Re: [Marxism] Gone With the Wind

[Carrol Cox <cbcox@xxxxxxxxx>]

Jerry Monaco wrote:
> 
> On 8/1/06, Carrol Cox <cbcox@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> >
> > But for an audience that is _at all_ consciously anti-racist, BofaN can
> > deepen understanding of the role of racism in u.s. history. In other
> > words, in the right context, the right audience, and the right critical
> > guidance Birth of a Nation is one of the most powerful and effective
> > ANTI-racist films ever made.
> >
> 
> I agree with you about BofaN.  But I have always taken my pov on this movie
> witha bit of self-irony.  Isn't my ability to tolerate BofaN and my hatred
> of GWtW a product of my pretentious cinephilia?  Well perhaps.

I would agree with this -- but with emphasis on the _perhaps_. Perhaps,
also, the contrast touches not merely on our personal "cinephilia" but
_also_ points to a real difference between competent and shoddy art. If
the art is _good_ enough, it forces thought, and thus cannot be (or can
be made to not be) merely an expression of the artist's own
politics/viewpoint, etc., and thus "good" art with "slimy" content,
rather than merely transmitting the slime provides a context for
examining with clear eyes the slime, understanding it more fully, and
fighting against it.

Carrol

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