Once again I am quite affected by the movie, "Paradise Now." It seems that I rewatch it every year that I revisit the Patagonia library.
During my years of travel, there have been a handful of public libraries that stood out. They offered something of quality -- not just the usual mass market drivel. It feels good to see somebody "come through" for you, like that.
But why doesn't it happen more often? Isn't a high quality selection of books, music, and movies seen as part of the culture of society, and isn't culture important?
I could offer four of five bullet-points on possible answers to this question. But analyzing it would kill the mood I feel after watching this marvelous movie.
More generally it seems that most places are content to be like every place.
During my years of travel, there have been a handful of public libraries that stood out. They offered something of quality -- not just the usual mass market drivel. It feels good to see somebody "come through" for you, like that.
But why doesn't it happen more often? Isn't a high quality selection of books, music, and movies seen as part of the culture of society, and isn't culture important?
I could offer four of five bullet-points on possible answers to this question. But analyzing it would kill the mood I feel after watching this marvelous movie.
More generally it seems that most places are content to be like every place.
Comments
Chris
1. A love story, with embarrassing bedroom scenes.
2. Western music.
3. Product placement ads.
4. Gratuitous action and violence.
5. Special effects and computer graphics.
6. Big name "stars" who can't act.
Nor does it have the gloom and non-action of a pseudo-intellectual 'art' movie.
Amazingly, it avoids political abstractions and cant. Although the story is of Palestinians, the movie is not really anti-Israeli.
Moving onto the positive side of the equation, the movie focuses on individual Palestinian people, and their personal motives.
A movie is not a stage-play or a 'filmed book.' It is supposed to tell a story with moving images. My favorite example of this was the scene in which the suicide bombers filmed their 'good-byes' on video. The young suicide bombers were being manipulated by their leaders.
There was suspense and surprise in the movie, but virtually no action.