Hi Mark,
I don't believe that print media
should be "dictated by the demands of other media," nor by
the techniques or styles of other media. In fact, I don't
think it should be "dictated" by much of anything beyond its
own tenets. But I'm convinced it must be responsive to its
own times and that it must speak effectively to its
readers.
Your example from Down By The River
is as good as any to focus on. The first time we see an event
like the one you describe it helps us to understand the
character. The tenth time you see it, as you often do in GP's
work, it doesn't help us to understand anything except how
cool we all are.
Now as for the Quentin T. stuff.
You're saying QT a "postmodernist" and therefore anything he
chooses to include in his films, no matter how extraneous,
redundant or unnecessary to explain the story or the
characters is just another example of his hip artistry.
Sorry. I ain't buying it. The same hubris that's led him on
his People Magazine junket informs his films. It's all of a
piece and he's boring. And, by the way, I'm not only saying
character development is important, I'm saying it's
essential.
As for brand naming, who cares, so
long as it is necessary to develop character or to tell the
story?
If you're saying that all of GP's,
and QT's social scene redundancy is cultural commentary, I
think he should save it for somebody's Op Ed page.
To you "the debate seems more about
style than craft," but all I'm talking about is craft, and I
think that part of the craft problem here is an obsession by
the writer with his style. GP's love of his and his
characters' coolness detracts from his craftemanship.
Jim
Blue
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