To tell a story...

I recently watched the movie Vanilla Sky, something that I've wanted to do for a while but got around to doing only a week ago. My reaction, at the end of it, was "Not bad. It's original and in a way, interesting." But I couldn't get myself to say that it was good, or that I really liked it. Coincidentally, that was my exact reaction to the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which is similar to the aforementioned movie in other ways as well.

I wondered why I reacted in this way to movies that many of my friends praise enthusiastically. I guess the problem is that I've always been the type of writer or poet who likes to tell stories in a way that people can connect with. When I write a poem, you can follow my chain of thought. Often, it's not even a chain; just a winding, dancing thread that you can trace with your fingers to its conclusion, whatever it may be: a message; an idea; a state of mind; or perhaps a combination of several of those.

In contrast, these movies are meant to be seen as art. One can appreciate the script that keeps the viewer guessing right till the very end; the freshness of thought that went into every aspect of making it; the subtle hints in the picturization; a myriad other things. A movie maker or hard core theater buff might appreciate such things, but what about the regular audience? They come out of the movie confused, rather than entertained or moved or enlightened. It's like looking at a painting. I can appreciate a realistic and vivid nature scene; I can appreciate abstractness, in the way that an artist might construct an environment to reflect the mood or life of a person in the painting, or in other ways. But if you show me some modern art and talk about the philosophy behind some random-coloured whorls, I would say, "I'm looking at the picture, but I am absolutely unable to identify with it."

Mind you, I'm not your average movie-goer who defines fun entirely in terms of tangibles. I drink and breathe creativity. I revel in the power of words to express things that are beyond the understanding of the eye and the ear; just as I adore music, movies and art for the way they can express things that are beyond the means of words. As a person who loves to write, I can understand the nuances of a book, the intent of an author, and grasp the soul of what he or she is trying to say, better than the average reader; yet, I never forget the fact that the complement of write is read. I'm quite sure that it is possible to write in a style that only a skilled writer can interpret, understand and appreciate; but even if I was that skilled writer, I have that side of me that is the reader, and that side will not like it.

One of my favourite authors, Ursula Le Guin, has this to say about telling a story. It's not directly relevant to what I've been talking about so far, but it strikes a chord because she talks about stories being told, for the sake of themselves. It is such a good feeling to immerse yourself in a story, in whichever medium it is being told, without looking for a message or a lesson. In the same way, I feel that movies are best when they tell a story. I like mystery and suspense and plot twists, but I don't want to come out bewildered and having to watch it three times over before I can make sense of it completely and identify the minute "clues". I like being shocked and surprised, if it's part of the story; not if the point of it was merely to surprise and shock the viewer.

Cheers,
Prashanth.