American films that disclose subtle details and subcurrents with each subsequent viewing:
Psycho: first hour
Sweet Smell of Success:
The Wild bunch
Kael
Americans confuse morality and art to the detriment of both
Among the educated, morality tends to mean social-cnsciousness, explicit, machine-tooled, commercialized social consciousness (the claim that L’Avventura is not “saying anything”
Our movoes are the best proof that Americans are at their liveliest and freest when their filmmakers dont take themselves too seriously.
Sometimes, more life comes through in routine thrillers, prison dramas, and comedies than in prestige, important, serious films like Best Years of Our Lives, or A Place in the Sun
American versin of self-conscious imitations of European art
Or Gentleman’s Agreement, with the indigenous paralysis of Hollywood problem picture, which is morally solved in advance.
