look at me being a bit of a dick!


From: "prohom" Date: Thu Jul 4, 2002 12:55 pm Subject: Re: the price of art:
a non-PC view


our collective consciousness' regarding other sentient beings has evolved a
great deal in the last quarter-century or so.

as recently as the 1970's, it was not uncommon to harm "secondary" life forms
for cinema. those who have been around that long might remember that people
who objected to tripping horses or shooting birds in productions were often
dismissed as squeamish. Yet it's now a given that it is unnecessary to harm
animals used in filmmaking, and to do so is brutish and cruel.

similarly, some chefs and epicureans now question the grievous acts committed
to enjoy delicacies such as foie gras or veal.

don't get me wrong, I'm not a vegetarian or PETA crusader, but I do think inflicting
needless suffering is cruel and therefore think eating veal and foie gras will
also soon be relegated to the past.

it is likely that if alive today Andrei Tarkovsky would renounce the need to
kill for art. there's no reason to believe it would be otherwise as every other
great artist has come to this stance.

times change. as do our attitudes towards life, death, race, gender etc.
all of this is reflected in cinema.

Tarkovsy's films will without a doubt stand as masterpieces alongside works
of, Rembrandt, Mozart, da Vinci etc. but the idolatry and worship accorded him
and his art in your rant would sicken him and the aforementioned greats.