9 Comments

Tar was my favorite movie of the year, and I don't feel compelled to fight anyone over that because I know it was brilliant, nar, nar.

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You are not wrong!

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You can remain friends with favorite films and television programs and still regard the people who finance them as enemies. The question always remains, though: does the final say on what they are remain with those who first made them or those who made them famous?

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And the only answers to your question that I personally care about are artists'. We each have to decide how we individually feel about audiences and their role in our art.

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Well said points. I always try to create something that I would appreciate/want to read/listen to/watch. My hope is that people do. But i never blame them if they don't.

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Kursten Ranquist made a recent post about Letterboxd reviews. He delves into the subjectivity of art and people's varying responses to it. Two things can be true at the same time. Dismissing complex movies like Tar without discussing themes or intentions is problematic. Conversely, people have the liberty to either adore or despise a film due to a multitude of factors. Our cultural experiences influence how we view, engage with, and assign value to artistic expression, which is also subjective. It's perfectly acceptable to have a different viewpoint on an artist, but belittling their work without legitimate merit reveals more about the critic than the artist.

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I don't know how I missed this when you first posted this comment. Agree with all of your points here!

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This is such a thoughtful take

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Thanks, Jennifer. Also, I have no idea why I'm only seeing this one year later, but there you go...

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