No Art is Perfect, No Artist is Infallible
Last month the subject of comic book movies came up in work. My colleague asked me my thoughts about Deadpool and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and whether or not I was going to watch X-Men: Apocalypse. The conversation turned to the X-Men: Days of Future Past. I told him that I enjoyed the movie overall, but that it features in my estimation the dumbest scene in the whole of the series. I asked him to guess which scene I was referring to, but he didn’t know what I was talking about.
Like hypnotic regression I asked him to think back to the movie, specifically the scene where Bolivar Trask’s prototype sentinels are being transported by train to Washington DC. Mangeto intercepts the train, strips the track behind the carriages and threads the sentinels with cable made from the iron girders — all in order to rewire and reprogram the humanoid robots to serve his will. Apparently in this scene Magneto not only has the power to control metal but also has the mutant powers of electrical engineering and computer software coding. Using rail girders.
Looking at my colleague’s reaction I could see it dawning on him how dumb that moment truly is. It doesn’t diminish the surrounding movie, but it is such a poorly conceived idea that people somehow blank it from their memory when talking about it’s quality and standing in the X-Men series.
At one point or another many of us have been guilty of excessive fandom, whether to a movie or TV series, an actor or filmmaker. Because of our enjoyment and/or connection to a favourite artist or work we can lose our sense of reality. A person who in our minds is a great artist can do no wrong — they transcend criticism because of our estimation of them as auteurs. Our most treasured film and TV shows are untouchable. The problem with such idol worship is that no actor or filmmaker has a perfect track record, and no film or TV series can be objectively perfect. A person’s refusal to acknowledge critique or flaws in the work of others can result in negative and irrational responses.
The elevation of art and artist to impossible heights belies the practicalities of human life. Even the greatest actors can deliver lesser performances driven by financial incentive over artistic merit, poor collaboration with cast and crew, or in contempt of a contractual obligation. Auteurs can experience dips in their creative output, or overestimate their abilities and intellect. No matter how widely praised a film or TV series may be there will always be others who do not share the opinion of the consensus.
In the age of the internet and social media the blind devotion given to some artists and their work has become borderline farcical. The term ‘fanboy’ carries negative connotations because of the rabid defense and threatening attitudes communities exhibit against any and all critique. It is possible to be a fan and recognize legitimate criticism — it is with criticism artists can retain humility and respect for their audiences.
Actors
As a product of the individual and media culture an actor can create a mystique surrounding their identity. In the eyes of a devoted fan an actor can be transformed into the ideal of a celebrity and artist — their motivations are pure and driven by personal integrity. They can do no wrong and those who speak to the contrary are character assassins.
This phenomenon is most widely seen in the fandom of actor Johnny Depp. The person is overtaken by the sensationalized persona, an image that is incorruptible and infallible. During his career Depp has been the subject of controversy in relation to his depiction of American Indians in The Lone Ranger, and the beloved Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. His most recent personal transgressions reveal the irrational following Depp has supporting him without doubt or mistrust on his behalf. To many Johnny Depp fans any negative reports or damning statements against him must be unequivocally false — their investment to his image is too great to be wrong.
Actors are people no different from everyone else in their thoughts and actions. They can say the wrong thing and make the wrong choice — how we as people treat their mistakes can determine their future, for better or for worse.
Directors
Where actors receive greater publicity for their role in filmmaking directors are the subject of a cinephiles’ adoration, where each new project from a select director is met with great anticipation and expectation. And yet, like any artist, the critical bar for creative excellence is not always so attainable. Directors/would-be auteurs can be guilty of hubris, self-indulgence and underestimating their audiences; to an avid follower their respect and admiration can be distorted into an excessive defense or counter attack.
Christopher Nolan has been at the center of a dedicated fanbase for over a decade with critically acclaimed films including The Dark Knight and Inception. When the first published reviews of The Dark Knight Rises were released many of the critics who expressed a less than perfect appraisal of the film were harassed and threatened by fans online — before they had even seen the film in theaters. Observations and criticisms about Nolan’s films, such as convoluted storytelling and transparent subtext, are frequently dismissed or ignored in favour of his cinematic strengths.
With films including Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line Terrence Malick is viewed by many to be among the greatest directors alive today. His aesthetic and approach to film is iconic and immediately recognizable — this recognition has also given Malick a creative leeway afforded to no other director. His two most recent films, To the Wonder and Knight of Cups, have been critically divisive, with questions about whether the pedigree of talent has clouded the critical eye of audiences. If the name Terrence Malick wasn’t associated with these two films would critics and audiences indulge in their aimless narratives and pseudo-philosophical voiceovers?
Directors often run the risk of becoming mythologized when they achieve repeated critical success. The notion that a director’s output can maintain an indefinite high standard is unreasonable, and the refusal among die hard fans to believe otherwise can be damaging and self-defeating. Proving that even the most sophisticated and intellectual mind can enjoy the simple things in life I recently read that Ingmar Bergman was a fan of Dallas — rather than dispel his legacy it speaks to me of his humanity, and how everyone has their small delights.
Films and Television
If you were to raise the plot hole of the giant eagles in relation to The Lord of the Rings you can expect a subsequent defense and retaliation. If you were to raise an eyebrow to the motivations of the vampire Edward who is stalking Bella in the first Twilight movie the fanbase will tell you how romantic and pure his desire for her is. The fandom for individual movies, cinematic franchises, fictional characters and television series can take on unprecedented levels of mental acrobatics to protect prized popular culture.
I’ve been a fan of Star Trek since I was six years old. I’ve watched every series and every movie, and I’ve seen every episode of my personal favourite Deep Space Nine at least five times. I consider myself to be a devoted fan who has invested thousands of hours of my life to a franchise I have a deep knowledge and love for, but even I know bad writing when I see it. How can I defend ‘Sub Rosa’ from The Next Generation or ‘Threshold’ from Voyager? Simply put I wouldn’t even attempt to defend bad Star Trek. I have my limits and I can recognize the shortcomings of a franchise close to my heart. My acceptance of Star Trek’s failings stands in contrast to my sister’s dedication to Buffy the Vampire Slayer; in her mind there is not a single bad episode or story arc in the series’ seven season run. Trying to argue against her position is a largely futile effort, but entertaining nonetheless.
It’s not an admission of defeat to accept our pop cultural darlings are imperfect. When art imitates life it happens both in front of our screens and behind the curtain; as people we have our good days and our bad days, writer’s block one day and a fountain of creativity the next. We’ll gamble against the odds and cut our losses when we fail. All the planning in the world cannot prepare us for unforeseen calamity. No person should be exempt from these truths.
As fans we should concede the bad the same as we prize the good, and give the artists dear to us the courtesy of being the same flawed human beings as everyone else.
Coming soon: Late Night Discoveries
