Trying to make a list
The recent list of greatest movies has come out. It has proudly announced that Citizen Kane is no longer the best movie in the world. Vertigo is the new greatest movie of the world. The result and the announcement has sent shock waves through the fraternity which takes these lists with a lot of seriousness.
By plain logic, I would want to believe that a movie will continue to be the best till a new movie comes and raises the benchmark. The surprising part here is that both Vertigo and Citizen Kane have been around for decades.What suddenly prompted the group to change their opinion after so many years? This leads to a deeper question- what is the basis and logic behind making these lists?
The fact of the matter is there is not much logic behind drawing any generalistic list. It is the personal comfort of individual voters- vote. The weakest method of measuring art. Voting is the tool for measuring objective distributed opinions. Like whether a government will be good for us. Even then its success levels are very low. refer to the re-election of Reagan or Bush Junior. Or the election of Rajiv Gandhi which led to disastrous 5 years for the country. But to make artistic judgement based on vote is silly. Thats why taking Oscars with any amount of seriousness is equally silly. That's why till today the film festivals use the jury/discussion method in addition to voting as its method of selecting excellence. \
The second problem with coming out with a list like this is the premise. Vertigo is the best from which perspective? Is it better than Bicycle Thieves as a movie? or is Ray's Pather Panchali the right movie to make to the list over a Charulata or a Aranyer Dinratri? is Rashomon the best Kurosawa movie? Not THrone of Blood or Kagemusha or Raan?
Frankly the list is that of the most "famous" set which has been around. Or it is an attempt to do so. For that reason the best "first movie" of all seminal directors find a place. The ones with which they announced themselves.
But after all this intellectualization, the question remains - how did a murder mystery manage to become the greatest movie of all times? Over one of the best known portrayals of the human condition?
Not for me by the way. no matter how great Vertigo was and how much i liked it, for me it cannot overtake Citizen Kane for the sheer context of the latter if not anything else. But then that is me. Go ask a noir addict. He is popping champagne. There lies the biggest issue with such lists. The real issue is that films are an experience. And a very intimate one for a film buff. And unlike any other art form it traverses all the areas of human emotion and human experience. For the same reason the sub-genres within the form is as varied as it can be. And precisely for the same reason, bringing out a list like this is sheer stupidity. An exercise in advertisement- of the people who are doing it. Also a show of arrogance of the intellect of the makers of these lists. In fact both the makers as well as the viewers. for this precise reason the first action that anyone takes on seeing such a list is to tick off all the ones which he has seen. And then he goes on to announce to the world on his achievement in movie watching. usually he laces this with a negative comment on the list to show his superiority of intellect...
However all these listing of movies does tempt one's self to indulge in the same exercise. Partly to gratify the ego but mostly to satisfy the urge to talk about ones favourite movies. Movies which have impacted, influenced and contributed so much to building the character of the person whom I know as myself. This urge however is much different from the ones in these much publicised lists. This is much more intimate, more to do with calling out and appreciating the beautiful craft of cinema which has given so much to me as an individual over the years.
For this reason I decided to start talking about some of the movies which left their marks on me. Not a greatest list. Not a all the best accumulation. But expression of appreciation and the reasons why they in my opinion are some of the most beautiful and moving creations which I have seen in my life time.
I hope the handful of people who have the interest and patience to go through these names find it interesting and of some value.
The recent list of greatest movies has come out. It has proudly announced that Citizen Kane is no longer the best movie in the world. Vertigo is the new greatest movie of the world. The result and the announcement has sent shock waves through the fraternity which takes these lists with a lot of seriousness.
By plain logic, I would want to believe that a movie will continue to be the best till a new movie comes and raises the benchmark. The surprising part here is that both Vertigo and Citizen Kane have been around for decades.What suddenly prompted the group to change their opinion after so many years? This leads to a deeper question- what is the basis and logic behind making these lists?
The fact of the matter is there is not much logic behind drawing any generalistic list. It is the personal comfort of individual voters- vote. The weakest method of measuring art. Voting is the tool for measuring objective distributed opinions. Like whether a government will be good for us. Even then its success levels are very low. refer to the re-election of Reagan or Bush Junior. Or the election of Rajiv Gandhi which led to disastrous 5 years for the country. But to make artistic judgement based on vote is silly. Thats why taking Oscars with any amount of seriousness is equally silly. That's why till today the film festivals use the jury/discussion method in addition to voting as its method of selecting excellence. \
The second problem with coming out with a list like this is the premise. Vertigo is the best from which perspective? Is it better than Bicycle Thieves as a movie? or is Ray's Pather Panchali the right movie to make to the list over a Charulata or a Aranyer Dinratri? is Rashomon the best Kurosawa movie? Not THrone of Blood or Kagemusha or Raan?
Frankly the list is that of the most "famous" set which has been around. Or it is an attempt to do so. For that reason the best "first movie" of all seminal directors find a place. The ones with which they announced themselves.
But after all this intellectualization, the question remains - how did a murder mystery manage to become the greatest movie of all times? Over one of the best known portrayals of the human condition?
Not for me by the way. no matter how great Vertigo was and how much i liked it, for me it cannot overtake Citizen Kane for the sheer context of the latter if not anything else. But then that is me. Go ask a noir addict. He is popping champagne. There lies the biggest issue with such lists. The real issue is that films are an experience. And a very intimate one for a film buff. And unlike any other art form it traverses all the areas of human emotion and human experience. For the same reason the sub-genres within the form is as varied as it can be. And precisely for the same reason, bringing out a list like this is sheer stupidity. An exercise in advertisement- of the people who are doing it. Also a show of arrogance of the intellect of the makers of these lists. In fact both the makers as well as the viewers. for this precise reason the first action that anyone takes on seeing such a list is to tick off all the ones which he has seen. And then he goes on to announce to the world on his achievement in movie watching. usually he laces this with a negative comment on the list to show his superiority of intellect...
However all these listing of movies does tempt one's self to indulge in the same exercise. Partly to gratify the ego but mostly to satisfy the urge to talk about ones favourite movies. Movies which have impacted, influenced and contributed so much to building the character of the person whom I know as myself. This urge however is much different from the ones in these much publicised lists. This is much more intimate, more to do with calling out and appreciating the beautiful craft of cinema which has given so much to me as an individual over the years.
For this reason I decided to start talking about some of the movies which left their marks on me. Not a greatest list. Not a all the best accumulation. But expression of appreciation and the reasons why they in my opinion are some of the most beautiful and moving creations which I have seen in my life time.
I hope the handful of people who have the interest and patience to go through these names find it interesting and of some value.
4 comments:
Superlike dada. Bring it on. I might not be as emotionally attached as you are, but obviously :), still this hit the right chord somewhere.
thanks nikhil... will try my best...
Wonderful post, Sayan! I loved what you said about movie lists and how the greatness of an artwork cannot be decided by votes. I am surprised too that 'Citizen Kane' is not regarded as the greatest movie anymore. I didn't know that Sunil Gangopadhyay's 'Aranyer Dinratri' was made into a movie by Ray. I want to watch it now! I can't wait to read your next post and know about your alltime favourite movies :) I am adding your blog to my blogroll. Hope you don't mind :)
Thanks Vishy..
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