Yesterday The New York Times published an article about a surprising drop in the popularity of Hollywood movies in China.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/22/business/media/hollywoods-box-office-heroes-proving-mortal-in-china.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Yesterday I saw "Oblivion"
There is no necessary connection between the two events. Nevertheless, in my mind they are linked. "Oblivion" demonstrates why the world may be getting tired of Hollywood. It also demonstrates why America may be getting tired of the world.
First of all, "Oblivion" is a terrible movie. It is incoherent, Tom Cruise's acting is cringe-worthy, and even special effects are no better than an average video game. This is a pity because the premise is intriguing: an amnesiac clone who gradually rediscovers his prototype's past. It is not new - writers like John Varley have done it to death - but it can still be the basis for an interesting movie. The second component - the aliens who siphon off the Earth's resources - is also an old hat, but the idea that one may unwittingly become their collaborator is a promising one. Unfortunately, the script makes a mishmash of all these ideas to the point where clones, aliens, and freedom fighters flicker in and out of the viewer's consciousness in a fog of boredom.
The only strong screen presence is that of the drones. Tom Cruise and the two female leads fade into insignificance as these malevolent robots with blinking red eyes and toothy mouths shoot down everything that moves, pursuing the ragged freedom fighters who hide in caves. They are sent on their mission by a superior power robbing the natives of their resources. Eventually, the only recourse against the drone power is suicide bombing.
What?
No, I don't accuse the makers of the movie of Taliban sympathies. As opposed to such SF films as "District 9", in which the political subtext is deliberate, I believe "Oblivion" is simply trying to engage topical memes - drones, suicide, cloning - in order to make an action flick. The fact that the result is a mess simply indicates that American culture has no coherent narrative, in which to represent its own role in the world. Now, the world may love or hate powerful narratives but it reacts with a yawn to the absence of such. Which is why I suspect the eventual fate of "Oblivion" is sufficiently indicated by its title.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/22/business/media/hollywoods-box-office-heroes-proving-mortal-in-china.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Yesterday I saw "Oblivion"
There is no necessary connection between the two events. Nevertheless, in my mind they are linked. "Oblivion" demonstrates why the world may be getting tired of Hollywood. It also demonstrates why America may be getting tired of the world.
First of all, "Oblivion" is a terrible movie. It is incoherent, Tom Cruise's acting is cringe-worthy, and even special effects are no better than an average video game. This is a pity because the premise is intriguing: an amnesiac clone who gradually rediscovers his prototype's past. It is not new - writers like John Varley have done it to death - but it can still be the basis for an interesting movie. The second component - the aliens who siphon off the Earth's resources - is also an old hat, but the idea that one may unwittingly become their collaborator is a promising one. Unfortunately, the script makes a mishmash of all these ideas to the point where clones, aliens, and freedom fighters flicker in and out of the viewer's consciousness in a fog of boredom.
The only strong screen presence is that of the drones. Tom Cruise and the two female leads fade into insignificance as these malevolent robots with blinking red eyes and toothy mouths shoot down everything that moves, pursuing the ragged freedom fighters who hide in caves. They are sent on their mission by a superior power robbing the natives of their resources. Eventually, the only recourse against the drone power is suicide bombing.
What?
No, I don't accuse the makers of the movie of Taliban sympathies. As opposed to such SF films as "District 9", in which the political subtext is deliberate, I believe "Oblivion" is simply trying to engage topical memes - drones, suicide, cloning - in order to make an action flick. The fact that the result is a mess simply indicates that American culture has no coherent narrative, in which to represent its own role in the world. Now, the world may love or hate powerful narratives but it reacts with a yawn to the absence of such. Which is why I suspect the eventual fate of "Oblivion" is sufficiently indicated by its title.
"no better than an average video game."
ReplyDeleteYou got the PS6 or you need lasik.
לסרט יש מראה אסטתי ייחודי, שמשווה לו מראה כמעט של אנימציה דיגיטלית. מהבחינה הזו הוא ראוי לבחינה. הסיפור משני למדי.
ReplyDelete