Hey Gang,
I'm with Glenn. People's common sense gets less and
less as time goes by. It is sad to me that a film of such historical
value, in many areas, would get shelved like this. As a society, we are all
aware of prejudices and stereotypes, past and present. Unfortunately, it
is part of our history and everyone's history throughout the ages. More
to the point, it is part of human nature. A film, made 80-90 years ago,
is of historical value. Do we begin to remove all books, fiction or non
fiction, that were written in a different time period that reflected different
values or opinions? I still love a good John Wayne western but I view it
knowing it depicts a time period in our history and, at the same time, I
can have my own personal feelings about our disregard of the American
Indian. There are a lot of movies and books that I don't like, either
artistically or ethically, but I support the right for them to be available. I
think you learn so much when you see something that is different that what you
have previously known or thought. It opens your mind to other possibilities.
That doesn't mean you have to accept them as your own, but at least you were
open to hearing or viewing them and incorporating other's ideas into your
knowledge.
I saw Birth of a Nation when I was a student at UCLA. For the time
period, technically it is an amazing film. It always disheartened me to
know that D.W. Griffith died fairly nameless and poor. He was a great
storyteller and, for me, that is what makes a great filmmaker. I consider the
film a masterpiece of film history. So, when will it stop. Do we cover the
statue of David because we want to outlaw nudity in public?
Stupid, isn't it.
Sue Heim
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2004 9:35
AM
Subject: [MOPO] -Birth Of A Nation -
(/11 - Oliver Stone
I heard about this on local LA
radio.
The funny thing was the guy who runs the
theatre was very apologetic to "all those I have offended" but then when
pressed on the issue he started to tell it like it is.
They were going to show the movie and put it
in historical context. It was more of "class" if you will then a
screening. There was to be a panel discussion. A point of his,
which was very well taken, was that you can go into any video store and rent
this film and see it completely out of context which he said, and I
agree, is the real danger.
Not to stir up a hornets nest it's the same
as Michael Moore's 9/11. People can't put it in the context
that 9/11 is just a film with a decided view point of the director
as creator such as Griffith, Moore and Stone. Anyone who looks at a
historical film as directed by Oliver Stone and takes it as
gospel is also shortsighted.
It's all a joke to me because there is great
folly here but you can't reason with people's emotion. Just can't
be done.
There is a complete loss of common sense
these days on what is right and what is wrong. I don't know how it's
gotten as bad as it has... A gradual progression I
guess...
Glenn
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 9:19
PM
Subject: [MOPO] Question on LA film
showing-Birth Of A Nation
I
was sent the following information about a cancelled LA showing
of Birth Of A Nation. Can anyone confirm that this is a true
story?
Thanks, Danny / Seattle
The owner of
the Silent Movie Theater in Hollywood canceled a planned
screening of
D. W. Griffith's The
Birth of a
Nation after the Los
Angeles
branch of the NAACP and a group called the National Alliance
for
Positive Action vowed to picket the theater. Although owner Charlie
Lustman
had planned to show the film with a disclaimer stating that he
does not
endorse the racist content of the film but wants to honor its
place in
cinema history, the two groups had charged that the film would
continue to
poison race relations. Lustman said that he had also
received threatening
phone calls and was concerned about the safety of
patrons and 92-year-old
Bob Mitchell, the onetime leader of the famed
Mitchell Boys Choir, who was
to provide organ music to accompany the
film.
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