Francis Ford Coppola’s new film, “Megalopolis,” currently showing at the Toronto Film Festival from September 5 to September 15, is not a political film, but it does have an underlying political idea, namely that danger in the United States. social situation. The plot, which contains elements of a dream that wants to rebuild New York and is faced with great difficulties and problems only to see the fall of his dream, deceives America as a general situation. The director did not create the data for his idea, but put together an imaginary side that could easily be translated into reality.
The public is not complaining
Technically, this is the film of the year so far, regardless of how half the critics received it, and how the viewers will receive it when it begins its commercial release next month. He proposes truth and does not accept it, so we should not judge the film even for the realism (or unrealism) of its view. But “Megalopolis,” at the same time, is not the only amazing fantasy film. For more than 20 years, American cinema has changed its diverse direction and is limited to groups of fictional series. Even those produced for smaller audiences are, in many cases, divorced from what we call reality. He revolves around small subjects and translates them into easy images instead of going into their various meanings. At the same time, animated films, in turn, fell into the technique series and became part of the machine that does not seek innovation or difference.
In 20 days since its worldwide release, the comic film “Deadpool & Wolfverine” exceeded a billion dollars worldwide. According to a rough calculation based on the average ticket price these days, the number of viewers for this movie is worthless, as well as satisfying entertainment enthusiasts with the necessary scenes that lead to comedy, between 50 million and 65 million people.
From “Deadpool and Wolverine” (Marvel Studios)
Yes this means that there are many people who rushed to see two “super hero” characters in front of them to learn how to face each other and how to work together against their enemies. For this reason, they lived two hours of frustration of absence. Unlike “Megalopolis,” which miraculously gathered more than 33 million viewers worldwide, “Deadpool and Wolverine” does not contain social messages or symbols that reflect its desire to ‘ build something that is even remotely important.
Not that mainstream audiences are complaining. In a recent conversation with several fans on social media pages, most of the interviewees defended this film and others like it by saying that it satisfies the desire for entertainment and to “comics” is a fantasy and science fiction genre that it is. it is short-sighted to criticize.
This is correct. It is a literary form of fantasy and science fiction, but compared to what was presented even within the framework of “comics” and “super hero” cinema, before, in films like “Superman, ” “Iron Man,” and “Batman. “, this film does not have the lowest value and information.
Arts and entertainment
American cinema, and in all densely populated countries (such as Egypt, India and France), saw a continuing tradition of films that did not claim to have intellectual content or deal with reality. somehow. But the biggest difference between today’s cinema (as a whole) and yesterday’s cinema is that it included all kinds of films, including -into the fantasy ones about “Captain America,” “The Ghost,” “The Shadow,” and “Captain Marvel.” Fans of yesterday, until the early eighties of the last century, could watch major productions of several genres, from drama to comedy, from detective to Western, through science fiction films (real, and that is, fictional ones based on some science), horror, romance, music, history, and works adapted from literary novels.
From “The Conversation” 50 Years Later (Critical Photos)
To make the model clear, we can go back to 1974 (50 years ago) to learn about some of what was made in America at that time: “The Godfather 2” by Francis Ford Coppola, “Gangsters ” and “The Conversation” (also by Coppola, currently being re-released on the 50th anniversary of its production), “Chinatown” by Roman Polanski (the police), “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” by Top Horby (horror), and “Parallax View” by Alan J. Pakula (political suspense), “Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia” by Sam Peckinpah (Western), “Lenny” by Bob Fossey (musical) . Each of these models was worthy of artistic status and did not interfere with the ordinary audience with the usual entertainment.
The list is long (there are dozens of titles), but they all reflect the desire to provide the diversity that achieved multi-headed success. Many of them did not neglect entertainment, but linked it to social benefits.
Among the list of the 10 most successful films made this year were the disaster films “The Towering Inferno” and “Earthquake”, both of which are a lost genre of disaster cinema. today, and the sports drama “The Longest Yard,” and the anti-racist drama “The Trial of Billy Jack,” and the satirical film “Young Frankenstein,” as well as “The Godfather 2,” of course .
Stars for day and night
The situation includes that actors have found many different roles instead of sticking to one type to ensure their success, as is the case with Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers), Paul Rudd (Ant Man), Scarlett Johansson (The Avengers,). Black Widow), and Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Tom Holland (Spider-Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), and Robert Downey Jr. (“Iron Man” and “The Avengers”), so that they do not forget Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, along with a large number of other actors.
The unfortunate thing is that they cannot transform the genre into a decent film or a real drama because the inevitable downfall of the actor is often the result of the downfall of his film and the audience themselves don’t care about them if they try to change.
