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CINEMA BLUES: Motion Pictures Don't Do It For Me Anymore ...
04-Jun-2010
CINEMA BLUES: I enjoyed watching Prince of Persia last night BUT To be quite honest Motion Pictures are no more what they used to be. Here are some reasons Why I think today's directors should take a pause and Look back and Learn one or two things From their peers ...
Particularly because of the Fast Editing and un realistic Special Effects common to all Formated BlockBuster Movies today and Prince of Persia is not exception to the rule. You will Never See Films like Ben Hur, Spartacus or Lawrence of Arabia again and certainly not in a forseable future where the viewer would simply have to take a pause and appreciate the Setting of the Sun or a long shot of a breathtaking Chariot Race which would only be featured as a climax scene as the Cherry on the cake.
Where is the climax scene in Prince of Persia, The Clash of Titans or Iron Man 2 ? The entire movie is simply a succession of so called climatic Scenes.
My major problem with the current trend of filmmaking is really the FAST PACED editing.
Today's directors have all the sets, great actors, stuntsmen and stuntswomen and everything any classic Golden Age Era Hollywood director couldn't even dream of and yet the final result is nothing even close to a masterpiece.
It is said (and having experienced it myself I can confirm this claim ) that when people first saw Lawrence of Arabia in the Cinema back in the early 60's they were coming out of the movie theater thirsty with dry lips and rushing to the closest bar for a cold drink. THAT is what I call the POWER and MAGIC of Movie making which has totally vanished because it is no more about Art but immediate consumption ...
I mean Which Hollywood Film today would TAKE THE TIME to shoot a scene like this today ? It lasts virtually 10 minutes and is a VITAL Scene which actually propelled Omar Sharif to international Stardom:
Or the Fighting scene in Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus which is the turning point of the movie because beyond the combat scene, it is crucial to the character development of the Gladiator Spartacus ( Kirk Douglas) who becomes self conscience in his quest for Freedom and why he should fight:
In a Conversation with Stephen Spielberg, the latter explains why Lawrence of Arabia played such an important part in making him want to become a director:
Prince of Persia, was OK, I watched it with amusement and curiosity and happy not to have been entirely bored by the spectacle unlike on the Clash of The Titans or Iron Man 2 ( Which TRULY Pissed me off as rarely in my life). I also liked the fact that they did not use some Techno Music Scrore as a soundtrack as has been the case on most Epic films in recent years. Music plays a major role in my opinion, it is truly a character in itself. When you hear Maurice Jarre's Music Scores such as Lara's Theme you immediately see Doctor Zjivago, same thing for Lawrence of Arabia's music score which perfectly blends the desert scenes and the inner turmoil of it's protagonist.
But Like Most Epic Movies today it Had NO SOUL ...
Dunno for You but I think Motion Pictures are Dead ... At least for the Epic Genre ...
John Wayne Speaks about his experience working with John Ford:
Other than Ridely Scott who is probably the last Hollywood movie director capable of truly making an Epic movie respecting the codes of the genre, I truly don't see ANY movie director today who can make a difference. Even Scott's filmmaking ( greatly influenced by his early 20 years experience directing TV Ads) is Fast Forward because that is the "trend" imposed by the studios on all Hollywood productions today.
Maybe the following clips will help you understand what I mean and why I am so bored by most action and epic movies today ...
Martin Scorsese explains the Climax Chariot Scene in Ben Hur (1959):
Cinemascope part 1 of 2 - in praise of widescreen 1992:
Cinemascope part 2 of 2 - in praise of widescreen 1992:
Lawrence of Arabia -Original Trailer:
Ben Hur - Trailer-1959:
Doctor Zhivago Trailer 1965:
The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957):
Spartacus - Theatrical trailer 1962:
Recommended Reading:
Persia ? Ancient Persia's Virtual absence in Hollywood by Darius KADIVAR (Iranian.com)
Prince Of Persia Finishes Shooting! by DK
Under Persian Masks by Darius KADIVAR
Jake Gyllenhaal Crowned Prince of Persia! by Darius KADIVAR
A Persian Prince in the Making by Darius KADIVAR
Persian Enigma by Darius KADIVAR
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Hawk Koch named new Oscars boss
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Aug 02, 2012 02:41 AM PDTHawk Koch named new Oscars boss (bbc)
Producer Hawk Koch has been elected the new president of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which stages The Oscars every year.
Legendary Cinecitta Studios risks turning into a Fitness center
by Darius Kadivar on Sun Jul 15, 2012 10:27 AM PDTSilver Particules: Let's save Cinecitta/ Sauvons Cinecitta
Warned by their colleague Ettore Scola, the European filmmakers are scandalised to notice that Cinecitta studios, important place of the world cinematographic heritage, are in danger for speculative reasons, and are shamefully considered with as much interest as a parking or a supermarket. Is it urgent to destroy this place inseparable from Fellini's, Visconti's, Comencini's, Lattuada's, and many other's cinemas, to build a fitness center?Film producer Richard Zanuck dies
by Darius Kadivar on Sat Jul 14, 2012 05:11 AM PDTFilm producer Richard Zanuck dies (bbc)
Prolific Hollywood producer Richard Zanuck has died aged 77, suffering a heart attack at his Beverley Hills home.
Dick Zanuck, as most people called him, was best known for his work on films such as The Sound of Music, Driving Miss Daisy and Jaws.
Son of Hollywood royalty, he became the youngest studio head in history when he took over 20th Century Fox aged 28.
His friend Steven Spielberg called him a "cornerstone of the film industry".Peter O'Toole quits acting at 79
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Jul 12, 2012 02:37 PM PDTPeter O'Toole quits acting at 79 (bbc)
Veteran actor Peter O'Toole announces he is retiring from films and the stage, saying it is time to "chuck in the sponge" at the age of 79.
Eastman Kodak, has filed for bankruptcy protection
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Jan 19, 2012 02:53 PM PSTBBC News - Business bites: What's next for Kodak? (VIDEO, BBC)
Iconic photography company Eastman Kodak - which invented the hand-held camera - has filed for bankruptcy protection.
The 133-year-old company has said it has already arranged a $950m (£615m) credit facility from Citigroup to keep it going whilst it restructures and attempts a transformation of its business.
Meanwhile, the EU, European Central Bank and IMF give their verdict later on how Ireland is handling its economic recovery.
The BBC's Aaron Heslehurst discusses key financial stories of the day.
What a wonderful Sunday matinée!
by benross on Sun Jun 06, 2010 06:21 AM PDTYou are the best DK.
The Last Masterpiece
by Farah Rusta on Sun Jun 06, 2010 04:34 AM PDTDarius Jann
You are absolutely right in saying that there is a need for the modern days film makers to take lessons from the old masters like David Lynn and William Wyler. I would like to know your opinion on which movie can be considered as the last masterpiece in the style of the great works of the past. In my humble opinion the last major film that blended excellence in acting, the most memorable musical score and superb film editing was Godfather I and perhaps equally Godfather II. I would love to have your expert opinion on this.
With regards
Farah
FR
Digital Grandeur
by comrade on Sat Jun 05, 2010 04:33 AM PDTI'm just wondering if the so-called "fast editing", has become a ubiquitous phenomenon in Hollywood, as a result of the producers' insatiable drive for a faster return of their investments.
Agreed - Ban CGI
by fozolie on Fri Jun 04, 2010 07:08 PM PDTCatch the Grumpy Old Men on Cinema
"Coked up vision mixers"! Priceless:
Mr. Fozolie
Brilliant analysis
by Ari Siletz on Fri Jun 04, 2010 02:14 PM PDTI LOVE Clint Eastwood movies in the last 10 years or so
by Anonymouse on Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:19 AM PDTI never liked Clint Eastwood that much when he played western and dirty Harry movies but ever since he became a director or director/producer his movies have ALL been wonderful. I think most if not all of his movies have been either nominated or won Oscars.
I hope he makes more movies and think perhaps you have to reach his experience and overall movie making to be able to create what he has created and see what he sees. His movies are the best (not the old ones ;-)
Everything is sacred.
That's why I can't stand Oliver Stone
by Niki Tehranchi on Fri Jun 04, 2010 09:53 AM PDTStone is a great script writer and director, and I can objectively appreciate and admire what he did in terms of the filming techniques and editing in movies such as Natural Born Killers and Nixon but that doesn't mean I enjoyed them. That kind of editing gives me seizures!!! I agree with you Ridley Scott has made the only recent "epic" that can be compared favorably to the great masterpieces of the past. But don't give up on motion pictures. There are plenty of interesting directors/editors out there who don't have to cut every 2 seconds. Just stay away from the popcorn flicks for a while, kind of like going to rehab, and hopefully you will regain your enthusiasm for movies. It would be a shame to lose your wonderful posts about films, and the classic clips you painstakingly put together for our viewing pleasure :-)
I'm gonna try and watch the Prince movie this weekend
by Anonymouse on Fri Jun 04, 2010 07:10 AM PDTPerhaps the fast editing is for the crowd who can't sit for 2 hours and gets bored. After decades of making movies they are no longer the different and new entertainment they once were.
Many of these movies are now 2 hours and looks like with fast editing they can keep the audience occupied and not bored. The vast majority of the movie goers in the first week of a new movie are teens. The first weekend or the opening that represent the big sales are mostly paid for by teens and 20 year olds and they have very short attention spans!
But I agree with you that these short editings have gone hay wire. I don't like them either.
The sad thing is that I believe there are a lot of good stories to use for movies but because they are not money makers and the big studios' customers are teens and 20 year olds we're sentenced to watching mostly bad movies.
I mean in a span of 12 months how many good movies can you count? How about really good movies?
Everything is sacred.