I've always liked "systems novels" (Pynchon, Delillo, Stephenson) but I've never liked those global interconnectedness movies. I never even considered their similarities or differences until this article.
Crash really bothered me right from the get-go. I think it's right in the first scene that the dialog posits "In LA, a car crash is the only way we can touch each other" which stank of writerly metapoetics rather than actual experience. I have the same problem with both Haggis's AND Cronenberg's Crashes: vehicular accidents are NOT INTIMATE AT ALL. Not even metaphorically. Not poetically. That said Cronenberg's Crash I have a whole different discussion about.
I think my biggest takeaway from your various topics in this one essay is that there is a sublime need to an arts and politics of agency. The only solutions are agentic ones, but people are rather tired in their lack rather than focused on creating agency.
Thank you for untangling some of the narratives that we try to find meaning in through a work of film criticism. This piece is remarkable! I feel compelled to see Code Unknown again.
You’ve captured both what I feel, try to write about (but you just did so well), and what I usually only dream of getting to read. I got to help some of those network narratives — and certainly talked endlessly about them but you articulated what was both appealing and repelling of such narratives so sharply. One of aspects of the “The system we are in and the system within us” theme is how be it with art, conspiracy ponders, or unifying theories, is how our efforts, minds, and communities create connections when they aren’t there. Art benefits but the rest generally suffers.
This is such incredible validation, Ted - especially since you've been in the industry for so long and you've seen this all, and experienced the wave of this genre, first hand. Your last sentence echoes painfully true - need to ponder further on that. Thank you for this comment!!!
Thank you for this masterful analysis. I will definitely check out this movie that bucks the trend. You should consider expanding your post into a book-length nonfiction.
Hello Sophie, you have a great newsletter. I am genuinely impressed by the quality and depth of your posts. It’s clear that you put a lot of thought into it. I’m excited to dive into your future emails as a new subscriber.
On a related note, I hope it’s okay to ask this here—are you open to a partnership? We can provide you with 1k+ subscribers for your newsletter.
Interesting retrospective.
I've always liked "systems novels" (Pynchon, Delillo, Stephenson) but I've never liked those global interconnectedness movies. I never even considered their similarities or differences until this article.
Crash really bothered me right from the get-go. I think it's right in the first scene that the dialog posits "In LA, a car crash is the only way we can touch each other" which stank of writerly metapoetics rather than actual experience. I have the same problem with both Haggis's AND Cronenberg's Crashes: vehicular accidents are NOT INTIMATE AT ALL. Not even metaphorically. Not poetically. That said Cronenberg's Crash I have a whole different discussion about.
I think my biggest takeaway from your various topics in this one essay is that there is a sublime need to an arts and politics of agency. The only solutions are agentic ones, but people are rather tired in their lack rather than focused on creating agency.
Thank you so much for your thoughts and insight!
This is a fantastic piece of analysis and criticism.
Thank YOU so much, Jen 💖💖💖
Thank you for untangling some of the narratives that we try to find meaning in through a work of film criticism. This piece is remarkable! I feel compelled to see Code Unknown again.
Oh wow thank you so much, Andrew! Code Unknown absolutely deserves a rewatch 💗
You’ve captured both what I feel, try to write about (but you just did so well), and what I usually only dream of getting to read. I got to help some of those network narratives — and certainly talked endlessly about them but you articulated what was both appealing and repelling of such narratives so sharply. One of aspects of the “The system we are in and the system within us” theme is how be it with art, conspiracy ponders, or unifying theories, is how our efforts, minds, and communities create connections when they aren’t there. Art benefits but the rest generally suffers.
This is such incredible validation, Ted - especially since you've been in the industry for so long and you've seen this all, and experienced the wave of this genre, first hand. Your last sentence echoes painfully true - need to ponder further on that. Thank you for this comment!!!
what a great read, thank you, delighted i stumbled upon this substack :)
Thank YOU for reading 😊
not at all :)
so cool to have this coming in to my inbox now :)
😍😍😍😍
Thank you for this masterful analysis. I will definitely check out this movie that bucks the trend. You should consider expanding your post into a book-length nonfiction.
Wow thank you so much for the comment. What an ambitious suggestion...I'll sit on this!
There’s a French version of CRASH and BABEL called SELON CHARLIE with Jean- Pierre Bacri and Vincent Lindon
Hello Sophie, you have a great newsletter. I am genuinely impressed by the quality and depth of your posts. It’s clear that you put a lot of thought into it. I’m excited to dive into your future emails as a new subscriber.
On a related note, I hope it’s okay to ask this here—are you open to a partnership? We can provide you with 1k+ subscribers for your newsletter.