The Hollywood Culture Wars: Why Should the Stakes Change?

Last month, Charlotte Meyer wrote a thoughtful editorial titled "The Hollywood Culture Wars: Will Home Theater Change the Stakes?" In it, she gave her take on how this year’s Academy Awards must have been "a conservative’s nightmare." Her argument, as I read it, was that since contemporary filmmakers chose to tackle today’s issues in "adult" movies such as Brokeback Mountain, the "left-leaning" filmmaking industry was rewarding them. And because of it, conservatives were in a rage. She states: "Film is as an appropriate place as literature to work through complex human issues, and our issues today include homosexuality, violence, racism, the energy crisis, protection of privacy, consumerism, and AIDS."

It was also pointed out that critical acclaim does not translate into commercial success. Cited in Charlotte’s article, correctly, are statistics that show that audiences overwhelmingly supported the Harry Potter series, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy -- films that, despite their popularity with the masses, are, in the eyes of some critics, not serious art but mere popcorn entertainment. Contrast this with the left-leaning "message movies," which, at least in comparison to these blockbusters, are largely ignored by the public.

This year, the Academy is rewarding high art, not commercial success. Is it always that way, regardless of the issue discussed? Depends on whom you ask.

Charlotte states that "Legendary right-wing movies such as The Triumph of the Will or Birth of a Nation now seem more like curiosities than genuinely moving works of art." But Birth of a Nation is listed at number 44 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Greatest Films of All Time. The AFI is not a right-wing outfit. And anyway, do The Triumph of the Will and Birth of a Nation really tackle "right-wing issues"?

A much better example of a movie categorized as right-leaning by most in Hollywood is Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. It is the 28th-highest-grossing movie of all time. Its worldwide box-office take was $611.9 million. I’d hardly place it in the same genre as Harry Potter -- most would consider it a serious "message" movie with adult content. Still, the Academy largely shunned it. Why? They like serious films, no?

And how about when The Passion of the Christ hit home theater? It sold 4.1 million copies on its first day of DVD release. It was also made independent of big-Hollywood support -- Mel Gibson financed the film with his own money. Maybe it just wasn’t the "correct" message needed to garner the acclaim of, say, Brokeback Mountain.

For most of the moviegoing public, what really are the issues that Hollywood should be tackling? What’s relevant to common people, and how will it affect ticket sales and DVD rentals? Most people, at least the ones I know, deal with such "issues" as jobs, family, friends, schooling, etc. Are the issues addressed in such movies as North Country, about the sexual harassment of women in the workplace, not as relevant to the masses as those in Brokeback Mountain? Or is the issue examined in North Country not progressive or "left-wing" enough to win a big award in the eyes of the Academy? At least it was nominated.

Regardless of the genre it inhabits, even The Lord of the Rings should be considered a "message" movie. It’s about friendship, loyalty, and doing what’s right in the face of adversity, persistence, and sacrifice -- life lessons most folks I know would agree are important. Is it such a stretch to believe that these issues are more relevant to the average moviegoer than those in Brokeback Mountain? Could it be that Hollywood isn’t tackling the most relevant issues of the day, as Charlotte Myers asserts, but is simply addressing issues not germane to the day-to-day lives of most people?

As the father of a young child, I’m appalled at a current news story about an Ohio judge who failed to uphold state law and punish a man who freely admitted to sexually molesting two young boys for a period of three years. The perpetrator was let off on probation. There is a movement underway by Ohio’s governor and legislature to impeach the judge on grounds that he is failing to carry out his oath of office. Some conservative pundits -- not popular in Hollywood, in case you couldn’t guess -- have taken on the issue on talk radio. Is Hollywood making a movie about that case? Or is that a "right-wing" issue and therefore off the radar of the current filmmaking set? If it were made into a movie, would it be considered popcorn entertainment or high art? Again, I suppose it would depend on whom you asked.

Charlotte concludes with this: "Who can predict where the home-theater market will take the movie industry? If anywhere, may it be toward more variety, more niche audiences served, and more low-budget, sophisticated, challenging, adult-oriented films." Does she mean the films that very few people seem to be watching? I hope it doesn’t go there; at least, if the current Academy sweethearts are examples of what we need more of. For the sake of the industry’s own financial viability, maybe another direction is needed.

Filmmakers, when given the appropriate financial support and resources, are free to make the films they see fit. Hollywood and the industry elite are free to recognize those films that meet their criteria for high art. The public is free to watch what they want. The public will cast their vote with their movie attendance and through the lines at Blockbuster and Hollywood Video. But I don’t think there’s any real drama in the outcome. Whether at the theater or in the home theater, my guess is that what’s popular on the big screen will be what’s popular on the small screen. And the reasons will continue to baffle some while being crystal clear to others.

 ...Jeff Fritz
editor@hometheatersound.com

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