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You've heard the saying: "Sometimes you have to take one step backward to go two steps forward."
Even though we're living in the Hollywood of 2003 it's a good idea to go back to the Hollywood of the 1930s when movies (largely because of the Talkies) became the rage. Ordinary people were just as gaga as they are now over movie stars and their charmed lives. But instead of Access Hollywood and all the other TV shows devoted to the movie and TV business--not to mention the Internet--fans back then relied on their radios, newspapers and news reels in movie theaters to find out the latest dish.
Anyway, sometimes I think it's smart to turn to AMC (American Movie Classics) or Ted Turner's old movie station and watch some of the films from back then. Or you could rent them (provided your video store has them). They're all, for the most part, in black and white. And short. Surprisingly short. Between 70 and 80 minutes.
Those were the days of the double features. Movies had to be shorter than the typically 2 hour flick of today.
The thing you'll notice most from these movies is the clarity of the storyline. Not a second is wasted. Not a line. Not a scene. And they all get started right away. Some of the dialogue may sound naive and innocent compared to how we talk today, but most of the words the characters speak are as dead-on as today. The plots and themes are as current as those of todays. Love, murder, sex, vengence, greed...hey, people are people.
When you watch some of these, don't watch for enjoyment. Watch as if it's research. Look for the immediacy and urgency of the storytelling. They had maybe 70 minutes to tell their tale and they utilized every moment.
Watch. And learn. |
