Re: Who's Perspective?

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Posted by Pat on March 11, 1999 at 19:52:05:

In Reply to: Re: Who's Perspective? posted by Gayle on March 11, 1999 at 13:58:33:

Gayle wrote:
Michael Mann made the rather stunning comment in his interview with Graham Fuller that "I didn't want to take 1757, this story, and turn it into some kind of two-dimensional metaphor for 1991. What I did was go the other way and take our understanding of those cultures - and I think we understand them better today than Cooper did in 1826 - and use our contemporary perspective as a tool to construct a more intense experience of realistically complex people in a complex time."
Pat's comment:
I like the first part of Mann's statement. I don't enjoy movies set in times past (1757 or any time) that are used to make points or commentary about contemporary problems, questions, etc., Doesn't matter if I agree, or disagree with the message being delivered to me a member of the audience, it is still propaganda. I want to be entertained, amused or moved to tears, but not educated to someone else's point of view. Now, that is what I call arrogant - trying to "educate" your audience.
Gayle wrote:
This strikes me as exceedingly arrogant. How can we "understand" the culture and thinking of people in a context which is not our own? So in rewriting Cooper, did Mann produce reality or fantasy?
Pat says:
In one respect, I think we do understand the thinking and culture of 1757 better than people who lived in 1826. I believe we are more keenly aware of prejudice and how it taints one's point of view. I agree with Champ when he says you must take yourself out of the 20th Century. I think Cooper did not take himself out of the 19th Century.
You always come up with such interesting subjects, Gayle.
Pat

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Comments:
: Gayle wrote:
: Michael Mann made the rather stunning comment in his interview with Graham Fuller that "I didn't want to take 1757, this story, and turn it into some kind of two-dimensional metaphor for 1991. What I did was go the other way and take our understanding of those cultures - and I think we understand them better today than Cooper did in 1826 - and use our contemporary perspective as a tool to construct a more intense experience of realistically complex people in a complex time."
: Pat's comment:
: I like the first part of Mann's statement. I don't enjoy movies set in times past (1757 or any time) that are used to make points or commentary about contemporary problems, questions, etc., Doesn't matter if I agree, or disagree with the message being delivered to me a member of the audience, it is still propaganda. I want to be entertained, amused or moved to tears, but not educated to someone else's point of view. Now, that is what I call arrogant - trying to "educate" your audience.
: Gayle wrote:
: This strikes me as exceedingly arrogant. How can we "understand" the culture and thinking of people in a context which is not our own? So in rewriting Cooper, did Mann produce reality or fantasy?
: Pat says:
: In one respect, I think we do understand the thinking and culture of 1757 better than people who lived in 1826. I believe we are more keenly aware of prejudice and how it taints one's point of view. I agree with Champ when he says you must take yourself out of the 20th Century. I think Cooper did not take himself out of the 19th Century.
: You always come up with such interesting subjects, Gayle.
: Pat

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