Killing Michael Bay

Ferdinand · August 8th, 2003, 06:49 PM

Giving Michael Bay credit for his film's cinematography is going overboard. This man cannot be defended. Sure, the DP's he hires are top notch and some of the best in the business, but still, I cringed throughout all of Bad Boys 2. Every dialogue sequence had opposing cameras dollying around at breakneck speed for a simple exchange between actors. He's the symbol of everything wrong about Hollywood. Image over substance.

John Locke · August 8th, 2003, 07:47 PM

Keith,

Point taken... but I wish you hadn't conjured up memories of the A-Team! How will I sleep tonight now?

The reason I mentioned the fact that Emmerich is German is because I think it's interesting how many U.S. "flag waving" films are made by non-American directors. "Air Force One" is a prime example.

I've often wondered if that's due to the fact that, being from a different culture sometimes restricts foreign directors to a "comic book" simplicity in the overall message...especially where patriotism and/or national psyche are concerned. If I were making a film about an event that occurred in Germany, I'd be unaware of all the little events leading up to and affecting that one event, and I'd have no idea how the German psyche viewed and evaluated all those events, so naturally, I'd have to rely on the obvious--even the cliché--to attempt to duplicate it.

Or is it due to the fact that due to these cultural limitations, they reduce the story to its simplest and most symbolic elements. "Air Force One" is basically a western set on a modern jet and instead of a U.S. Marshal as the lead character, we have the president.

August 8th, 2003, 07:47 PM	#47
John Locke Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Austin, TX USA Posts: 2,882	Keith, Point taken... but I wish you hadn't conjured up memories of the A-Team! How will I sleep tonight now? The reason I mentioned the fact that Emmerich is German is because I think it's interesting how many U.S. "flag waving" films are made by non-American directors. "Air Force One" is a prime example. I've often wondered if that's due to the fact that, being from a different culture sometimes restricts foreign directors to a "comic book" simplicity in the overall message...especially where patriotism and/or national psyche are concerned. If I were making a film about an event that occurred in Germany, I'd be unaware of all the little events leading up to and affecting that one event, and I'd have no idea how the German psyche viewed and evaluated all those events, so naturally, I'd have to rely on the obvious--even the cliché--to attempt to duplicate it. Or is it due to the fact that due to these cultural limitations, they reduce the story to its simplest and most symbolic elements. "Air Force One" is basically a western set on a modern jet and instead of a U.S. Marshal as the lead character, we have the president. __________________ John Locke SursumFilms.com

August 8th, 2003, 06:49 PM	#46
Ferdinand New Boot Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 6	Giving Michael Bay credit for his film's cinematography is going overboard. This man cannot be defended. Sure, the DP's he hires are top notch and some of the best in the business, but still, I cringed throughout all of Bad Boys 2. Every dialogue sequence had opposing cameras dollying around at breakneck speed for a simple exchange between actors. He's the symbol of everything wrong about Hollywood. Image over substance.