I have spent the last week beating up on Oscar.
I wrote a few comments on blog The House Next Door. Robert had written a very good post as part of the Contrarian Blog-a-Thon at scanners:blog about why he didn't care much for A Clockwork Orange (it was actually a deeper examination then just that, but I'm simplifying here for the purpose of getting to my point). A lot of people called Robert a Kubrick-hater for what he had written and I said that those people are missing the point. You have to love something to pick it apart. Or why bother.
Haven't we all heard the timeless phrase we beat-up the things we love? Okay, maybe not. But I always have high hopes for Oscar. And believe it will do the right thing. But the people behind Oscar are human and with humans there are errors. Like missing Scorsese for Goodfellas or Glen Close for Dangerous Liaisons or not nominating United 93. The arguments go on and on and a lot further back then I have taken them. I could be skeptical and dismiss Oscar as an awards ceremony that is nothing more than a bunch of Hollywood people patting themselves on the back. A ceremony that's more interested in marketing than true work. But I can't be that way. I want Oscar to mean something. And for that to happen, I have to try to keep it honest and call bullshit when I see it (it's funny, I talk as if I have some kind of influence.)
So that's why I've beat up on Oscar this past week. Because I want it to be the best award it can be. Not to be dismissed by some as a meaningless award. I want it to mean something so that when someone says "this is the best picture because it won the Oscar" no one debates it. But that's near impossible because art is subjective so there will always those who love certain movies and those who hate them. But I think Oscar can do better. And I want it to. Because I love it.
I wrote a few comments on blog The House Next Door. Robert had written a very good post as part of the Contrarian Blog-a-Thon at scanners:blog about why he didn't care much for A Clockwork Orange (it was actually a deeper examination then just that, but I'm simplifying here for the purpose of getting to my point). A lot of people called Robert a Kubrick-hater for what he had written and I said that those people are missing the point. You have to love something to pick it apart. Or why bother.
Haven't we all heard the timeless phrase we beat-up the things we love? Okay, maybe not. But I always have high hopes for Oscar. And believe it will do the right thing. But the people behind Oscar are human and with humans there are errors. Like missing Scorsese for Goodfellas or Glen Close for Dangerous Liaisons or not nominating United 93. The arguments go on and on and a lot further back then I have taken them. I could be skeptical and dismiss Oscar as an awards ceremony that is nothing more than a bunch of Hollywood people patting themselves on the back. A ceremony that's more interested in marketing than true work. But I can't be that way. I want Oscar to mean something. And for that to happen, I have to try to keep it honest and call bullshit when I see it (it's funny, I talk as if I have some kind of influence.)
So that's why I've beat up on Oscar this past week. Because I want it to be the best award it can be. Not to be dismissed by some as a meaningless award. I want it to mean something so that when someone says "this is the best picture because it won the Oscar" no one debates it. But that's near impossible because art is subjective so there will always those who love certain movies and those who hate them. But I think Oscar can do better. And I want it to. Because I love it.
Excellent sentiments, well said.
ReplyDeleteI haven't really blogged about the Oscars all this week for reasons similar to yours. All of the prognosticating and reviewing has made me feel numb to all of the hype. But in fact I get very excited about watching the show and seeing the results unfold. I wouldn't miss it for the world.
Oh, and tomorrow I might go see Pan's Labyrinth AND Letters From Iwo Jima. Whoo-hoo!
Hope you review Pan's. I've heard it's very good.
ReplyDeleteTo me it doesn't make much sense in trying to predict who will win what since so many people are doing it. But it will be fun to watch and see who wins.