| | Jeff,
Ed, a fair response, but do you believe the purpose of art is to make political statements, even ones badly needed? Good question. I wouldn't say that the purpose of art is to make political statements but I would say that its purpose would be, more generally, to be inspiring. Of course, I'm speaking as a romantic realist (the best kind of artist). Other artists, such as the damn naturalists, would say that the purpose of art is to copy reality.
Can that result in a good film? Has there ever been an example of that? I don't think it can, but now we're talking past each other. You see, I view any exposure -- even bad exposure -- as being good for Objectivism and, therefore, for man on earth. The more Objectivism gets in the public eye, the better. The reason that that is true is because it sells itself. Objectivism doesn't need to be dressed up in fancy advertising in order to try to persuade folks into initially 'believing in it.' Instead, it just needs to get a hearing (it doesn't even need a fair hearing -- that's how good it is). This is why it's all-but-completely shut-out of university courses -- because other philosophies simply cannot compete with Objectivism (when scrupulously compared to it).
On the other hand, you sound like you are arguing for art for art's sake. An ungenerous analogy would be a Kung Fu movie where a master's student fought and successfully killed a terrible, terrible outlaw. Turning toward his master and expecting praise for the good deed he had done, he is met with a stern look and is, instead, punished ...
... because he didn't kill the outlaw in the right way (utilizing all of his skills at all of the right times during the fight). In this analogy, the Kung Fu master is arguing for Kung Fu for Kung Fu's sake. Nevermind that the terrible, terrible man was dealt full justice -- no, that's not good (if it isn't done "right").
Do you agree, Jeff, that you are -- in this instance -- viewing art like the Kung Fu master viewed Kung Fu (as a re-ified "good" in-and-of-itself -- as an intrinsic value)?
Ed
(Edited by Ed Thompson on 6/01, 6:15pm)
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