Some Folks Don’t Like Shakespeare
Some folks don’t like Shakespeare.
Some folks hate Beethoven.
Some folks despise Rembrandt.
I’ve always felt that there was an absolute standard for art. Do it right, take care, use your craft and knowledge and experience, and everyone should agree that what you did was mighty fine. But a recent incident with a friend reminded me of what I already knew: that such a view is naive. No matter how brilliant and flawless a work of art is, somebody somewhere won’t like it because tastes and perceptions and backgrounds differ. Indeed, there will always be people—bright, intelligent, well-read, cultured people—who don’t like Shakespeare or think he’s greatly overrated.
The moral? It’s simple: whether you’re a writer, painter, musician, composer or whatever, you should be prepared for bad reviews and negative critiques no matter how hard you strive to make it perfect.
I recall one of my stories, “Only a Stone,” which two editors disagreed on. One editor gave cogent reasons why the ending was too subtle. Another editor gave cogent reasons why it was too obvious. What do you do with that? Well, what you do is weigh both their opinions and judge for yourself what to do. My point is, that intelligent folks will often disagree and you alone must decide who is right. Just remember that writing a flawless masterpiece does not always mean others will see it your way or give you rave reviews. Or even one rave review, for that matter.
Be prepared to be slammed.
Recently I saw a 2007 science-fiction movie, MAN FROM EARTH, which is based on a Jerome Bixby short story. I dug the guts out of the movie. I loved it. The Providential Journal said that the movie “Quietly Restores Dignity to Science Fiction Of The Mind.” The movie won the Grand Prize for Best Screenplay and First Place for Best Feature at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. It was also an Official Selection of the San Diego Comic-Con International Film Festival. Okay, these aren’t Academy Awards, but the movie has received some critical acclaim.
Having seen the movie three times, I decided that it was one of my four favorite movies of all time. (The other three are the 1939 The Wizard of Oz, the 1953 The War of the Worlds, and the 1950 Cyrano de Bergerac.) I realized that for those who like action and scenery, Man from Earth is static and probably won’t fly. It involves “talking heads” – that is, people basically just talking to each other, and it takes place almost exclusively in the main character’s house. There’s no eye candy; nothing blows up; there’s no X-rated bump and tickle. But I loved it. For perhaps the first time I could remember, there was a prolonged and intelligent exchange of ideas and concepts, which is what the best science fiction is often primarily about. According to the DVD, Professor John Oldman informs his incredulous colleagues that he “has migrated through 140 centuries of evolution [which means he is 14,000 years old] and must move on.” Is he Real or Memorex? Sane or nuts? The movie builds and rebuilds on its premise, discusses historical patterns and events intelligently, presents interesting, well-drawn characters, and builds “to a final” and shocking “revelation” and a satisfying conclusion. Plus, it is so rich and dense, that you can watch it multiple times and continue to find something new. What more could you want?
And all this in just 87 minutes.
I lent this movie to my good friend and fellow writer, Richard Rowand. We don’t always agree on things creative, but often we do. I thought he might be put off by the static, talking heads, dialogue-heavy quality of the movie, but to my mild surprise, he offered a more critical, all-encompassing critique, which he had posted online at www.recipedujour.com. I offer it in toto, with his permission, for your consideration.
Rich’s Note: “Try it. You’ll Like It.”
Ever see or hear or experience something you liked so much that you urged everyone you know to see or hear or experience the same thing because you were just positive they would love it as much as you did? You raved, maybe? Went on and on until you became a bit of a bore on the subject? Urged and cajoled until you finally wore them down and they just weren’t as impressed as you had been? It’s happened to me a million times. Sometimes we build something up so much it can’t possibly live up to the expectations we’ve planted. Sometimes others just have different tastes. Sometimes their minds just weren’t as ripe as yours was. No one quite likes the film The Legend Of 1900 as much as I do. It’s okay. I’ve come to accept that. Susan [Rich’s wife] doesn’t share my fascination with Cool Hand Luke or The Godfather. I’ve come to accept that too.
Tim kept a film recorded on his DVR for over a year, waiting for Walt and me to visit so he could share the movie with us. Walt and I didn’t like it at all.
Recently, my friend John leant me a DVD of the film Jerome Bixby’s Man From Earth. He explained that it was a thinking person’s film with very little action: just a bunch of characters sitting around having a discussion. Most people, he claimed, wouldn’t like the movie, would be bored.
Now I have to tell you that Jerome Bixby wrote the most frightening story I have ever read, which was “It’s A Good Life.” There have been a couple of attempts to translate that story to television and they have not worked for me. It wasn’t the commercial interruptions so much as the fact that sometimes the printed word, and the way the words are used, can convey so much more than a director and actors can portray.
Such, I’m sad to say, is what I thought as I watched Jerome Bixby’s Man From Earth. I have to tell my friend John that the direction and acting ruined what might have been a pretty good story. . . had I read the story first. Though made in 2007, it seemed like they were presenting something as it would have been shown on television in the late 50′s or early 60′s. Even some of the characters were more caricature than fleshed out, almost as if they were lifted from a street corner in a frame from an old comic book, their clothes more props than costumes, their make-up more masks than reflections of their inner thoughts. For me, the director (with, I’m sure, others) just didn’t have the vision needed to captivate me.
I wanted to like this film. I wanted to share John’s enthusiasm, but I just couldn’t.
There you have it: two (supposedly intelligent) people sharply disagreeing. It happens all the time. In the end, whether as creators or consumers of art and literature, we have to be prepared for the reality that we are human beings who have different tastes and perceptions. Also, we come to our experiences with different backgrounds, experiences, and histories. Wouldn’t it be a boring world if we all agreed and felt the same way about things? Yes, it would, and I tell my students that frequently. Different strokes for different folks. Vive la difference! No matter how good you are, or think you are, somebody’s gonna disagree or cut you down. Accept it.
So how do I feel after reading Rich’s intelligent review? Well, I’m a little more disposed to accept the possibility that Man from Earth is flawed and imperfect and isn’t The Movie of the Century.
But I still like it . . . a lot!
Interesting blog, John! Art comes in so many wonderful varieties. Sometimes the fun is in finding new types, or the best part for a creative soul is to find scattered elements from many and amalgamate into his/her own new creation.
Marsha
Hi, Marsha, and thanks for commenting. You’re right, art is endlessly inventive and inexhaustible.
You can never find a formula for everything, and some people won’t like it if it’s at all different or
experimental
I think people take what they need from art when they need it. When people criticize my work, I think they don’t need it right now, they may at another time. I’ve often disliked something and later found it held truth for me. Whether I balk at truth initially or didn’t need it at the time, hmm, I don’t know! But in any case, those who like my work, have found something in it that resonates with them. The rest hopefully will come back another time.
Karen
Karen, I think this is a really insightful reply. I think there was something in that movie, Man From Earth, which I needed. It resonated with me. Maybe a perceptive critique isn’t always sufficient and other factors are involved. Thanks for posting!
John,
Persons are always setting up standards that define what is “good.” The earlier in life one discovers that, for a near infinite number of reasons, there is no standard that will agree with everyone’s personal opinion, the less stressful will be their life. The experiences you so artfully and logically present are “good” (by my standards) evidence of this.
Thank you for the fine piece.
Bob
Thanks, Bob. Yes, it’s important to remember that one aesthetic size won’t fill all and that often, it’s a matter of personal opinion.
John,
Fascinating article, both very interesting perspectives on a great film. I personally agree with both in some respect; I greatly enjoyed the film, and frankly no film has even been able to blow my mind like that since. However, I did feel like the acting could have been better, maybe with just a slight nudge from a different director with a different vision. The content and power of the dialogue makes it well worth a watch; years later I still think about it! It’s not for everyone, true, but there is not a single thing on this planet that is “for everyone” save maybe oxygen. In my screenwriting class, the text urges that while dialogue is important a film cannot be driven by it. I immediately thought of “Man From Earth” and thought to myself, “Now that’s not entirely true…”
Thanks again for a thought provoking blog.
And thank you for commenting, Anna. Yes, perhaps there are no absolute standards or criteria in art, at least not for everything. As you note, “The Man From Earth” isn’t perfect, but it is memorable.
I absolutely loved The Man From Earth and the lo-fi set which is making even more amazing the story the characters are hearing. It’s like you are sitting with them, it’s like the conversation is actually happening next to you. I also loved the short story “It’s a good life”. Bixby was genius.
I do tend to prefer minimalistic movies, stripped out of unnecessary CGEs and overexposed actors, especially those based on totally original ideas/stories, like the old Solaris (russian version 1972) or the recent Moon.
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