OT: 25 years of dream

TorS wrote on 8/28/2003, 4:44 PM
Was reminded today of the beautiful speech he made, Martin Luther King, 25 years ago. And it started me thinking. When are you Americans (or anyone else for that matter) gonna start making films and videos that CARRY the way Martin Luther King's speeches did - and does? And if someone does, how long will that person be able to work before he or she is killed or sent to Guantanamo?
Tor

Comments

Arks wrote on 8/28/2003, 4:57 PM
huh?
Grazie wrote on 8/28/2003, 5:02 PM
Arks00 - Kinda got me too! - My Left Brain is working overtime . . . .

Torsie Help!

Grazie
p@mast3rs wrote on 8/28/2003, 5:50 PM
cuz not all of us believe in MLK or whatever dream he was promoting.
Erni wrote on 8/28/2003, 6:12 PM
but, for luck, many yes we believe.
Former user wrote on 8/28/2003, 6:37 PM
Martin Luther King was killed in 1968. I think he gave the speech before he died.

Dave T2
MyST wrote on 8/28/2003, 6:51 PM
I believe TorS was making a point about the lack of passion and substance in the latest american movie releases.
I think however that comment is made using mainstream movies as a reference. You need to maybe look at indy films.
One could use the same arguement for american music if all you listen to is Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, JayLo, etc. However, listen to some Blues and Jazz once in a while. You'll soon discover there is still some passion in american music.

I believe you're also overlooking most films by Spike Lee. I'm sure there are others that I haven't heard about who are very passionate about their work and the message they deliver through their works.

M
kentwolf wrote on 8/28/2003, 8:04 PM
>>...Martin Luther King, 25 years ago...

It was 40 years ago today.

Thank you.
TorS wrote on 8/29/2003, 3:00 AM
(40 years it was - it only feels like it was more recent.)
(Guantanamo was not a good point in all this, I shouldn't have mentioned it.)

MyST saw my point clearly and responded appropriately. It is about passion, but not only that. King had more than passion, that's why people are still quoting him today. Thats why his speeches are still spreading hope among people.

Are films unable to carry such weight? Or do we not have strong enough waves in society to bring forth people who can make impact like Martin Luther King did?
Tor



Grazie wrote on 8/29/2003, 3:06 AM
Ah HAH! Now I get it! - Yes, too true - "Where's the Beef?" type of thing yeah? - Watched Attenborough's "Ghandi" again at the weekend - quiet passionate things, being well crafted for us all to think on.

This is a good thread to be having now, at this time of the Community's [ =EARTH ]development - yeah?

Thanks Torsie,

Grazie
RexA wrote on 8/29/2003, 3:31 AM
MLK is not the only one who's voice echos through history. (Not to discount him in any way.)

We have about 100 yrs of film. Must be some example that you would put up as a good prototype for something that would be good to emulate or better? Is there a "MLK speech" of film example?

Waiting...



mark2929 wrote on 8/29/2003, 4:26 AM
what in todays world of soundbites of saying yes and then not doing nothing of great talk and no action type world where everything comes down to money and who cares about the rest

This is where Films have a responsibility a duty to show this up for what it is the damage we are doing to the environment all these can be underlying elements to films Like planet of the apes even films like barbarella (my Mums favourite) lots a films

Instead a lot of films seem to be going with the flow violence and sex will always be a part of film but tempered with a reflection of the society we are in good or bad.
TorS wrote on 8/29/2003, 4:46 AM
Not the only one, certainly. But it was Martin Luther King I was reminded of yesterday, him that got me in the mood. And he is top league in my opinion, up there with Frances of Assisi, Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.

Most good films not only displays, but on some level contributes to humanity, to our common experience of what it is to be human. Some more than others. Salt of the Earth probably more than most. But even that great piece of work did not make a lasting impact on society.
Tor
mark2929 wrote on 8/29/2003, 5:33 AM
Star trek 4 the voyage home was a good example of what I mean the most popular of all of them because it was saying something about our world. and lots of the public could identify with that
PeterWright wrote on 8/29/2003, 9:24 AM
I liked "Being There" - Peter Sellers' last film.

- also saying something about our world.
mark2929 wrote on 8/29/2003, 10:11 AM
I was thinking about that film today I couldent remember the name but yes thats what I mean the film had substance because of peter sellars obviously but also because people could identify with it
Eug7 wrote on 8/29/2003, 10:59 AM
Permit me to chime in. If you want an example of extreme passion depicted in film please stand by for the forthcoming release of Mel Gibson's the 'Passion'. I've read the book. Let's see how the film fairs.

http://www.passion-movie.com/choose.html
gold wrote on 8/29/2003, 11:09 AM
Be careful if you quote him publically, you may be in copyright violation.
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:I_have_a_dream
mark2929 wrote on 8/29/2003, 11:19 AM
I quite liked mel gibsons mad max films set in a post nuclear war even those films gained strength from having a world theme warning of what could happen
vitalforce2 wrote on 8/29/2003, 2:50 PM
Don't be mistaken. What MLK accomplished at the Lincoln Memorial that day cannot be duplicated. Some events are unique in history and all we can do in filmmaking is try to recapture the emotion. But not the event. An entire nation sat on the edge of their seats, waiting to learn whether this one man would start a civil war or a civil rights movement. Fortunately he took the high ground. Also, he passed the ball to us. The jury's still out on that one.
mark2929 wrote on 8/29/2003, 3:36 PM
There is good and bad where ever you go add suspicion mistrust jealousy to the mix and mans desire to herd into a group and pigeonhole everything to try and comprehend his world and throw in the desire for sex its a wonder we have any kind of civilised world at all I think its because most of us have good intentions and are just distracted by the negatives this is where i think film making can make an impact. by exploring these faults and showing lead characters overcoming these problems
kameronj wrote on 8/29/2003, 8:45 PM
"I liked "Being There" - Peter Sellers' last film."

I too thought that was a very great film. I think that a lot of mainstream films made these days are fluff. Very much like a lot of music in the mainstream.

But, that's okay - I don't watch a lot of fluff films, or TV or listen to fluff music.

I like any movie that actually has something to say - regardless of the point - or, if there are big bouncy jubbly wumblies!!

ggp wrote on 8/29/2003, 10:17 PM
I think this is one of the funniest forum topics yet. Don't talk about MLK like he did more than he did. Perspective is critical. Today's unsung hereos are working with...

...white slavery in Africa, Latin American kidnaping, the starving, mal-nurished, abused, forgotten, at war, sick with no medicine, believes in evil spirits, under a dictatorship, doing drugs, doing time, doing the wrong thing, can't read, mutilated vagina's, babies in the river because they are the wrong sex, the insane, elderly, poor, can't read, can't walk, no clean water, no hope, no tears because they have no water, no law, no God, no justice, blowing themselves up for God, putrid, sickly, on the side of the road sick, forgotten, molested, raped, uneducated, unruley, uncaring, un-accounted-for, missing in action, missing a brain, missing a mother, father, brother, sister, missing love, missing joy in their lives. And yes, they are working with blacks who are treated unfairly. There are plenty of passionate people. If no one is making movies about these things, you my friend, are missing a huge freaking point! I'm sorry you are not entertained by an 'important' movie lately...
mark2929 wrote on 8/29/2003, 11:42 PM
It can be a very rotten world and quite often no one takes any notice to the plight of others but all the rottenness is caused generally by man with innocent people often caught up in the games.

You have to restore law an order "but how" This is the job of the people of that community Or Country with some outside help if requested. But this is beyond my abilities and I certainly have no desire to get involved in politcal matters I would rather leave that to properly qualifed professionals this is not to say I dont care.
The people of America fought for their independence and got it the people in the UK fought against the class system. for the most part though we the ordinary citizens have at times had to fight for our rights and have had the most apalling things done to us but if a foreign country tried to help by invading and telling us how to act no matter how well intentioned uuum.

This is not to say I agree or disagree with what our governments do Im just not qualified to say things that could cause change seems to me anything anyone does is under attack for having ulterior motives mistrust anger or the order of the day and if you dont listen Ill stick a bomb up your a
All I say is I would like to see films make political and social themes as part of the background to films not for political reasons but just to add more weight.
Begbie wrote on 8/30/2003, 7:58 AM
I am Australian, and we too have committed horrible institutionalized crimes against people based on race.

There seems to have been a time, in the recent past, when people felt that being racist (etc) wasnt acceptable and we should break the bonds of the past, now, we are trading on fear again and it is no longer unnacceptable (seemingly) to criticise people based on race, on indeed go to war.

I think we (as humans) have forgotton too much about just how horrible racism is. We need to remember the stories of King, X, Namitjira, Mabo.