comment #1

JD says ...

Saw this at TIFF. Excellent concert film, undermined by the director's nepotistic need to cut his daughter's awful experimental films into the early sections of the concert. Fortunately, this ends relatively early.

comment #2

Major Calloway says ...

"He said that art is different than life because art is a representation of life and therefore it doesn't contain death. Life contains death. So making art is life-affirming. There can never be pessimistic artists, there can only be mediocrity."

Did Tarkovsky really say this, or was it Mr. Miyagi? Personally I think this quote is absurd and vacant, a series of nonsensical and unconnected platitudes that are almost too fluffy to struggle against.

But maybe it's because there's glass between us and I can't deal with its infinite nature.

comment #3

Major Calloway says ...

"Art, representation life. No contain death. Life contain death. So, art....affirm life! No pessimistic artists! Only mediocrity! Now...wax car."

comment #4

BurmaShave says ...

I'm going to assume it was Schnabel that said this, in which case, where is Sean Young when you need her?

Also, has anyone seen the thing on Kenny's Premiere blog about the resemblance between Lou Reed and Eddie Constantine? Hilarious.

comment #5

hailfreedonia says ...

I saw this on sunday. it was great. I've heard the album, but is very powerful to see it performed as a piece. Lou is fascinating, it sounds amazing and schnabel did a really good job.

I think the Tarkovsky quote ended with the thought that "there can never be pessimistic artists. Just TALENT or mediocrity." I think it's a true statement, but i guess we should just mock these guys for attempting to understand something.

comment #6

Major Calloway says ...

Bullshit. We should mock these guys because they try to describe something meaningful as if it was feng shui.

comment #7

hailfreedonia says ...

I don't see how that's worse than making two decade old pop culture references. whatever.

comment #8

Major Calloway says ...

It isn't. (Sigh....) Just feeling ornery today. I just think it's a dumb, pretentious quote, and disagree with it. I think artists CAN be pessimistic, I think art is not always life-affirming, and I think talented people are capable of mediocre work. (Thank god for collaboration.) But no knock meant on the film itself, or Schnabel's talent. I have immense respect for him (though less so for Reed), and for anyone who directs a meaningful feature film in today's industry.

I guess I just lost the touchlamp....

comment #9

hailfreedonia says ...

i'm ornery today, too, major -- i apologize for being dickish (i've read other comments of yours and know you're a thoughtful movie lover). I think maybe the quote wasn't transcribed correctly -- the point i took away was something along the lines of: "no matter how dark or negative or pessimistic a work of art is, making (great) art is inherently optimistic". Tarkovsky is about as pessimistic as they come and perhaps he was arguing for the validity of his aesthetic. I would say that Lou Reed's best work is truly great, but that's just my opinion.

comment #10

Edward says ...

I saw Lou Reed in concert in 1975 and was blown away. One of the greatest live shows I've ever seen and I've seen some of the greats. I did, however, make the mistake of buying Reed's Take No Prisoners while tripping and it didn't live up to it's non-altered listening.

comment #11

Major Calloway says ...

hail: If I wasn't being dickish first, I certainly jacked it up a notch. Sorry about that.

I can actually go along with your characterization of making art as an act of optimism, though I must say that: a) it doesn't have to be great for this to be true; and b) it may be an act of optimism only in the personal existential sense, which should matter least to the audience. In other words, just the act of creating something is an expression of hope, if only in the value of taking the effort to say/do something. In that sense I see it kind of like just getting out of bed in the morning....there's something to be done, and it's worth staying alive another day to do it. Even if we don't always feel like we believe it, just doing it says something. Now it might be total crap, but I would say that even (maybe especially) a GLEN OR GLENDA or a MEATBALLS 4 is an expression of that personal optimism. Linking optimism/pessimism to talent/mediocrity is lost on me. I think there can be any combination of the four.

But as I said, I think this optimism isn't of particular importance to the audience. I think it's worth making a pessimistic statement sometimes, even about ourselves, and the fact that we find it worth the trouble to do so says something about how we value our own efforts but not necessarily the subject at hand. I would argue that the more pessimistic the statement, the greater this disconnect. Tarkovsky's efforts may be an expression of his "optimism" in the value of expending himself on those efforts, but the works themselves can still be intended -- and received -- as pessimistic statements.

But now I'm starting to get a little fluffy myself. Not sure how much of that makes sense outside of my own head. Think I better wait for some of my thoughts to catch up to me here....

comment #12

Major Calloway says ...

Well, shit....now that I reflect on what I wrote it sounds like I'm just splitting hairs, doesn't it?

comment #13

EDouglas says ...

Man, wish I saw this presentation at the DGA on Sunday but I was tired after junketing all day... Jeff, the publicist is the Weinstein Company..they're releasing it. Film Forum generally won't have screenings until three weeks before. The movie's great... saw it at Toronto.