MovieChat Forums > The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011) Discussion > 'Mark Cousin's Story of Film.'

'Mark Cousin's Story of Film.'

posted 11 years ago by TxMike
10 replies | jump to latest

I enjoyed this series, I can hardly imagine undertaking the project to tell, over 15 episodes, the entire history of movie-making all over the world over an almost 120-year period.

However instead of "The Story", it should be "Mark Cousin's Story", because if any other film historian would tell the story, the examples and emphasis would be different. Not necessarily better or inferior, but certainly different.

"The Story" implies there is a single story embraced by everyone, and that just isn't realistic. I believe it is important to remember that while watching and digesting it.

TxMike
Make a choice, to take a chance, to make a difference.

[–] Artimidor 11 years ago

I agree, TXMike - I would have suggested to call it simply "A Story of Film". That would have implied that it's just one interpretation of film history, seen through the eyes of a film critic/film lover, focusing on key points regarding innovations of filmmaking technology or directorial creativity that advance the medium's development. Such an interpretation of course is always subjective.

Due to the actual title the misunderstanding is nourished that Cousins tries to deliver the ultimate objective film history and it comes across as pretentious to some.

So yep, I concur with what that assessment - just remember that it's just one version of film history by someone who loves movies and knows a bit more than you and I and has an accent one needs to get used to. Other than that: I loved it! :)

Artimidor
Art's Top 111+ Movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/e-VkvtHDDNQ/
Trailers and reviews included - recommendations welcome!

[–] TrevorAclea 11 years ago

the entire history of movie-making all over the world

Except Australia, which he completely dismisses in a sentance as being of no cinematic value in a series made around the same time the Australian press was criticising his actions at the Edinburgh Film Festival.

"Security - release the badgers."

[–] dalbrech 11 years ago

Trev, I am finally getting a chance to see the Cousins series on Turner Classic Movies, and I like it even less then you do.
I admit, his whole "Hollywood is EVIL" routine is a huge turn off. Like the American film industry has a monopoly on making bad and phony films.
And his freaking mistakes...of which his dismissal of the Australian Film Industry in one sentence is a good example.
And,God, his voice is annoyning. I am betting that a lot of other people from Ulster find it just as annoyning.

I'll Teach You To Laugh At Something's That's Funny
Homer Simpson

[–] ThreeSadTigers 11 years ago

I admit, his whole "Hollywood is EVIL" routine is a huge turn off.

I don't know where people are getting this stuff from. His TV series, Scene by Scene, was dominated by American filmmakers. He interviewed everyone from Hollywood royalty like Jack Lemmon, Lauren Bacall, Kirk Douglas and Rod Steiger to acclaimed filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen, to say nothing of cult figures like Brian De Palma, David Lynch, Jonathan Demme and John Sayles.

When he worked for the BBC2 series Moviedrome, he frequently presented films by Philip Kaufman, Dennis Hopper, David Lynch and Tim Burton.

I'm not sure how that suggests a "Hollywood is EVIL" routine?

Perhaps it has less to do with being anti-Hollywood and more to do with being pro-everywhere else. Why can't we have a series on the history of cinema that acknowledges the no less worthy contributions of George Albert Smith, Alice Guy-Blaché, Mani Kaul, Djibril Diop Mambéty, Ousmane Sembene, Sohrab Shaheed Salles, Paul Schrader and Mohsen Makhmalbaf?

It is one story of film; there are several others. But too often we here the same old tale. Cinema began with Birth of a Nation, matured through Citizen Kane and reached perfection with The Godfather. Cinema is becoming stale because for most filmmakers it doesn't exist beyond Star Wars, The Godfather, several Kurosawa films and a smattering of the French New Wave, but these stories run even deeper and are never told. So really anything or anyone that might point a young audience to a master like Shohei Imamura, Glauber Rocha or Guru Dutt is alright by me.

If it broadens the canon, if it elevates Imamura to the same level as Kubrick, or Kaul to the same level as Godard (both of which are true), then that can only be a good thing.

[–] TxMike 11 years ago

"I admit, his whole "Hollywood is EVIL" routine is a huge turn off. "

As someone else says, I don't know where you get that.

The sad thing is a few (you might be one of them) look so hard to find faults that you completely miss the really good and interesting parts. For example, his accent and speech patterns are unusual, but as the band, "The Eagles" sing, "get over it". Move past that and focus on the content. If you can't do that, then shame on you.

And that would be my message to anyone, viewing any documentary, whether you agree with everything or not, look for what you find useful and interesting instead of focusing on the stuff that bothers you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1XIkqW7Hno

TxMike
Make a choice, to take a chance, to make a difference.

[–] ThreeSadTigers 11 years ago

Except Australia, which he completely dismisses in a sentance as being of no cinematic value

And yet in his book, he talks about Australian (and New Zealand) cinema on pages 363, 364, 415, 416, 438, 444, 447 and 484.

He also frequently cites the greatness of Peter Weir, Gillian Armstrong, Fred Schepisi and Baz Luhrmann (he dedicates almost three pages to the filmmaking process of Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!) as well the New Zealand born Jane Campion (who he rates as one of the greatest filmmakers working.

[–] clore_2 11 years ago

Except Australia, which he completely dismisses in a sentance as being of no cinematic value...

Or dismissing 30 years of Scandinavian cinema as worthless.

It ain't easy being green, or anything else, other than to be me

[–] TxMike 11 years ago

Australia has a movie industry?

TxMike
Make a choice, to take a chance, to make a difference.

[–] L84AD8 11 years ago

Mark Cousins is mentally ill. Keep watching the series on Netflix before you make a mistake and buy it. You will figure it out for yourself. Excuse me for telling you what to think.

Does he really dismiss Australia? "Gallipoli" is my favorite anti-war film. Did you see what a good actor the guy who plays Elrond and the villain in the Matrix movies, Hugo Weaving, is in the recent "Sunshine and Oranges," about children taken from England to Australia and told their mothers were dead, but really they were just taken the way Child Protective Services removes children now. So many great stars from Oz!

Sh-it's a secret!

[–] TxMike 11 years ago

Yeah, well he would probably think you are mentally ill also, so where does that leave us? Maybe that everyone has an opinion, and some of them, like A-holes, actually stink?

TxMike
Make a choice, to take a chance, to make a difference.