(no subject)
I think I want to see War of the Worlds. I like H.G. Wells and though it was never my favorite of his work, I remember it fondly. However, Spielberg has been trying to turn the movie into a grand political commentary.:
Steven Spielberg said on Monday that War of the Worlds, his remake of the classic tale of alien invasion, could be taken as a statement of America's deep unease following the September 11 attacks. Spielberg said each time the story has been told there has been a larger backdrop. "Today's shadows 9/11. I think the film has found a place in society," Spielberg told a news conference after the premiere in Tokyo.
Spielberg pissed me off when he tried to pass Oscar Shindler off as someone other than a Nazi fuckhead (which I railed about in sixth grade).
He is a quasi-intellectual of the lowest order. The problem is, he really believes that his films have a meaningful social impact. He does not realize that no one gleans any more understanding of the human condition from his newest endeavours than they might from Jaws.
I think the larger observation is that he actually thinks his movie is important. It's just a throwaway green-men-from-mars summer diversion flick, not a larger allegory on the current state of the American psyche. The only post-9/11 unease it reflects is the continued ability of Tom Cruise to put asses in seats (since he appears incapable of late of keeping his own ass in his own seat).