Behind the Camera Agendas and Ethics.
I'm a very harsh movie critic. Movies are one of, if not my favorite, pastime. Reading about movies, checking the box office for movies, writing movies, watching movies, I love everything to do about the film industry. I wouldn't mind working in Hollywood, maybe I could help clean out the filth that exists there.
I believe there's a recurring issue in the film industry, and as awful as it sounds, it's inclusion. The current state of movies, as well as informed reviews and box office numbers, are being diluted by the inclusion or targeting of particular groups. Of course, I don't mean to offend anyone in this. I'm talking about what I see going on in the film industry, an industry I pay great attention to.
Hollywood is currently the biggest it's ever been. Avengers: Endgame just shattered film and entertainment records across the boards a few days ago. However, the United States, and the world even, is arguably the most divided it's ever been, over multiple issue include equality, sexuality, and race. How does this apply to the film industry? You probably already know the answer.
Movies begin production with a clear vision, "what is the purpose of this film?" Is the purpose entertainment? Inform? Question? Now, a good movie has a clear purpose. Recently, films have began to mix and match what they want to do with their movies. Problems begin to arise when this becomes too much.
At a glance, Spike Lee's biopic BlacKKKlansman is an educating, entertainment film. However, the political stance the film takes at the end of the movie caused me to be brought aback from a wonderful film. Yes, the film is about a touchy subject, the Ku Klux Klan, and yes, white supremacy and the KKK had been in the news during the films production, but were these events focal in the creation of the film, or were they added to create a point?
The new wave of feminism is also an issue. From a definition standpoint, feminism is a great thing! Men and women on an equal level, but the new generation of feminism is not that at all. Like with most major political and social standpoints, there is a vocal minority that outweighs the many, and that minority believes in women superiority. This has segued into the film industry where 'women power' has become a locus for box office numbers and review scores. Take Rey in the new Star Wars trilogy; she's a strong woman who can do just as well as a man and acts independently of the plot to achieve her goals. The problem arises when, movie-wise, it doesn't make sense. She learns of her talents around the middle of The Force Awakens, and by the end of the film, she's defeating warriors who had been training for years with very minimal training. This could be accredited to poor writing, but Disney is selling Rey as the 'legend of a generation'. A good example of writing for a strong female character would be Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel.
Racial issues also arise in film that may create a cultural phenomenon. Black Panther released to great success, while also staying true to the original comic series. The film featured an all African-American cast, minus Martin Freeman, and this created the stigma of being a black-power film. Portraying oneself upon a fictional character is common and people have been doing it for a long time, but because a film featuring a mostly African-American cast does well doesn't make it a sigil for power for a particular group.
The main point I'm trying to make is this: these issues that these movies address hurt the film industry. Bad reviews can't be given out for an 'empowerment' film without receiving some sort of scrutiny. The reputation of the reviewer, film industry, and group which is voicing an opinion are tarnished because of this.
I could be wrong though. I love movies either way.
Movies begin production with a clear vision, "what is the purpose of this film?" Is the purpose entertainment? Inform? Question? Now, a good movie has a clear purpose. Recently, films have began to mix and match what they want to do with their movies. Problems begin to arise when this becomes too much.
The new wave of feminism is also an issue. From a definition standpoint, feminism is a great thing! Men and women on an equal level, but the new generation of feminism is not that at all. Like with most major political and social standpoints, there is a vocal minority that outweighs the many, and that minority believes in women superiority. This has segued into the film industry where 'women power' has become a locus for box office numbers and review scores. Take Rey in the new Star Wars trilogy; she's a strong woman who can do just as well as a man and acts independently of the plot to achieve her goals. The problem arises when, movie-wise, it doesn't make sense. She learns of her talents around the middle of The Force Awakens, and by the end of the film, she's defeating warriors who had been training for years with very minimal training. This could be accredited to poor writing, but Disney is selling Rey as the 'legend of a generation'. A good example of writing for a strong female character would be Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel.
Racial issues also arise in film that may create a cultural phenomenon. Black Panther released to great success, while also staying true to the original comic series. The film featured an all African-American cast, minus Martin Freeman, and this created the stigma of being a black-power film. Portraying oneself upon a fictional character is common and people have been doing it for a long time, but because a film featuring a mostly African-American cast does well doesn't make it a sigil for power for a particular group.
The main point I'm trying to make is this: these issues that these movies address hurt the film industry. Bad reviews can't be given out for an 'empowerment' film without receiving some sort of scrutiny. The reputation of the reviewer, film industry, and group which is voicing an opinion are tarnished because of this.
I could be wrong though. I love movies either way.
Comments
Post a Comment