Brilliantly directed by Roman Polanski, the film's scrubbed and gleaming sheen remains at continual odds throughout to the depravity and corruption it exposes. As Jack Nicholson's Jake Gittes moves towards Chinatown's heart of darkness, Polanski seems to hold shots longer and longer, lingering over a 1930's Los Angeles with a look that completely belies its reality. It's as if he's making a comment on the movie business itself.

Nicholson, meanwhile, is at his best. By that, I don't mean that he acts over the top and chews scenery; the expectations provoked by One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest were still a year away. Instead, he's low-keyed and determined, portraying a man who uncovers an evil worse than anything conceived by his own cynicism. Although his best efforts go awry, the triumph of evil has the ironic effect of compelling Gittes to experience his humanity at its most vulnerable. The ambiguity surrounding this morally uncomfortable affirmation is wrapped up in the film's great closing line: "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." In other words, Chinatown is that place where the demons of our nature prevail, the place we ultimately must find some accommodation with because we can't defeat it. 

1974 was a great year for movies. Check out the Academy Award nominees for Best Picture:

Chinatown

The Conversation

The Godfather, Part II

Lenny

Towering Inferno

With the exception of the last, all are significant films and two (Chinatown and Oscar winner The Godfather, Part II) are masterpieces. The Best Director nominees that year were hardly a shabby lot, either: John Cassavetes, Oscar winner Francis Ford Coppola, Bob Fosse, Polanski, and Francois Truffaut.

So what happened between then and now? The 2008 field is as weak a field as I can remember Not a single one of the films is worth watching a second time, never mind the double digit viewings that Chinatown and The Godfather, Part II merit. Moreover, by 1974, every one of the above directors was established as a a significant artist. Today, we have Ron Howard, who epitomizes the journeyman careers of his competition.

Once upon a time, moviegoers would flock to the theaters to see great filmmaking. 1974 proves that. What happened? Are films unfairly dumbed down for an audience that actually wants better, or have standards dropped?...

Of parasites and people: A fascinating review of research investigating the impact of parasites on human behavior... 

Roy's World explores the connection between Christianity and socialism, explains the difference between socialism and the welfare state, and dispels the ridiculous notion that Barack Obama is a socialist (would that he were): 

The accusation that President Obama is leading America to anti-Christian socialism looks to be a false one. Nothing about the President's proposed programs is the least bit "socialist" - there is no proposed takeover of business, private property, and the markets by the government in his programs. What the President does propose is in line with the concept of the welfare state, which is something entirely different from socialism and can, and in fact mostly does, exist in a capitalist, market economy, and which has already existed in this country since the mid 1800s. And as to the statement that socialism is the evil opposite of Christianity, the quotes above from Christian scripture tell the complete opposite story; Christianity and the socialist ideal have much in common.

Stone Soup Musings points out that Republicans "...not only voted against creating jobs when they voted no on the stimulus plan, they also voted against one of the biggest tax cuts in history"...

O.K., I thought that my congressman (Dave Reichert) was a lightweight. But Minnesota's Michelle Bachman's presence in the House of Representatives is an insult to dimwits. Listen to this nonsense and see how long it takes for your jaw to drop. Believe me, it won't be long...

Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans airs this month on PBS. Check your local listings...

Republican governors bite off their constituent's noses to spite Obama's face...

He may not be much of a husband, but Elliott Spitzer's ideas of how to handle the matter of executive compensation make sense:

If we are to stop outrageous pay, the objective should not be to match the foolishness of the Bush ideological embrace of wild-eyed libertarianism masquerading as capitalism with an equally foolish "government knows best" approach that ignores the market. We must create a genuine market for CEO services, generating meaningful competition and socially acceptable results.

Lundifest!...

R. I. P., Snooks Eaglin...

The Kids Are All Right

Breaking news: P.K. called this morning to tell me that he and Steve won last night's Seattle University Battle of the Bands. They went with the basic White Stripes lineup of Steve on guitar and PK on drums. They played three original songs. He reports that the competition was tough this year, and they feel pretty good about winning. The performance was filmed, so stay tuned for a link!

Last night, Nelson and Reilly joined us for dinner. We had a great time together. It's nice chatting with Nelson while T. and Reilly cook. And, man, can they cook! Don't miss Premium T.'s recipe for blueberry pound cake.

Yesterday, I wrote that Steve Erickson's Zeroville was my favorite novel of last year. Actually, it was my second favorite. If you haven't read Fortunate Son, Walter Mosley's inspiring parable about race and family, don't miss it. It's a beautiful book with unforgettable characters: Lucky's persistent faith in his people and his brother despite all odds is one of the most moving depictions of the possibilities of humanity that I've ever read.

Last year was an especially dismal year for movies. Tomorrow night at the Academy Awards, one of five films will win the dubious honor of Best Picture of 2007. For what it's worth, here are my evaluations:

Atonement: Strong performances from Keira Knightley and James McAvoy buoy a film that struggles under the weight of its themes. My complete review here.

Juno: Enjoyable and funny throughout, with a three-point landing to boot. Ellen Page shines as the pregnant, skeptical 16-year old. But it wasn't even my favorite indie movie of the year. (I liked Once.)

Michael Clayton: Solid, well-made 3-star thriller that casts a pale eye on lawyers and the corporate legal establishment. Well-handled, but nothing new.

No Country For Old Men: The full Coen Brothers' treatment loved by many but not by me. An incomprehensible conclusion and barely concealed racism render this a pointless stylistic exercise. My complete review here.

There Will Be Blood: Blood gets a lot of points for its ambition and the vitality and originality of its high points. Ultimately, the parts are greater than the whole, though. My complete review here.

The best movie I saw this year was Eastern Promises. It's disappointing that The Namesake, an overlooked film about Indian immigrants and their Americanized children, received little notice from the Academy (especially Irrfan Khan's wonderful performance as the family patriarch). Since I can't vote for either of these, I'll pick There Will Be Blood, strictly on the basis of ignoring its weakness while considering its strengths. 

P.S. I woke up this morning at 6:00 and went back to bed at 8:00. I put on a Gnarly Nose (I favor the Durante model) and waited for T. (who was still asleep) to notice. It was worth the wait.