There is only one theme in all of storytelling.

'Who am I?'

Disagree.

There is also "who are we," and "what are we doing," which are some of my personal favorite things to ponder.

Quote from: Verbatim on April 11, 2016, 08:55:15 PM

Relatability is about as shallow as you can get, by the way. It's the most safe form of film-making there is. Not that there's anything wrong with that--it's the easiest way to make an entertaining movie. But it isn't deep.

If you're able to take something away from a movie that you CAN'T relate to, or can only relate to in abstract ways?

That's deep.

There is only one theme in all of storytelling.

'Who am I?'

If you fail to utilize this well, then your story is a failure, and it will be either ignored or forgotten.

Sometimes the depth is in finding a new way to convey this theme, but the depth always stems from it.

Also keep in mind that the most interesting literary character is a bag of bones compared to the most boring human being. You can only extrapolate on a character so much before it becomes an exposition dump.

Both of which boil down to who am I in the end.

No, not really.

The Godfather though

Quote from: Marcington on April 11, 2016, 10:25:09 PM

The Godfather though

I was not impressed when I finally saw it.

Watch part 2

Quote from: dassengerB on April 11, 2016, 10:26:22 PM

Quote from: Marcington on April 11, 2016, 10:25:09 PM

The Godfather though

I was not impressed when I finally saw it.

Did you let the hype get to you?

Normally, this is where I would say something like, "Cultural osmosis has put this movie on a pedestal," but honestly, having seen the movie three or four times, I think it deserves it. Like, it genuinely boggles my mind how good that movie is.

I'm curious to know what you weren't impressed by.

Nick Cage's sleazy uncle was a half cocked and snooze inspiring director.

I fall asleep every time I try to watch that snore fest.

Quote from: dassengerB on April 11, 2016, 10:26:22 PM

Quote from: Marcington on April 11, 2016, 10:25:09 PM

The Godfather though

I was not impressed when I finally saw it.

Did you let the hype get to you?

Normally, this is where I would say something like, "Cultural osmosis has put this movie on a pedestal," but honestly, having seen the movie three or four times, I think it deserves it. Like, it genuinely boggles my mind how good that movie is.

I'm curious to know what you weren't impressed by.

Probably.
Now this could have just been because I was watching the whole thing on TV and it wasn't cut to fit an allotted time, so with the commercials added in to an already three hour movie, it just felt long as shit with not enough sustenance to justify that.

>You guys are still arguing over this

Yes, completely and utterly.

Aren't you always bitching at me for not quoting you when I respond? Then what the fuck is this? I missed it.

Anyway, nope--valiant effort, but still wrong.

"Who am I" and "who are we" are two fundamentally different questions. One deals with the self--the other deals with the human race as a collective. One cannot be reduced into the other, because you'd miss the point of the bigger (or smaller) question.

The human race is a collective, so anything that ponders the human condition as a whole cannot be reduced to "who am I," because there is no "you." "You" is irrelevant.

I am all there is.

'We' are an extension of myself

L