Thread spoiler: no consensus will be reached.
Oh, thanks a lot, Matt. There’s no point in reading this thread anymore.
ugh…thanks for ruining the thread for everyone matt.
Knowledge = death
Mystery = life
@Falderal
I would argue that part of experiencing the moment of the film is the uncertainty about what’s really going on.
Shakespeare is an exception, because even the original audience knew going in that it was a tragedy, and that in a tragedy, everyone dies. Just like how people going into a romantic comedy know the guy is going to get the girl.
And yes, the manipulation of the director is part of it, if you’re talking about narrative cinema. That’s not something devious. Any film has to prime your expectations in order to meet or defy them.
Jazzaloha
@Falderal
Other than the fact that this only applies to about 0.5% (if that) of all films made (those that have a sense of suspense, or “narrative anticipation”), this actually reminds me of a specific example.
Where do you get that number? To me, that seems way too low. I assume you’re thinking about suspense and horror films. Personally, I think anticipation and suspense play a role in many films, not just horror and suspense.
But if one goes in with these as their own reference point, it doesn’t matter.
But just because it doesn’t apply to one film (or even one filmmaker’s films) that doesn’t mean it applies to most other films, right?
Also, I’m not sure what you’re saying applies to Tsai Ming-liang, either. (Potential spoilers for Goodbye Dragon Inn and The Wayward Cloud)
I wouldn’t wanted to have known that the ticket lady had a thing for the projectionist. If I recall correctly, I think this realization hit me at the end of the film, and I liked that moment of realization. I think the impact would have been lessened had I known she had a thing for the guy.
Also, with The Wayward Cloud, I’m glad I didn’t know about the humorous porn food and musical moments. They were delightful because I didn’t really expect them. (Actually, I did see the bathroom clip, but that was the only one—and I didn’t quite know what to expect in general.)
Would knowing about those scenes ruin the film for me? Probably not, but they would have robbed me of some delight. (Maybe I sound silly—I know most of my family and friends think I’m crazy—but I love these moments.)