response 45 of 327:

Dec 30 17:53 UTC 2002

It's hard to say what's standard Spielberg fare, given that he did Schindler's
List.

response 47 of 327:

Dec 30 19:06 UTC 2002

Yeah, because Spielberg does that whole black and white thing with only 
one red part in *every* movie he does.

response 49 of 327:

Dec 30 19:32 UTC 2002

The fact that it's the only one that's not different makes it, by
definition, different.

response 51 of 327:

Dec 30 21:36 UTC 2002

[psst...just agree with her]  

Why yes, that wasn't standard Spielberg fare at *all*.

response 53 of 327:

Dec 30 21:51 UTC 2002

Anyhow, I cant really comment about this recent movie as I havent seen 
it yet. I am just saying tht Schindler's List was enough different from 
other Speilberg movies that if someone hadnt told me he directed it, I 
wouldnt have known. 

response 55 of 327:

Dec 31 04:04 UTC 2002

THE PIANIST--  Saw this today, it is the new Roman Polanski film about the
real life experiences of a jewish classical pianist named Wladyslaw
Szpilman, and how he survived the horrors of Warsaw ghetto in World War
II.  He struggles through unimagineable horrors to stay alive.  His family
and everything he owns are taken away, and the only thing he has left are
his memories and the thing most important in his life, his music and
ability to play the piano.  There are some really moving scenes in this as
we watch Szpilman go from famous, and fairly conceited, concert pianist to
an emaciated shell of a man.  Who loses everything.  But his ability to
play.  Which is his soul and his identity.  The title character is played
by Adrien Brody, in a wonderful performance worthy of award consideration.
The film's depiction of the horrors of the holocaust and the destruction
of Warsaw are really something.  This is one of Polanski's best ever
pictures and one of the best in the growing catalogue of holocaust movies.
"The Pianist" won the grand prize at Cannes last year, and the NY Times
review said it is better than Schindler's List.  I don't agree with that
necessarily, but I think its just as good.  And that is pretty high
praise.  

Go see Roman Polanski's "The Pianist", a great movie.

response 57 of 327:

Dec 31 07:02 UTC 2002

re: #56...Polanski was the director of Bitter Moon.  Hey not everyone is
perfect.  But he was also the director of Chinatown, considered one of the
great american movies ever made, and other classics like Rosemary's Baby and
Tess.  

response 59 of 327:

Dec 31 16:04 UTC 2002

Beethoven was an anti-semite, Brahms was a woman-hater, Lewis Carroll 
adored little girls, and John Updike is a Republican.  So the fuck what?

response 61 of 327:

Dec 31 18:07 UTC 2002

They're all dead.  They can be great artists with human lfaws only after 
they can no longer redeem their flaws. ;)

response 63 of 327:

Dec 31 18:15 UTC 2002

Besides, there is an enormous difference between admiring a person and
admiring their art. Only the likes of Stalin and others of his ilk
made a connection between the two. 

response 65 of 327:

Dec 31 19:37 UTC 2002

Hey, we all make choices based on whatever is important to us. There is 
nothing wrong with making a choice not to see a movie because one has a 
problem with the morals of the director. It is only when people try to 
take the choice away from other people (by banning the movie or 
something) when there is a problem. 

Now me, I probably will skip any Polanski films I come across because I 
think he doesnt always make good movies. I'll only see one of his films 
if it gets really good reviews. 

response 67 of 327:

Jan 1 06:53 UTC 2003

Re #64: really? It would never occur to me to do that. Why do you even
have to know anything at all about the artist to enjoy his/her work? Are
you consistent in your bigotry? That is, do you look every
artist/director/writer/cartoonist/etc up to make sure their morals fit
your standards before attending/seeing/reading their work? I would say
that you are depriving yourself of much very enjoyable experience in the
arts by limiting yourself so severly.