Archive for December 7th, 2009

Spider-Man (2002) helped make superheros relevant again in Hollywood

In a feature article on FilmSchoolRejects.com, author Landon Palmer lists what he argues are the most influential films of the past 10 years. The list includes such popular movies such as The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter franchises, The Dark Knight, Memento, Borat, The Passion of the Christ, Traffic, and No Country for Old Men, among others. But his list is not fabricated on the basis of popularity alone, as he also takes into consideration the impact these films have on each other, and their relativity with their social and historical contexts. Palmer writes very intelligibly; clearly articulating ideas that are grounded in logic and defended with sound reasoning. You may not agree with him on every choice he makes, but you’ll at least understand why he chose the movies he did and likely admit that said choices are not indefensible.

Some of the more interesting films he mentions are Munich and Jarhead, neither of which were big box-office bonanzas. These two were particularly political in their makeup, Palmer claims, but not preachy such as films like Fahrenheit 9/11 or The Passion of the Christ. However, Palmer goes on to say that these films’ political nature makes them inexorably tied to the contexts of their times, and thus probably wont stand the test of time as well as others on the list. At this juncture it’s impossible to say whether he could be right or wrong, but if such films are as influential as he claims it can’t be thought that them standing the test of time is impossible. Films of the ‘70s like Taxi Driver and Easy Rider were saturated in social and political commentary, yet they’ve lasted as cinematic symbols of excellence for decades.

Palmer’s article, doubtless to lead to controversy simply because of its nature (that is, as an argument), is an exceedingly interesting and impressive read for anyone interested in taking a look in the rearview mirror at the past decade of movies. No other articles I’ve found that take such practices, say, on Variety or that ilk, are as good as this. A highly recommended read.