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2006-09-18, 13:39

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorian Gray View Post

Let me just say I'm also disgusted that every film that doesn't tread a well-beaten path gets branded pretentious or pompous by the mainstream critics. These guys should be tearing down that pointless barrier and getting people who wouldn't consider themselves "arty" into the arthouse cinemas. What does pompous even mean in this context? It seems to simply mean "different" (in that it aims at making the viewer THINK) which is not a crime! Pompous is the last thing that came to my mind while watching this film and I'm sick of critics who instinctively react like that every time a film worth seeing comes out.
That's a pretty broad reaching condemnation. And I think fairly untrue.
The two reviewers mentioned here are great advocates for different movies. The New World springs to mind, Ebert championed this movie even though it throws just about every movie convention aside. Whale Rider is another The Fast Runner is yet one more. These are all far from the mainstream films that critics (not just Ebert) have been able to shine a light on for a greater audience to see.
For the record Ebert doesn't say Dogville or von Trier are pompous, he says they are audacious, but his reason for not liking it is it's length.
Lars von Trier (the Director) carries some baggage, he IS fairly pompous and pretty proud of it. He denigrates America every chance he gets, in his work (Dogville is his anti-america manifesto) and in his interviews, yet he has never been here.

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