The State of Things

I find myself, near the end of a long career teaching film, and looking forward to a concentrated period when I can write about film and related matters, somewhat troubled and even a little saddened. I feel bad that for all our efforts and the intellectual and emotional energy we have brought to our discipline that it has not grown as fast as it should have. There are obviously many administrative and financial reasons for this, but I'm sure that, again, despite our best efforts, we have not been able to convince enough people that studying film is a serious business. I cannot avoid the thought that, for most people, the movies remain one of the few things that do not require intellectual engagement, and such people grow resentful when we try to say otherwise. Just look at a New York Times review of a museum exhibit or art opening, in which the formal elements of the artist's work are analyzed. Then turn to a movie review and what do you get: plot summary.