January 9, 2008
Why dramas and thrillers are now set in the past. No cell phones
An interesting issue raised by The Guardian's film critic Joe Queenan, on why so many dramas and thrillers are now set in the past. Could it be because, in a world of mobile phones, satnav and Google, suspense is impossible?
"... Films like No Country for Old Men and American Gangster are a much-needed breath of fresh air in a society that has allowed its toys to suck all the drama out of life.
By forcing the protagonists to rely on technology that does not furnish much in the way of information - shotguns, handguns, stilettos, kitchen knives, even baseball bats - directors make it possible for us to re-enter a world where people had to rely on their own resourcefulness to survive.
... If it were up to me, every movie would be set in an era without mobile phones and Google, every movie would put the hero in a situation where he could not call in an air strike via his BlackBerry..."
[via del.icio.us./regine]
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