Monday, March 26, 2007
Thot bubbled #47
Is execution the new idea? I saw 300 and the only thing about it that wowed me was the way it looked. Which brings me to another related thought. What is more important in advertising: looking good or saying something substantial? Put simply, are looks more important than substance? Caveat: dig deep before you answer this one. (Incidentally, research has conclusively proved that good looking people are more successful in life.) Aside from that, I also watched The Namesake a day after and even though the latter is a much better and a more nuanced tale well told, I can bet my last petro-dollar on 300 turning out to be a bigger grosser. Why?
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2 comments:
Looks = wrapping paper to the package, you gotta be interested enough in it to look deeper- on a v superficial level. Like a first date, or when you spot a cute somebody.
Are looks more important than substance? In this context, it depends on what you're looking for. For me, 300 was sheer entertainment, enjoyed the film, esp the SFX and left the hall relaxed and ready to get on with the rest of my day. The Namesake - perhaps coz I had the read the book + been in the situ of rebelling against parental norms when abroad - it touched me so much more, it was deeper and sadder and more thought provoking. We left the hall, went for dinner and had this long discussion about family, being indian and what really matters. So looks vs. substance - I think it depends on what you fancy, which world you want to explore today - which to me is what movies are all about...
There will always be a market for both style and substance - though the market for each might pan out differently over time. Individuals also, as FiNK mentions above, might fancy different things at different times and in different media.
But when you combine style and substance you'll have something that can occupy the shelfspace in the market forever - as a moneyspinner in the beginning and as a classic in later times.
Frank Miller's earlier work on Batman (I haven't read his Sin City collection and didn't like the movie much either) fall in that category. You read these comics and you know you are witnessing a master raconteur at work - sadly, he has chosen to squander his positional advantage for short-term tactical gains.
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