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MODEST PROPOSALS: Film major should be promoting film, not fluff
by Matt Lawrence
Columnists | 12/9/08
Posted online at 12:36 AM EST on 12/9/08
The newly unveiled Film Studies department at Brandeis has been in the news quite a bit recently. Several high-publicity events have been going on at the Wasserman Cinematheque and elsewhere. Rather than promote the Film Studies department, these events reveal the main point and purpose of the Film Studies department: high-profile glitz and glamor and the worship of fame.
This does not mean all of the guests have been without any merit. Many have been serious filmmakers, such as Werner Herzog. Some have been actors or actresses in more questionable taste, like Kate Beckinsale. But all are presented as though Brandeis is uniquely fortunate to be blessed with the presence of these glitterati. There are perhaps valuable things one can learn from a Q-and-A with a director like Werner Herzog.
More intellectually dubious is the value of seeing a movie before other people can; the official Brandeis Web page for the Film Studies department boasts of having had access to an "exclusive … sneak preview. " of an upcoming film. This is exciting, perhaps, but fit more for the pages of Variety magazine than the official site of a serious academic institution.
It gets worse. The Web page also lists actors whom Brandeis has hosted. All are described as "2008 Best Actor/Actress Contenders." This, again, is not something a University should be in the business of bragging about. Brandeis' star connection is provided by Scott Feinberg, a recent Brandeis alumnus and blogger for the Los Angeles Times entertainment Web site. He works with the department to arrange the appearances of stars like Kate Beckinsale and Alan Alda. His job for the L.A. Times is to immerse himself in the world of Hollywood gossip, amid studios' vicious and extravagantly expensive campaigns to win Oscars, and find out who is deemed a "contender."
As Feinberg says on his blog, Oscar contendership is the only factor determining who will appear. "The Oscar wars are waged out here [on the East Coast] too," he writes, calling the recent appearances by Oscar contenders his "neat contribution" to this war and, presumably, to us. He assumes we care about the race for the Oscars and meeting the beautiful people in this race. We don't: This has nothing to do with the serious academic study of film. An editorial from last week's issue of this paper assured readers that screenings "were organized … [to] benefit the studios and the school." An academic institution should have no interest in benefiting Hollywood studios, particularly as it gives free publicity to Oscar candidates. Film Studies Department Chair Alice Kelikian "thinks it [is] no exaggeration to claim that we have the best cinematic programming of any academic institution in the United States." This could be true only if one takes "best" to mean "having the most famous people."
This does not mean all of the guests have been without any merit. Many have been serious filmmakers, such as Werner Herzog. Some have been actors or actresses in more questionable taste, like Kate Beckinsale. But all are presented as though Brandeis is uniquely fortunate to be blessed with the presence of these glitterati. There are perhaps valuable things one can learn from a Q-and-A with a director like Werner Herzog.
More intellectually dubious is the value of seeing a movie before other people can; the official Brandeis Web page for the Film Studies department boasts of having had access to an "exclusive … sneak preview. " of an upcoming film. This is exciting, perhaps, but fit more for the pages of Variety magazine than the official site of a serious academic institution.
It gets worse. The Web page also lists actors whom Brandeis has hosted. All are described as "2008 Best Actor/Actress Contenders." This, again, is not something a University should be in the business of bragging about. Brandeis' star connection is provided by Scott Feinberg, a recent Brandeis alumnus and blogger for the Los Angeles Times entertainment Web site. He works with the department to arrange the appearances of stars like Kate Beckinsale and Alan Alda. His job for the L.A. Times is to immerse himself in the world of Hollywood gossip, amid studios' vicious and extravagantly expensive campaigns to win Oscars, and find out who is deemed a "contender."
As Feinberg says on his blog, Oscar contendership is the only factor determining who will appear. "The Oscar wars are waged out here [on the East Coast] too," he writes, calling the recent appearances by Oscar contenders his "neat contribution" to this war and, presumably, to us. He assumes we care about the race for the Oscars and meeting the beautiful people in this race. We don't: This has nothing to do with the serious academic study of film. An editorial from last week's issue of this paper assured readers that screenings "were organized … [to] benefit the studios and the school." An academic institution should have no interest in benefiting Hollywood studios, particularly as it gives free publicity to Oscar candidates. Film Studies Department Chair Alice Kelikian "thinks it [is] no exaggeration to claim that we have the best cinematic programming of any academic institution in the United States." This could be true only if one takes "best" to mean "having the most famous people."
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 17
Alice Kelikian
posted 12/09/08 @ 8:18 AM EST
I read Matt Lawrence's column with some puzzlement this morning. He has not a positive thing to say about the new film and visual studies major, which he sees a recycled fluff (for the record, this year we introduced new production classes and two new electives, and next year we will have five new electives). (Continued…)
J
posted 12/09/08 @ 9:49 AM EST
Also a little confused here. I have no idea how Matt defines "important". I went to the Herzog talk and I can tell you right now that Kate and Alan were much more interesting than him and were much closer to the "serious discussion" Matt talks about. (Continued…)
Adam Barish
posted 12/09/08 @ 2:25 PM EST
This column does not seem to demonstrate a fundamental understanding of film, ironic for an article that intends to explain it. At the end of the day, we enjoy movies. (Continued…)
Jon Zimmerman '07
posted 12/09/08 @ 3:14 PM EST
As a former Justice editor and a highly active participant in the film program, this article troubles me greatly. I'll begin with the journalistic issues and move on to my own, more personal response as a filmmaker. (Continued…)
Nathan Hakimi
posted 12/09/08 @ 6:13 PM EST
The rest of the comments on this piece (of _) have been generous. In your zeal to say something controversial and original you have only come off as foolish and ignorant. (Continued…)
Nathan Hakimi '11
Nathan Hakimi
posted 12/09/08 @ 7:34 PM EST
Quick addendum. This little jewel really caught my eye:
"There is precisely one course listed in the Film Studies department proper for next semester, and it is a class about motion picture editing that is technology-based and seems to fit into a "humanities-driven course of study" about as well as a class about book-binding would fit into an English major"
Let's take a moment and think about this. (Continued…)
Mark Dellelo
posted 12/09/08 @ 10:39 PM EST
Just to expand on one of Nathan's points, I have worked very hard to conceive a course of study in Motion Picture Editing that fits into a liberal arts curriculum. (Continued…)
joe
posted 12/10/08 @ 10:42 AM EST
It seems Mr. Lawrence didn't have the guts to leave my original post up. Obviously he couldn't take my criticism of his complete dismissal of Mrs. Beckinsale. (Continued…)
cindk
Cindy Kaplan '08
posted 12/10/08 @ 3:35 PM EST
Likening a film editing class in the Film Studies Department to a class in bookbinding in the English Department is slightly absurd, and a poor analogy. (Continued…)
David Neiditch
posted 12/10/08 @ 5:06 PM EST
Matt, it seems you have been thoroughly ripped a new one for your inane comments, and for that, I applaud my previous posters. I think that your desired point of this piece has been lost in the fray of your callous handling of the subject of film, a topic that I do recommend you read up on if you are so inclined to writing a scathing review of its processes, and that is mainly you desire to see more film classes offered at Brandeis, specifically, more theory classes. (Continued…)
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