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December 1997, Week 1

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"Gareth B." <[log in to unmask]>
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Date:
Wed, 3 Dec 1997 13:37:11 -0700
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> What about Jacques Tati's reception here?  He is, of course popular among
> academics, etc., but I wonder about his popularity among more "general"
> audiences.  Part of what translates so well, for me, at least, is his debt to
> silent comedy, which translates well across cultures.  Same with Bean.
 
I've always thought that Jacques Tati was a silent movie comedian. On
his holiday, the fold-boat sequence requires no sound, and always leaves
my smile muscles aching.  Popularity, unfortunately, is often related to
promotion; the work of Tati is likely to remain a special treat for film
aficiondoes.
 
> A bit off the subject, but, I think, relevant:  I've seen the same type of
> knee-jerk condemnation on this list regarding Elizabeth Berkley's performance
> in SHOWGIRLS.  I would venture to say that comparing her acting style to her
> nipples speaks of an attitude at least as execreble as that of
> Eszterhaus/Verhoeven.  Granted, her performance was shrill, but judging by
> all the performances in that film, the blame must lie solely with the film's
> makers.  Eszterhaus' full-page ad in VARIETY taking responsibility for her
> performance was probably the only honorable thing he's ever done.
 
Ah, the auteur hypothesis. The actor is a tube of paint; if the painter
messes up, the tube has no responsibility.
Contrariwise, most directors assert in print that casting is 90% of the
job of directing. That is because they rely on the artist capabilities
and collaboration of these people.
 
Most books on filmmaking spend 75 pages on lens selection and 1 to 2
pages on talking to actors. The audience, however, couldn't care less if
a 50mm or a 48mm lens was used, preferring instead to connect with the
characters.  What makes someone like Cassavetes so fascinating is that
he made *performances* the center of his work, not things like nifty
dolly shots.
 
FILM THREAT MAGAZINE's comparison of Berkey's nipples to her acting
talent is not execrable at all.  It is a pungent comment on the
observation that measurements, cup size, and a willingness to display
them are more important than the ability to create a believable
performance -- at least to a certain segments of the filmmaking
population (such as megamillion dollar extravaganzas and two thousand
dollar video porn shoots).
 
For a screenwriter to take responsibility for a crappy performance may
be noble, but it's also chauvanistic. The attempted silk purse that was
produced from his sow's ear was *the movie*, not a particular player's
contribution. Berkey, like all other actors, is not a marionette. Look
at the work of Whoopi Goldberg. Her films of late haven't had much in
the way of believable situations or dialogue, but she imbues them with
life.
 
Paul E. Clinco
 
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