Good Article

Yesterday I showed my history class The Searchers, the classic John Ford/John Wayne western, with the goal of having a discussion of how the mythology of the west grew out of actual circumstances. I had the impression, as the movie started, that they were a bit dubious that a film that's almost sixty years old could be any good, but at the end they actually gave it a round of applause, and we had a great conversation about the different elements that made it so special. To be honest, that wasn't a typical response-- it seems like college students today have no interest in the movies made before they were born (which is radically different from when I was an undergrad and Humphrey Bogart posters adorned many a student's wall). I've never quite figured out why they are so hesitant to give a black and white film a chance, or God forbid, a silent film (luckily The Searchers has neither handicap). It seems like if they'd just give those classics a look and a little bit of consideration (I get that acting styles, for example, have evolved over time to something more naturalistic), they'd discover a whole new world of entertainment. Anyway, in a bit of coincidence, I came across this article last night at the TCM Blog, and it kind of addresses the same question. It's worth a read if you too are interested in that question.