I thank God that I grew up when I did, during the relative innocence of the 90s. I also thank God that I grew up with the parents I had who decided to expose us to entertainment, media, and experiences that were wholesome and educational. Before I knew that The Scarlett Pimpernell was a book, I had already watched it many times on VHS. When I was young, my parents took an active role in helping us find wholesome entertainment only to have JJ Abrams come along and rewrite everything I loved as a boy.
Last Friday, I finally went to see the new Star Wars film. The best part for me was watching the opening scene, which brought back a flood of nostalgia. Then, I watched people I knew discussing things I didn't. Then Abrams showed his stripes. Like Trek, Star Wars is no longer about the conversation. It's now about the action. That wasn't the Star Trek or Star Wars I loved and knew, and so as entertaining as it was, it wasn't Star Wars for me. Sure, Anthony Daniels, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, and Harrison Ford were there, but it wasn't about them, and it wasn't about the story.
Entertainment used to tell a story. From Uncle Tom's Cabin to King Lear to A New Hope, we remember the stories for the stories, for the people, for the conversation. I know that "You Can't Take it With You" is boring to watch, but I still enjoy Columbo reruns, and that's all about him TALKING to people. My favorite Shakespearean Troupe is the USF Shakespeare in the Schools tour, which comes to campus in two weeks, because they have very little scenery, simple costumes, and a small cast. You can focus on the story. You can focus on the dialogue.
After we finished, my friend asked me what I thought. I told him my favorite parts were when Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are on screen because they are the ones who talk. Everyone else seems to be there to advance the movie from fight scene to fight scene, neither verbose nor scholastic in their delivery, and so the movie isn't terribly memorable. We hated the prequels because they were annoying, but at least Jar-Jar had dialogue with the characters, which might be why we remember him. Instead of telling a story, Abrams continues to make movies that deal more with action, explosions, effects, and sensationalism rather than the story itself. It's why I probably won't ever see another Trek film. It's not Star Trek anymore; Star Wars may go down the same road.
I admit I'm a little old fashioned and expect different things than the paying audience. I still attend string quartets, watch plays, visit the opera, walk through museums, and pay to see fine art. The new audience is paying to be distracted, and the bombs and boobs Abrams dances across the screen certainly do that. People are too impatient to sit and listen to people talk on stage, but that's what people did in Shakespeare's time, in Sophocles's time, and even while Gene Roddenberry lived. Some people still enjoy The Twilight Zone, but that's about the conversation too.
Life is about the conversation. We don't need drama. We have that aplenty in our relationships, in our employment, with our health, with our neighbors, and with Islamofacists at home and abroad. You can buy company, but you can't buy good company; you can buy conversation, but not memorable conversation. Do people really talk about the movies Abrams makes with laud and awe? What's memorable about it? I hear about how Daisy Ridley looks hot, about how Ben Solo (sorry, don't know the actor's name) is ugly, and the action. There isn't anything memorable besides explosions and attractiveness of the cast. It's a mediocre film, and I feel bad for the rising generation that doesn't know the childhood I knew, the good entertainment I knew, or really even care. Then again, that's what they pay money to see, so it must be what they desire most. Too bad.
No comments:
Post a Comment