From: David Buchanan (DBuchanan@ClassicalRadio.org)
Date: Sun Oct 06 2002 - 02:36:16 BST
Sam and all you star-struck fans:
Sam:
And there was I assuming that an implicit distinction between 'film' and
'documentary' could be taken as read. To my way of understanding Pirsig is
saying that if a film is a documentary then it can have intellectual
purposes, if not, not. And I disagreed with that. It seems you do too.
DMB:
You gotta be more artsy and less rigid in the application of these ideas
from Pirsig. There are lots of expections to every rule, but yes, a
documentary is far more LIKELY to be done for intellectual purposes and
stories are more likely to be social in their purpose.
Sam responds to bigger context point:
I don't disagree with any of that. But couldn't the choosing of a new story
to tell be an intellectual level choice - and therefore, consequently, the
new story be an intellectual level product? I just think Pirsig could have
said it a bit more carefully - and as I said to Erin, perhaps it's a
deliberate part of Pirsig's anti-Phaedrus rhetorical strategy. Or perhaps I
just shouldn't have raised the subject in the first place. Sheesh.
DMB:
The choices are for writers and the products are for markets. They're two
completely different things. Intellectuals can write scripts and make their
artistic choices, but if it becomes a movie in the normal sense of the word
then there's going to be advertising, press junketts, and popcorn spilling
at the mall, which is decidedly NOT intellectual. And viewer will be seated,
the room darkened and the hypnosis begins, which is decidedly NOT
intellectual. Sheesh.
Sam:
We're back to a discussion of what counts as the fourth level, which is a
whole new thread. Are you saying that stories are necessarily
non-intellectual? Do you agree with Bo on the SOLAQI question? Are we saying
that only something either wholly or partly academic counts as fourth level?
That's quite an important thing if we are.
DMB;
The fourth level is a whole new thread?! What? What is the name of this
thread? Isn't the question about movies and the intellectual level? Pirsig
says they're social and you disagree. You started it, right? Or did I miss
something? Anyway, I would go so far as to say NECESSARILY. But we dream in
story form, our dreams resemble myths in many ways and both are highly
charged with emotional and sychological power. The human mind seems to
produce these meaningful stories spontaneously, and they're also enhanced by
the artist's hand. Movies, among other lesser things, have taken up the role
of storytelling in our own time. That's mostly what they do. They appeal to
that ancient level of the mind, the mythic mind, which is at the social
level. Again, there are plenty of exceptions.
DMB answers the last two questions:
I disagree with Bo for the simple reason that it defines the intellect too
narrowly. And I don't see the problem that it is supposed to solve. Only
something academic is intellectual? No. Of course not. But if you're looking
for intellectuals and you're in a hurry, you'd probably head over to the
nearest University. But its thin and rare compared to the social level,
which is far, far older. Its not even about intelligence, although there is
a strong correlation. The difference between levels is two different ways of
thinking, not just different thoughts. Its a different kind of
consciousness, a different value system. Ask yourself how many people are
seriously interested in attaining fame and fortune. How many are chasing
after it right now? How many would take it if they could get it? Sex and
money and fast cars. Yahoo! Nearly everybody, that's how many. Its a rare
cat that would rather live in the world of ideas and thats just one way to
get an idea how totally swamped we are in social level values.
SAM:
BTW what's your screenplay about? Are you trying to put any ideas across or
just pandering to the social level? ;-)
DMB:
I'm doing an adaptation of Kant's Works for the screen. It'll be a musical
western. Just kidding. Its a re-telling of the Orpheus myth, set in the
present. Pandering? Social values are fine and good and necessary. The
problem is letting them devour higher values.
Two thumbs up, way up!
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