It’s absolutely racist, and it was at the time. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth watching, it’s fantastic as a window into the culture of the time. It was super popular (among white people), and it helps to understand segregation and racial conflict. It’s one of the most important films of all time. What it portrays is absolutely disgusting, but that doesn’t change the importance of the film.
I don’t give a Fuck if I’m not fair to a movie. It’s a movie. It exists to entertain. I can’t be entertained if I’m distracted by obvious flaws.
I understand critical theory, and there are lessons to be learned from any piece of media. But real life isn’t film school. Racism sucks, sexism sucks, it is valid to say that movies that contain these also suck.
Like criticizing cavemen for not properly washing their hands. Our ancestors were fucking stupid and what’s obvious to us now was not obvious to them then. That’s why it’s a product of it’s time, a window to a past society, and a reminder of how far we’ve come. I’m not seeing anybody here celebrating racism or sexism and ignoring that it existed at all is a braindead thought-pattern. You’re arguing for the sake of arguing and it’s entirely unnecessary.
![[draws pistol with malicious intent]](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/c39640ae-bbbb-4f52-ab9c-7a20da97822a.jpeg){kind=link}
Sexism in a movie set in the early 1900s!? Say it ain’t so!
Well damn, I guess Birth of a Nation gets a pass on it’s racism because it was made in 1915.
It’s absolutely racist, and it was at the time. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth watching, it’s fantastic as a window into the culture of the time. It was super popular (among white people), and it helps to understand segregation and racial conflict. It’s one of the most important films of all time. What it portrays is absolutely disgusting, but that doesn’t change the importance of the film.
That doesn’t mean I can’t criticize it, or other movies that don’t match the modern standards.
Sure, but the criticism will be unfair unless you take into account the culture of the time.
I don’t give a Fuck if I’m not fair to a movie. It’s a movie. It exists to entertain. I can’t be entertained if I’m distracted by obvious flaws.
I understand critical theory, and there are lessons to be learned from any piece of media. But real life isn’t film school. Racism sucks, sexism sucks, it is valid to say that movies that contain these also suck.
Like criticizing cavemen for not properly washing their hands. Our ancestors were fucking stupid and what’s obvious to us now was not obvious to them then. That’s why it’s a product of it’s time, a window to a past society, and a reminder of how far we’ve come. I’m not seeing anybody here celebrating racism or sexism and ignoring that it existed at all is a braindead thought-pattern. You’re arguing for the sake of arguing and it’s entirely unnecessary.