Friday, January 19, 2007
went to see "shortbus" last night at the our only art movie theater. It was really good. very funny and well constructed. but I found the storytelling got very forced late in the movie. Is it possible to end a contemporary fictional work in a satisfying manner. Shortbus resorted to magical realism, "little children" (the book at least) resorted to self-aware narrative. is it simply true that ending a story within the constructs of the fictional narrative is no longer acceptable, because fictional characters are meant to stand in for the reader/viewer? and you can't please all of the people all of the time. whereas, choosing an ending that dismisses the fictional reality doesn't leave anyone feeling abandoned.
# posted by 8yearoldsdude @ 12:13 PM 
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Not because fictional characters are standins for the reader, but because unacknowledged suspension of disbelief is so 19th century. Also all the regular endings have been done already, so you need some meta-meta-meta on top of your meta to stay hip and demonstrate that you didn't mean for your readers to take the whole thing just as a good story.
It seems to me even the 19th century saw some degree self-awareness; they just had a lighter touch about it. Maybe not Dickens or Bronte&Bronte, but G. Eliot certainly commented on the unnatural character of the narrator (and by extension the artificiality of fiction) by inserting arch, idiosyncratic narrative asides. Now authors & filmmakers are doing the same thing; the difference is they insist on holding up a big blinking sign that reads "I'm being self-aware now." Ugh. At some point rejecting the whole meta pile-up may be the most meta of all.
This whole thing makes me think of Adaptation. Did you guys see that? What did you think?
This whole thing makes me think of Adaptation. Did you guys see that? What did you think?
# posted by 
: 10:44 AM
: 10:44 AM
Adaptation is one of my favorite movies, though few of my friends seem to like it. I thought it was pretty obvious, but maybe you have to read The Orchid Thief and see Being John Malkovich in order to pick up on some of Adaptation's self-awareness.
But its still an all-time short-list classic in my book.
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But its still an all-time short-list classic in my book.
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