tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post8723866112070188700..comments2024-03-28T14:49:36.133-04:00Comments on John Kenneth Muir's Reflections on Cult Movies and Classic TV: Cult-Movie Review: Passion (2013)John Kenneth Muirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-31700557282308441682013-10-17T20:54:28.969-04:002013-10-17T20:54:28.969-04:00Thank you John. Once again you're among the fe...Thank you John. Once again you're among the few Americans who truly understand De Palma's genius. I love your analysis.You perfectly get what De Palma is telling the viewer with Passion. Even if he's 72, he's still one of the few North American directors who truly has something to say in his movies.<br /><br />Still waiting for your De Palma book ;)<br />Keep on your great work.<br /><br />Thanks again!<br /><br />AlexandreAlexandre Bendernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-574797078271665842013-10-16T04:06:16.327-04:002013-10-16T04:06:16.327-04:00A great write up John. De Palma is so often misund...A great write up John. De Palma is so often misunderstood amongst critics, and if you have not seen De Palma's back catalogue then Passion would probably be seen as somewhat absurd. You totally 'get' his visual grammer and sense of storytelling. Any plans to write a book on De Palma's cinema? There's not a single decent book out there covering his complete filmography with De Palma's common recurring themes. Trevor Vantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-71243697975345319192013-10-15T19:21:20.665-04:002013-10-15T19:21:20.665-04:00Great write up. I'm interested.
But I think co...Great write up. I'm interested.<br />But I think comparing television and film is tricky.<br />Homeland and particularly Breaking Bad definitely have their visual<br />Moments. I know I've enjoyed the craft on display throu out BB but it's in much smaller doses or spread out. But I get the point even if the comparison is a little off. The points made certainly hold true in film. It's indeed sorely lacking in <br />much of film today to be sure.SFFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04256589316922398158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-52744021715592315762013-10-15T11:53:08.980-04:002013-10-15T11:53:08.980-04:00Hi SteveW,
I am in total agreement with your com...Hi SteveW, <br /><br />I am in total agreement with your comment. <br /> <br />I agree with you that writers today understand -- in programming like Homeland or Breaking Bad -- how to surprise us and impress us with ambiguities and layers in the narrative. But, simultaneously, such enterprises evidence no real mastery of visual form, or visual storytelling. <br /><br />This is one reason I like to frequently return to 1970s films. <br /><br />In that era, De Palma, Coppola, Altman, Hooper, Boorman and sometimes Spielberg were working within the framework of a visual language with a very formal "grammar," and to understand fully their works, we had to read that language; we had to understand that grammar. <br /><br />Today, that just doesn't happen. <br /><br />Critics and audiences now just judge a film on whether or not, in their opinion, the plot tracks in a logical way from point A to point Z, and spoon-feeds them the message or the point. <br /><br />An appreciation of film artistry has been lost, and as I always say, film is primarily a visual medium. Otherwise its just radio with pictures.<br /><br />It's a shame, because Passion is one of the best films I've seen so far in 2013, and deserves stronger appreciation and recognition. <br /><br />But a lot of people, I think, don't really understand the visual language of film anymore. I hope I can help to change that in some small way, but when I read the critical slams against a movie like Passion I lose hope. A film is more than a plot...it's a visual expression of a leitmotif or idea, and much crucial information about the characters and their motivations is carried in purely visual content.<br /><br />Great thoughts!<br /><br />best<br />John John Kenneth Muirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-14236420242373799952013-10-15T11:30:13.689-04:002013-10-15T11:30:13.689-04:00Terrific review John. I think you're particula...Terrific review John. I think you're particularly astute about how modern critics and audiences are not really prepared to read De Palma's multilayered film grammar any more. They latch onto convoluted absurdities in the plot without thinking, well, De Palma's a smart guy, maybe that's deliberate--what is he *really* saying here? I remember watching Altman's "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" a couple of years ago and wondering, do modern audiences have any idea how to read this film? Technologically, we've progressed by leaps and bounds, and in terms of character and narrative complexity, the best TV series like "Homeland" and "Breaking Bad" are epic in scope, incredibly nuanced and rich, but in terms of pure visual storytelling I feel we've lost ground.SteveWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00397337399949288114noreply@blogger.com