"Shall I rewrite or revise / My October symphony? / Or as an indication / Change the dedication / From revolution to revelation?" -- "My October Symphony," Pet Shop Boys
To read this review and more (including some never-before-released on-line), please order Serpents and Doves by John Demetry.
posted by John Demetry at
10:38 AM
I earned my BA in Communications Arts: Radio, Television, and Film from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 2000. Since then, I have worked as a freelance film (and music) critic for such publications as CityArts, Cinedrama, First of The Month, and GayToday. Mostly, I struggle to find a home for my voice -- and a voice for my home. Mapping this quest, these works of criticism attest to the insights and passion I offer. They illustrate my: 1) Unique perspective - semiotics-charged, formalism-based, pleasure-bound; 2)Fundamental values - pop culture as a unifying force; 3) Erudition - as a film major in college (emphasis: history/theory/criticism) and as a life-long student of ideas and art. Along the journey, Go West: An American Experience, a video I co-directed with Amy Thompson, has played at numerous film festivals.
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This year's profusion of mind-bending popular artworks demands awe and provokes reconsideration. Could there be a better time to revisit the young century's most awesome art event so far? In A.I., Steven Spielberg, like the Pets' Neil Tennant, shared what he learned from the 20th century. Every massive accomplishment from artists in '06 follows from Spielberg's widely excoriated (repressed) insights.
On Sunday, June 18th, the American Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria presents the first revival screening of A.I. (that I know of) since its release in 2001. Although it appears as an incongruous entry in the Kubrick film festival, the film speaks most profoundly as prophecy, not as a footnote to the completed career of a deceased master filmmaker about whom too much has already been said. Spielberg's masterwork was unacclaimed and misunderstood upon its initial release, except by the Spielberg-sensitized, such as the host of this blog, whose writing on A.I.'s much-maligned conclusion remains definitive. Since, however, it has demonstrated astonishing forward resonance, scattering its seriousness into souls as removed from Spielberg's personal circumstances as Gael Morel (Three Dancing Slaves) and Wayne Kramer (Running Scared). This cross-cultural exchange of philosophies and perspectives is quintessentially Spielbergian, amounting to a shift in world consciousness that trumps anything in the hearts and platforms of Democratic or Republican politicians.
All good post-A.I. art proceeds from the emotional insights of Spielberg and the faith they inspire. This Sunday, make the pilgrimage to A.I. and see why, despite pundits' claims, the light in the darkness does not emanate from a TV screen.
Great post! I vote to bump this up from "comment" to an official blog entry!
And I can't wait for John's take on the year this far.
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