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- Hello and welcome to
"Turner Classic Movies,"
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I'm Dave Karger.
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For the next six Thursday
nights here on TCM,
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we're gonna be premiering
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a brand new limited
documentary series
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called "The Power of Film,"
hosted by Howard Suber,
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Professor Emeritus at
UCLA's School of Theater,
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00:00:24,325 --> 00:00:25,424
Film and Television.
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And I'm very happy to be joined
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by the two executive producers
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of this new documentary series,
Laura Gabbert and Doug Pray.
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Hello to both of you.
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- Hi.
- Hello.
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- We're so glad that
you're partnering with us
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on this exciting new doc
series that you've created.
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You are both former students
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and teaching assistants,
graduate students,
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I should make clear
of Professor Subers.
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So obviously, you
are big fans of his.
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For anyoneuthere who's
not famili with him,
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what makes him such a
great professor of film?
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- Everyone at UCLA wanted
to take Howard's classes,
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animation students,
screenwriting students,
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directing students,
producing students,
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because he taught a class
that really resonated
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for all the different
disciplines within film.
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He really taught
about the structure
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and the sort of principles
in popular, memorable films.
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And he also taught
it in such a way
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that it really resonated
personally with students.
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I n't kn, Doug,
if you wanna say
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anything else about that.
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- No, just definitely.
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I mean, the things that he
teaches are so universal
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that they apply to all
kinds of filmmaking.
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If you're a screenwriter,
if you're a...
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Laura and I make
documentary films,
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all of the lessons and
things we learned from there
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do apply to that.
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It applies to short-form,
applies to commercials,
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applies to, you know, kind of,
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because he's talking
about things that go
back 20,000 years.
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He's almost like the Joseph
Campbell of filmmaking.
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Like he really,
he's able to say,
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"Don't you see these things?
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We've been doing this for
20,000 years, you know,
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and studying it for two
and a half thousand years."
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And he's really good at that.
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00:02:00,754 --> 00:02:02,988
And it's always
epiphanies, he is like,
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"I love that film, but
I didn't know why."
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00:02:06,093 --> 00:02:07,659
And so he breaks that down.
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- Yeah, so just to kind of
set this series up for people
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00:02:10,131 --> 00:02:12,831
who are about to start watching
it here on TCM tonight,
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we show a lot of documentaries
about classic film.
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This series is different
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because it's not so much about
the behind the scenes stories
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00:02:20,341 --> 00:02:22,040
of the making of these films.
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It's more about how we as
movie audiences respond
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to these films, live
with these films,
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interact with these films.
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It's really the psychology of
being a moviegoing audience.
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How would you describe
what's different
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about this classic film doc?
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- I think that one of the things
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that Howard really emphasize is,
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it's not the psychology
of the characters,
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it's really the
psychology of the audience
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00:02:47,301 --> 00:02:50,669
and really, you
know, transcendent,
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you know, lasting films really
have that characteristic
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that there's something about it
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that reflects back on you
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or you project your
sort of emotions
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00:02:59,046 --> 00:03:00,512
and feelings onto that character
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because sometimes
it's a paradox,
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00:03:02,749 --> 00:03:05,617
sometimes it's a family
sort of conflict,
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00:03:05,619 --> 00:03:09,621
but he finds those themes
in popular, memorable films
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00:03:09,623 --> 00:03:14,092
that really resonate and kind
of stir within you, I think.
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- I would just add that it's
not a technical series at all.
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He never talks about...
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It's a funny 'cause in episode
one, he does talk about scale
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00:03:22,836 --> 00:03:26,104
and the power of closeups and
those that kind of lensing,
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but the truth is, it's
not at all technical.
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It's all about what's in here.
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And he's always bringing
it back to how do you feel
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that all storytelling
is about feelings,
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and we can relate to that.
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We can relate to
Michael Corleone,
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we can relate to all
these great characters
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because it's like our lives,
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and I'm just repeating
what he's about to say
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many times over and
very powerfully,
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but it's a different kind of way
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to look at films
than we're used to.
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- The first episode really
is a great introduction
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to this whole series
and introduces us
to Professor Suber.
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The episode is called
"Popular and Memorable,"
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which are two words,
Laura, that you just used
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in your previous answer.
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So I find that so interesting.
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Why are those the
two big buzzwords
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and what's the significance
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of the italicize
and in the middle?
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- Well, I think because
really the focus of his work
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00:04:17,591 --> 00:04:20,392
is why do some memories
last, you know?
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Why do we still wanna watch
"The Godfather," you know?
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00:04:22,896 --> 00:04:24,763
Why do we still wanna
watch "The Graduate?"
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00:04:24,765 --> 00:04:26,632
And he really looks at the films
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that were popular in their day,
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but that are memorable,
that have stayed with us.
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00:04:30,604 --> 00:04:32,738
And we go back and watch
over and over again
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00:04:32,740 --> 00:04:35,206
and we show our children
and we remembered,
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00:04:35,208 --> 00:04:38,243
or we watch it every year at
Christmas time, for example.
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He's really trying to understand
of the thousands of films
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that come out every year,
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why are there just
a handful that last?
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- Like 10 or 20 years.
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And so his whole thing is, it
doesn't count if it's popular.
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There's huge box office hits
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that you forget
about a year later.
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00:04:54,261 --> 00:04:55,661
And he says this,
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but he's interested in
what's popular and memorable.
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It has to last.
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00:05:01,234 --> 00:05:02,734
And some of the films are newer,
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00:05:02,736 --> 00:05:04,703
so he's not quite
sure if they'll last,
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00:05:04,705 --> 00:05:07,005
but he's guessing or
he is talking about
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some contemporary films as well.
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They're just very powerful
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that he thinks might
have that lasting power.
129
00:05:12,245 --> 00:05:14,112
- Well, what do you say
we introduce our audience
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to your favorite Professor
Howard Suber, huh?
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- Sounds good.
- Really good, thanks
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- Laura and Doug will be
back with me next week
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for another episode,
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00:05:22,088 --> 00:05:25,256
but right now let's watch the
Power of Film episode one,
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"Popular and Memorable."
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♪
137
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Man: Use the Force, Luke.
138
00:05:50,784 --> 00:05:52,317
I stick my neck out
for nobody.
139
00:05:52,386 --> 00:05:55,354
Well, darling, look out,
'cause my hair is coming down.
140
00:05:55,422 --> 00:05:56,788
Always do the right thing.
141
00:05:56,857 --> 00:05:57,956
That's it?
That's it.
142
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I got it.
I'm gone.
143
00:06:01,094 --> 00:06:05,096
Suber: There are certain films
that people keep going back to,
144
00:06:05,165 --> 00:06:06,732
over and over again.
145
00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:08,767
I'm gonna make him
an offer he can't refuse.
146
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Films that were not
only popular in their day,
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but that continue
to be popular.
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You talking to me?
149
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And my question is why?
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It's not about what I want.
151
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It's about what's fair!
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They call me Mister Tibbs.
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I'm in love with you.
154
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Snap out of it!
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Rosebud.
156
00:06:30,724 --> 00:06:32,357
I'm Howard Suber.
157
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For over five decades,
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I've taught thousands
of aspiring directors,
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producers, screenwriters,
and scholars
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the patterns and principles
I've found
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in America's most memorable
popular films.
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Join me as we discover
the power of film.
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♪♪
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Who are you?
You.
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Who are you?
166
00:07:02,723 --> 00:07:05,724
What are you?
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00:07:05,793 --> 00:07:09,193
These are the two
fundamental questions
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00:07:09,262 --> 00:07:11,129
that determine how we act,
169
00:07:11,197 --> 00:07:15,400
how we relate
to the world we inhabit.
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We find the answers
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to those questions
we ask ourselves in stories.
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From his footprint,
he looks like a big fella.
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00:07:25,345 --> 00:07:29,748
And stories are what we go
to movies to see.
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00:07:29,817 --> 00:07:31,883
They pardoned
Frank Miller.
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We are a storytelling animal,
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and it may be one of the things
that defines us.
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We have desires, fears, hopes,
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but we feel the way
our long-distant ancestors felt
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00:07:53,340 --> 00:07:58,643
about the experience
of life as a human being.
180
00:07:59,446 --> 00:08:02,614
"The Godfather" is 50 years old,
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00:08:02,683 --> 00:08:04,649
and yet it seems like a film
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00:08:04,718 --> 00:08:07,318
that could have come out
this year
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because the issues
"The Godfather" deals with
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haven't changed.
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Woman:
What are you doing here?
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You're not supposed
to be here now.
187
00:08:17,030 --> 00:08:19,631
I'm Michael Corleone.
This is my father.
188
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My story...
189
00:08:22,402 --> 00:08:23,969
your story,
190
00:08:24,037 --> 00:08:26,270
all of our life stories...
191
00:08:26,339 --> 00:08:28,540
There's nobody here.
What happened to the guards?
192
00:08:28,609 --> 00:08:30,308
...revolve around feelings.
193
00:08:30,377 --> 00:08:32,777
I'm sorry,
but you will have to leave.
194
00:08:32,846 --> 00:08:40,018
Lack of power, loss,
triumph, humiliation,
195
00:08:40,086 --> 00:08:45,423
insult, injury,
and ultimately death.
196
00:08:45,492 --> 00:08:48,827
Boy: [ Laughs ]
197
00:08:48,896 --> 00:08:52,497
If people still identify
with Michael Corleone,
198
00:08:52,566 --> 00:08:57,702
maybe it's because his world
feels like our world.
199
00:08:59,006 --> 00:09:02,340
So, who are you?
What are you?
200
00:09:02,409 --> 00:09:07,211
To a large extent, you are
a compilation of memories.
201
00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:13,018
Memory is the most powerful
thing in human existence.
202
00:09:13,086 --> 00:09:16,721
Sam: ♪ As time goes by... ♪
203
00:09:16,790 --> 00:09:19,591
Sam, I thought I told you
never to play.
204
00:09:19,660 --> 00:09:24,863
♪♪
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We choose what films
we want to remember.
206
00:09:30,170 --> 00:09:35,206
And we choose them because
there's something in those films
207
00:09:35,275 --> 00:09:39,878
that transcends the moment
it was released.
208
00:09:41,782 --> 00:09:45,750
There are principles
that cause people
209
00:09:45,819 --> 00:09:47,786
to keep them in their heads
210
00:09:47,854 --> 00:09:52,523
and be able to recall them
decades later.
211
00:09:52,593 --> 00:09:56,795
I'm here to stop you,
One-Eyed Bart!
Oh!
212
00:09:56,897 --> 00:09:59,631
But popularity is not enough.
213
00:09:59,700 --> 00:10:02,000
Lots of films
make a lot of money
214
00:10:02,069 --> 00:10:04,435
in their initial release.
215
00:10:04,504 --> 00:10:06,504
They can make
over a billion dollars.
216
00:10:06,573 --> 00:10:10,609
But most of those films
nobody wants to talk about,
217
00:10:10,677 --> 00:10:14,345
let alone look at again
a year later.
218
00:10:14,414 --> 00:10:15,880
This whole series
219
00:10:15,949 --> 00:10:20,952
is based around memorable
popular American films.
220
00:10:21,021 --> 00:10:25,156
I'm talking about films
for which, objectively,
221
00:10:25,225 --> 00:10:27,425
there's a cultural consensus.
222
00:10:27,494 --> 00:10:29,027
You read me, Hal?
223
00:10:29,096 --> 00:10:33,131
I'm responding
to other people's responses.
224
00:10:33,199 --> 00:10:36,567
And so, if you tell me
you don't like "The Godfather,"
225
00:10:36,637 --> 00:10:38,169
my reaction is I don't care.
226
00:10:38,238 --> 00:10:41,305
It's on everybody's list.
227
00:10:41,374 --> 00:10:43,875
But if I'm talking
about memorable films,
228
00:10:43,944 --> 00:10:47,445
I have to be talking
about the past.
229
00:10:47,514 --> 00:10:50,348
And history is biased.
230
00:10:51,551 --> 00:10:54,919
During most of the history
of American film,
231
00:10:54,988 --> 00:10:59,490
we have had few major characters
from non-white races,
232
00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:03,728
non-male heroes,
different sexual orientations.
233
00:11:03,797 --> 00:11:05,030
Oliver!
234
00:11:05,098 --> 00:11:06,531
...because they were
not allowed
235
00:11:06,599 --> 00:11:11,136
to be on films
as strong central characters.
236
00:11:11,204 --> 00:11:13,104
So, I'm going to talk
about some films
237
00:11:13,173 --> 00:11:15,206
from the last decade or so,
238
00:11:15,275 --> 00:11:19,510
and hopefully they represent
changes long overdue
239
00:11:19,579 --> 00:11:22,113
in the American film industry.
240
00:11:23,183 --> 00:11:26,117
I love you, Margaret.
I love you, too.
241
00:11:26,186 --> 00:11:29,788
In the thousands of films
that I've taught...
242
00:11:29,856 --> 00:11:31,122
I'll take this.
243
00:11:31,191 --> 00:11:34,893
...I keep seeing
certain elements
244
00:11:34,961 --> 00:11:37,662
appearing over and over again
245
00:11:37,731 --> 00:11:43,101
and seeing the relationships
of the parts to the whole.
246
00:11:43,170 --> 00:11:44,969
The patterns can be as simple
247
00:11:45,038 --> 00:11:49,074
as scenes of parents
tucking their children into bed,
248
00:11:49,142 --> 00:11:52,376
or the patterns
can be more complex.
249
00:11:52,445 --> 00:11:53,878
And as I often say,
250
00:11:53,947 --> 00:11:57,348
I'm in the pattern
recognition business.
251
00:11:58,852 --> 00:12:04,655
So, let's go way back,
nearly 2,500 years,
252
00:12:04,725 --> 00:12:09,194
to the ancient Greeks,
what are generally considered
253
00:12:09,262 --> 00:12:12,997
the greatest dramas
in Western history.
254
00:12:13,066 --> 00:12:17,468
Ask yourself, "What do
these works have in common?"
255
00:12:17,537 --> 00:12:19,704
Even if you don't
know the works.
256
00:12:19,773 --> 00:12:24,442
"Oedipus Rex," "Antigone,"
"Medea."
257
00:12:24,510 --> 00:12:26,177
See any pattern?
258
00:12:26,246 --> 00:12:27,879
Let's jump ahead
259
00:12:27,948 --> 00:12:31,182
to the Elizabethan period's
Shakespeare.
260
00:12:31,251 --> 00:12:35,186
"King Lear," "Macbeth,"
"Hamlet."
261
00:12:35,255 --> 00:12:37,856
You see any patterns so far?
262
00:12:37,924 --> 00:12:39,657
Let's jump ahead
to what is often called
263
00:12:39,726 --> 00:12:43,895
the greatest American play,
"Death of a Salesman."
264
00:12:43,964 --> 00:12:45,764
In contemporary times,
265
00:12:45,832 --> 00:12:49,934
what's the most popular
and memorable play?
266
00:12:50,003 --> 00:12:52,536
"Hamilton."
See any pattern?
267
00:12:52,605 --> 00:13:03,248
Well, I'm in the pattern
recognition business.
268
00:13:03,316 --> 00:13:05,784
are the names of characters,
269
00:13:05,852 --> 00:13:11,790
and the works are essentially
character studies.
270
00:13:11,858 --> 00:13:14,025
[ Applause ]
271
00:13:14,094 --> 00:13:16,560
Now let's turn to movies.
272
00:13:16,629 --> 00:13:18,163
"Citizen Kane."
273
00:13:18,231 --> 00:13:21,365
"Godfather" one
and "Godfather II."
274
00:13:21,434 --> 00:13:24,269
"Lawrence of Arabia,"
"The Graduate,"
275
00:13:24,337 --> 00:13:29,274
"Taxi Driver,"
"Forrest Gump," etc.
276
00:13:29,342 --> 00:13:31,810
Why do you have so many stories
277
00:13:31,878 --> 00:13:35,479
named after
the central character?
278
00:13:35,548 --> 00:13:40,185
Which is to say,
the single individual
279
00:13:40,253 --> 00:13:48,526
who bears the title of the work
is whose story it is.
280
00:13:49,495 --> 00:13:50,862
Why?
281
00:13:50,931 --> 00:13:56,134
Because my story
is the story of me.
282
00:13:56,203 --> 00:13:59,170
I'm at the center of my story.
283
00:13:59,239 --> 00:14:01,539
I'm the hero, if you will --
284
00:14:01,607 --> 00:14:05,643
sometimes the villain --
of my story.
285
00:14:05,712 --> 00:14:11,015
And when we see a story
in which a single character
286
00:14:11,084 --> 00:14:13,818
is what the story is about,
287
00:14:13,887 --> 00:14:16,687
we instantly understand.
288
00:14:16,756 --> 00:14:24,595
One of the crucial elements
in writing drama is empathy,
289
00:14:24,664 --> 00:14:31,435
being able to project yourself
into the other person.
290
00:14:32,339 --> 00:14:36,574
"Psyche" is the Greek
term for soul,
291
00:14:36,642 --> 00:14:42,013
and it's not so much
the psyche of the character
292
00:14:42,082 --> 00:14:44,582
that filmmakers focus on.
293
00:14:44,650 --> 00:14:47,651
It's the psyche of the audience.
294
00:14:49,222 --> 00:14:53,124
Okay, I've thrown out
a bunch of titles
295
00:14:53,193 --> 00:14:55,894
that span 2,500 years.
296
00:14:55,962 --> 00:14:58,596
What else is a pattern?
297
00:14:58,664 --> 00:15:02,666
Nearly all of those works
deal with a family,
298
00:15:02,735 --> 00:15:07,772
and whether it's a biological
family or a surrogate family,
299
00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:14,478
that's the most important
social unit in human society.
300
00:15:14,547 --> 00:15:16,281
That's one of the things
that made
301
00:15:16,349 --> 00:15:19,683
"The Godfather" series
unique.
302
00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:24,455
Francis Coppola originally
declined to direct the film,
303
00:15:24,524 --> 00:15:28,459
even though he was
in dire straits financially,
304
00:15:28,528 --> 00:15:31,462
because he said, "I don't want
to make a gangster film,
305
00:15:31,531 --> 00:15:34,565
especially one
about Italian gangsters."
306
00:15:34,634 --> 00:15:38,903
Well, "The Godfather" series
is certainly about gangsters.
307
00:15:38,972 --> 00:15:40,738
Aaah! Aaaah!
308
00:15:40,807 --> 00:15:43,841
It's also,
as the title suggests,
309
00:15:43,910 --> 00:15:45,776
it's about a family.
310
00:15:45,845 --> 00:15:50,381
But what are the psychological
elements that define a family?
311
00:15:50,450 --> 00:15:55,553
Loyalty, nurturing,
mutual protection and support.
312
00:15:55,621 --> 00:15:59,424
And they share memories,
both good and bad.
313
00:15:59,492 --> 00:16:02,360
But inevitably,
they also quarrel.
314
00:16:02,429 --> 00:16:04,795
It's all-out war.
We go to the mattresses.
Some of the other families
won't sit still for all-out war!
315
00:16:04,864 --> 00:16:07,398
Then they hand me Sollozzo!
Your father wouldn't
want to hear this!
316
00:16:07,467 --> 00:16:08,967
This is business,
not personal!
317
00:16:09,035 --> 00:16:10,534
Suber: ...and have differences
318
00:16:10,603 --> 00:16:13,071
that threaten
to destroy the family.
319
00:16:13,139 --> 00:16:16,140
You're my older brother,
and I love you.
320
00:16:17,410 --> 00:16:18,742
But don't ever take sides
321
00:16:18,811 --> 00:16:21,479
with anyone
against the family again.
322
00:16:22,882 --> 00:16:23,848
Ever.
323
00:16:23,916 --> 00:16:25,350
"The Exorcist,"
324
00:16:25,418 --> 00:16:29,253
another gigantically
popular film...
325
00:16:29,322 --> 00:16:32,556
[ Snarling, screeching ]
326
00:16:36,062 --> 00:16:37,228
...is a horror film.
327
00:16:37,297 --> 00:16:38,696
Can't deny that.
328
00:16:38,764 --> 00:16:41,265
Aaaah!
Let the enemy have
no power over her,
329
00:16:41,334 --> 00:16:42,867
and the son of iniquity
be powerless...
330
00:16:42,935 --> 00:16:47,405
...of one of the most powerful
horror films ever made,
331
00:16:47,474 --> 00:16:53,211
but it's equally about a mother
trying to rescue her child
332
00:16:53,279 --> 00:16:57,181
who has been kidnapped
by a demon.
333
00:16:57,950 --> 00:16:59,317
Amen.
334
00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:02,520
"One Flew
Over the Cuckoo's Nest,"
335
00:17:02,588 --> 00:17:05,589
which a lot of people think of
as being simply a film
336
00:17:05,658 --> 00:17:09,394
about the oppressed inmates
in a mental institution,
337
00:17:09,462 --> 00:17:11,729
but it's about
a surrogate family.
338
00:17:11,797 --> 00:17:15,133
On the one hand,
from the standpoint of biology,
339
00:17:15,201 --> 00:17:17,502
nobody's related to anybody,
340
00:17:17,570 --> 00:17:20,538
but they develop
that relationship,
341
00:17:20,606 --> 00:17:23,974
thanks to our hero
Jack Nicholson,
342
00:17:24,044 --> 00:17:26,110
in one of many roles like this.
343
00:17:26,179 --> 00:17:27,545
Jesus!
344
00:17:27,613 --> 00:17:29,313
I mean, you guys
do nothing but complain
345
00:17:29,382 --> 00:17:31,015
about how you can't stand it
in this place here,
346
00:17:31,084 --> 00:17:33,817
and then you haven't got
the guts just to walk out?
347
00:17:33,886 --> 00:17:35,853
What do you think you are,
for Christ's sake,
348
00:17:35,922 --> 00:17:37,522
crazy or something?
349
00:17:39,259 --> 00:17:41,625
Well, you're not.
You're not.
350
00:17:41,694 --> 00:17:43,494
You're no crazier
than the average asshole
351
00:17:43,563 --> 00:17:45,129
out walking around
on the streets.
352
00:17:45,198 --> 00:17:46,630
And that's it.
353
00:17:47,967 --> 00:17:52,002
He takes the inmates
out on a boat to go fishing.
354
00:17:52,072 --> 00:17:53,804
What are you laughing at,
Martini?
355
00:17:53,873 --> 00:17:55,506
You're not an idiot, huh?
356
00:17:55,575 --> 00:17:57,442
You're not a God damn
looney now, boy.
357
00:17:57,510 --> 00:17:59,009
You're a fisherman.
[ Laughs ]
358
00:17:59,079 --> 00:18:03,047
He frees them
from the prison they're in.
359
00:18:03,116 --> 00:18:07,318
He gives them faith
in their own potential --
360
00:18:07,387 --> 00:18:10,254
the greatest gift
one human being
361
00:18:10,323 --> 00:18:11,722
can give to another.
362
00:18:11,791 --> 00:18:13,624
They're gonna be
trolling this place
363
00:18:13,693 --> 00:18:16,527
for six months
looking for dead bodies.
364
00:18:19,065 --> 00:18:21,632
What else is a pattern?
365
00:18:21,701 --> 00:18:26,637
It isn't always on the surface
and declaring itself,
366
00:18:26,706 --> 00:18:32,510
but deeply embedded in virtually
all memorable stories,
367
00:18:32,579 --> 00:18:37,715
let alone films,
is the element of loss.
368
00:18:41,287 --> 00:18:45,156
In "Star Wars,"
Luke Skywalker returns home
369
00:18:45,225 --> 00:18:49,227
to encounter
his first great loss.
370
00:18:49,329 --> 00:18:54,064
♪♪
371
00:18:54,134 --> 00:19:01,539
Loss appears almost invariably
in memorable stories
372
00:19:01,608 --> 00:19:05,676
because it's one
of the principal experiences
373
00:19:05,745 --> 00:19:07,445
we all have.
374
00:19:07,514 --> 00:19:12,283
It's a fundamental aspect
of being a human being,
375
00:19:12,352 --> 00:19:15,886
and we don't talk
about it a lot,
376
00:19:15,955 --> 00:19:18,022
but we feel it.
377
00:19:18,090 --> 00:19:19,823
Loss is an important element
378
00:19:19,892 --> 00:19:23,394
of "Eternal Sunshine
of the Spotless Mind."
379
00:19:24,531 --> 00:19:25,996
You hear me, Chiron?
380
00:19:26,065 --> 00:19:29,167
Loss is an
important part of "Moonlight."
381
00:19:29,235 --> 00:19:30,768
I hear you, Mama.
382
00:19:30,836 --> 00:19:35,606
Loss is an important
part of "Toy Story."
383
00:19:35,675 --> 00:19:37,542
Loss, in fact,
is an important part
384
00:19:37,610 --> 00:19:40,244
of virtually
all of the Pixar films.
385
00:19:40,313 --> 00:19:42,713
Nemo! Nemo!
386
00:19:42,782 --> 00:19:44,081
No! Please, no!
387
00:19:44,150 --> 00:19:47,951
Suber: In fact, loss is
an important part of Disney,
388
00:19:48,020 --> 00:19:49,654
which owns Pixar.
389
00:19:49,722 --> 00:19:51,289
It's one of the reasons
390
00:19:51,357 --> 00:19:55,526
that studio has been
so successful.
391
00:19:59,165 --> 00:20:01,232
"Bambi" --
what is it about,
392
00:20:01,301 --> 00:20:04,502
if not the loss
of Bambi's mother?
393
00:20:04,571 --> 00:20:06,504
We made it, Mother!
394
00:20:07,273 --> 00:20:08,639
Wait.
395
00:20:09,676 --> 00:20:11,309
Mother!
396
00:20:14,947 --> 00:20:16,714
Mother!
397
00:20:17,483 --> 00:20:21,852
That traumatized me
when I was 5 years old.
398
00:20:22,622 --> 00:20:25,590
The scar is still not healed.
399
00:20:25,658 --> 00:20:28,892
Mother, where are you?!
400
00:20:28,961 --> 00:20:34,498
Why is loss so omnipresent?
Mother!
401
00:20:34,567 --> 00:20:38,769
Because it's one of
the fundamental human feelings.
402
00:20:39,672 --> 00:20:43,207
We've all experienced loss.
403
00:20:43,276 --> 00:20:50,281
We all keep on experiencing loss
until we are lost.
404
00:20:54,053 --> 00:20:55,986
Ricky!
405
00:20:56,055 --> 00:20:58,822
"Boyz n the Hood"
is about being trapped
406
00:20:58,891 --> 00:21:02,393
and how it can lead
to a terrible loss.
407
00:21:04,230 --> 00:21:08,766
The protagonist, Tre,
played by Cuba Gooding Jr.,
408
00:21:08,834 --> 00:21:11,969
helplessly watches
his best friend Ricky,
409
00:21:12,037 --> 00:21:14,772
who dreamed
of escaping the hood,
410
00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:16,974
die in his arms.
411
00:21:19,512 --> 00:21:21,879
Some losses are inevitable,
412
00:21:21,947 --> 00:21:25,516
but the most tragic
are those that weren't.
413
00:21:26,319 --> 00:21:28,018
[ Voice breaking ] Ricky.
414
00:21:29,822 --> 00:21:33,758
Help me! Help me!
Somebody help me!
415
00:21:34,594 --> 00:21:38,896
What makes us human
is how we feel.
416
00:21:38,964 --> 00:21:44,335
What makes us human
is how we then act
417
00:21:44,404 --> 00:21:48,606
in response
to the way we feel.
418
00:21:50,510 --> 00:21:55,546
Feeling is necessary to action.
419
00:21:56,949 --> 00:21:59,883
And behind feelings,
420
00:21:59,952 --> 00:22:04,087
what are memorable
popular films about?
421
00:22:05,191 --> 00:22:08,225
My answer is power.
422
00:22:08,294 --> 00:22:13,030
♪♪
423
00:22:13,098 --> 00:22:17,167
I don't necessarily mean
power over other people.
424
00:22:17,236 --> 00:22:21,004
I mean power in the way
it's used in physics.
425
00:22:21,073 --> 00:22:27,211
Power is the ability
to produce change or prevent it.
426
00:22:27,279 --> 00:22:31,449
To produce change or prevent it.
427
00:22:34,220 --> 00:22:37,388
Power is the fulcrum of drama.
428
00:22:37,457 --> 00:22:39,857
He was onto something.
Clever boy.
429
00:22:39,925 --> 00:22:41,459
Don't worry, that's mine.
430
00:22:41,527 --> 00:22:45,929
If you are somebody
who's unknown
431
00:22:45,998 --> 00:22:50,701
and you have aspirations
to become famous,
432
00:22:50,770 --> 00:22:53,771
such as Ally,
played by Lady Gaga
433
00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:57,341
in the fourth version
of "A Star Is Born,"
434
00:22:57,410 --> 00:22:59,710
at the moment you have
435
00:22:59,779 --> 00:23:02,847
the first inklings
of the desire,
436
00:23:02,915 --> 00:23:06,517
you don't have
the power to get it.
437
00:23:06,586 --> 00:23:09,319
There's a friend of mine who,
uh, came a long way to be here,
438
00:23:09,389 --> 00:23:10,721
and she wrote a great song,
439
00:23:10,790 --> 00:23:12,122
and I'd just like
to hear her sing it.
440
00:23:12,191 --> 00:23:13,891
I think it's
pretty fucking good.
441
00:23:13,959 --> 00:23:16,560
Suber:
That's what life is about.
442
00:23:17,730 --> 00:23:22,266
"I want...whatever it is."
443
00:23:24,103 --> 00:23:27,872
You have to apply what I call
the GOYA principle,
444
00:23:27,940 --> 00:23:30,574
which is get off your ass.
445
00:23:32,945 --> 00:23:36,914
You have to strive.
You have to work.
446
00:23:41,086 --> 00:23:44,955
♪ Tell me something, boy ♪
447
00:23:46,158 --> 00:23:50,795
♪ Aren't you tired
tryna fill that void? ♪
448
00:23:50,863 --> 00:23:53,431
It's not going to come to you
449
00:23:53,499 --> 00:23:56,734
and say,
"I give you this power."
450
00:23:56,803 --> 00:23:59,169
It's not "The Wizard of Oz"
451
00:23:59,238 --> 00:24:03,173
with a fairy godmother
who anoints you.
452
00:24:03,242 --> 00:24:05,375
You have to work.
453
00:24:05,445 --> 00:24:09,346
Often, you may desire something,
454
00:24:09,415 --> 00:24:12,082
you may work to get it,
455
00:24:12,151 --> 00:24:13,684
and you don't.
456
00:24:15,254 --> 00:24:17,254
Why not?
457
00:24:17,323 --> 00:24:18,823
Inertia.
458
00:24:19,792 --> 00:24:24,962
Inertia prevents change.
459
00:24:26,599 --> 00:24:29,366
Well, as we will see
eventually...
460
00:24:29,435 --> 00:24:30,468
...for all I care!
461
00:24:30,536 --> 00:24:32,369
...in all stories,
462
00:24:32,438 --> 00:24:35,372
whether
it's a romantic comedy...
463
00:24:35,441 --> 00:24:37,541
What have I done?
464
00:24:37,610 --> 00:24:39,242
Ow!
465
00:24:39,311 --> 00:24:41,879
...whether it's a film
about a serial killer...
466
00:24:41,948 --> 00:24:45,716
I'd like to speak
to my lawyer, please.
467
00:24:46,752 --> 00:24:47,751
God damn it!
468
00:24:47,820 --> 00:24:51,421
...the seeking of change
469
00:24:51,491 --> 00:24:55,192
and the preventing of change...
470
00:24:56,395 --> 00:25:00,263
...are what the story is about.
471
00:25:02,568 --> 00:25:08,772
We don't go to movies
just to see the world.
472
00:25:08,841 --> 00:25:12,843
We got to see a just world,
473
00:25:12,912 --> 00:25:15,913
a world in which
things work out
474
00:25:15,982 --> 00:25:20,250
the way we wished
or desire that they would.
475
00:25:22,121 --> 00:25:27,892
Most film stories begin
with the central character
476
00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:30,928
in a position of low power.
477
00:25:30,997 --> 00:25:35,298
And sometimes they end up
in a position of high power.
478
00:25:35,367 --> 00:25:37,701
[ Cheers and applause ]
479
00:25:37,770 --> 00:25:44,408
But Charles Foster Kane
in "Citizen Kane"
480
00:25:44,476 --> 00:25:48,913
and Michael Corleone
in "The Godfather" trilogy
481
00:25:48,981 --> 00:25:52,215
end up with a lot of power,
482
00:25:52,284 --> 00:25:55,052
but we don't value
the characters
483
00:25:55,120 --> 00:26:00,257
as much at the end
as we did at the beginning.
484
00:26:01,326 --> 00:26:04,662
Because in movies,
485
00:26:04,730 --> 00:26:09,833
we are not as oriented
towards power
486
00:26:09,902 --> 00:26:12,335
the way we are in real life.
487
00:26:13,573 --> 00:26:15,873
Everybody in the world
488
00:26:15,942 --> 00:26:20,844
knows what
the American value system is.
489
00:26:20,913 --> 00:26:25,215
What is it that,
whether consciously or not,
490
00:26:25,284 --> 00:26:29,219
Americans are trained
to value?
491
00:26:29,288 --> 00:26:30,420
Money,
492
00:26:30,489 --> 00:26:34,692
a big, plush, palatial home,
493
00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:36,760
an expensive car,
494
00:26:36,829 --> 00:26:39,830
and for some people,
a trophy spouse.
495
00:26:39,899 --> 00:26:41,431
I need them to want
to live like me.
496
00:26:41,500 --> 00:26:43,133
You get it?
To live like me.
497
00:26:43,202 --> 00:26:46,704
Although you may say
those are not your values,
498
00:26:46,772 --> 00:26:49,272
I'm assuming you would agree
499
00:26:49,341 --> 00:26:53,343
that most of your fellow
Americans do.
500
00:26:53,412 --> 00:26:58,849
Greed, for lack of
a better word, is good.
501
00:26:58,918 --> 00:27:00,183
Greed is right.
502
00:27:00,252 --> 00:27:01,852
Suber: Many people think
"Wall Street"
503
00:27:01,921 --> 00:27:06,090
glorifies cutthroat competition
and greed.
504
00:27:06,158 --> 00:27:09,493
In fact, what "Wall Street"
is about
505
00:27:09,561 --> 00:27:13,030
is a young guy named Bud
506
00:27:13,099 --> 00:27:16,533
who starts out
wanting to be like Gordon Gekko,
507
00:27:16,602 --> 00:27:20,437
but comes to recognize
that family and loyalty
508
00:27:20,506 --> 00:27:23,007
are more important
than incredible riches,
509
00:27:23,075 --> 00:27:26,443
private jets,
and trophy spouses.
510
00:27:26,512 --> 00:27:29,212
Because young Bud's old man
511
00:27:29,281 --> 00:27:33,150
is head of
Airline Mechanics Association
512
00:27:33,218 --> 00:27:37,755
and working on behalf
of his fellow union members,
513
00:27:37,823 --> 00:27:41,925
and Gordon Gekko is going to
buy that aircraft company
514
00:27:41,994 --> 00:27:44,394
and then fire everybody.
515
00:27:44,463 --> 00:27:45,996
He's using you, kid.
516
00:27:46,065 --> 00:27:47,898
He's got your prick
in his back pocket,
517
00:27:47,967 --> 00:27:49,432
but you're too blind
to see it.
518
00:27:49,501 --> 00:27:52,202
No, what I see
is a jealous old machinist
519
00:27:52,271 --> 00:27:54,038
who can't stand the fact
that his son's become
520
00:27:54,106 --> 00:27:56,273
more successful
than he has.
521
00:27:56,341 --> 00:27:58,275
What you see is a guy
522
00:27:58,343 --> 00:28:00,077
who never measured
a man's success
523
00:28:00,146 --> 00:28:02,012
by the size of his wallet!
524
00:28:02,081 --> 00:28:05,248
And young Bud discovers
that the values
525
00:28:05,317 --> 00:28:09,820
of all the power
that Gordon Gekko has
526
00:28:09,889 --> 00:28:12,389
are not equal to the values
527
00:28:12,457 --> 00:28:15,693
of being devoted
to your fellow human being.
528
00:28:15,761 --> 00:28:17,494
You're under arrest,
Mr. Fox.
529
00:28:17,563 --> 00:28:18,996
I challenge you
530
00:28:19,065 --> 00:28:25,402
to name three memorable
popular American films
531
00:28:25,470 --> 00:28:29,807
that tell you that wealth
and material possessions
532
00:28:29,875 --> 00:28:33,343
are the most important
things in life.
533
00:28:33,412 --> 00:28:36,646
And we could talk about
a lot of other films
534
00:28:36,716 --> 00:28:41,719
in which somebody acquires
real-world power,
535
00:28:41,787 --> 00:28:45,055
becomes fabulously wealthy,
536
00:28:45,124 --> 00:28:49,159
and they do not come
to a good end.
537
00:28:50,730 --> 00:28:52,395
I'm finished.
538
00:28:53,165 --> 00:28:56,533
This leads us back into
another one of those patterns.
539
00:28:56,602 --> 00:29:00,070
Many of the most popular
and memorable stories,
540
00:29:00,139 --> 00:29:02,139
going back to the Greeks,
541
00:29:02,208 --> 00:29:05,709
do not have a happy ending.
542
00:29:06,578 --> 00:29:11,982
Happy endings are obligatory
for musicals...
543
00:29:13,018 --> 00:29:15,452
...and for romantic comedies,
544
00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:18,822
which are not the same genre
as love stories.
545
00:29:18,891 --> 00:29:22,259
The world's great love stories
more often than not
546
00:29:22,327 --> 00:29:25,729
end in the separation
or death of the lovers.
547
00:29:25,798 --> 00:29:27,364
Think of "Romeo and Juliet."
548
00:29:27,432 --> 00:29:30,033
Evelyn, put that gun away!
Let the police handle this.
549
00:29:30,102 --> 00:29:31,869
He owns the police.
550
00:29:31,937 --> 00:29:33,470
Suber: "Chinatown."
551
00:29:33,538 --> 00:29:36,240
[ Gunshots ]
552
00:29:36,308 --> 00:29:41,478
The death of the woman
who's loved by the protagonist.
553
00:29:43,949 --> 00:29:46,416
But it's not just love stories.
554
00:29:46,485 --> 00:29:51,188
The world of film is filled
with unhappy endings.
555
00:29:51,257 --> 00:29:53,957
With "All Quiet
on the Western Front,"
556
00:29:54,026 --> 00:29:57,294
one of the earliest
blockbuster successes,
557
00:29:57,362 --> 00:30:00,664
our protagonist escapes
from the war,
558
00:30:00,732 --> 00:30:03,333
but only because he's dead.
559
00:30:04,603 --> 00:30:06,236
In "Do the Right Thing,"
560
00:30:06,305 --> 00:30:09,273
Mookie, played
by director Spike Lee,
561
00:30:09,341 --> 00:30:13,911
witnesses the callous murder
of his friend Radio Raheem
562
00:30:13,979 --> 00:30:16,313
by a white policeman.
563
00:30:17,082 --> 00:30:20,918
In response,
Mookie leads the neighborhood
564
00:30:20,986 --> 00:30:24,387
into burning down
his own employer's restaurant,
565
00:30:24,456 --> 00:30:26,790
which means
he's out of a job,
566
00:30:26,859 --> 00:30:29,759
so we can't say
the ending is a happy one.
567
00:30:30,696 --> 00:30:35,199
But they have taken
a stand against injustice.
568
00:30:38,003 --> 00:30:39,803
In "The Godfather Part III,"
569
00:30:39,872 --> 00:30:42,739
Michael Corleone's daughter
Mary is killed
570
00:30:42,808 --> 00:30:47,344
by an assassin's bullet
intended for him.
571
00:30:48,247 --> 00:30:51,481
Even though he won't die
for several more years,
572
00:30:51,550 --> 00:30:55,452
Michael's life
is essentially over.
573
00:30:55,520 --> 00:31:01,391
So many movies have
essentially unhappy endings.
574
00:31:01,460 --> 00:31:09,032
♪♪
575
00:31:09,101 --> 00:31:16,840
♪♪
576
00:31:16,909 --> 00:31:24,781
♪♪
577
00:31:24,850 --> 00:31:32,289
♪♪
578
00:31:32,358 --> 00:31:35,558
I hope I haven't depressed you
with all this.
579
00:31:36,328 --> 00:31:38,228
Because that's not
the only thing
580
00:31:38,297 --> 00:31:41,398
that drives us to movies.
581
00:31:42,167 --> 00:31:43,566
There's another.
582
00:31:43,635 --> 00:31:47,170
It's what makes
the world go round.
583
00:31:48,107 --> 00:31:50,640
It's the "F" word.
584
00:31:50,709 --> 00:31:52,009
Fun.
585
00:31:55,414 --> 00:31:57,314
We go to movies,
586
00:31:57,383 --> 00:32:01,684
certainly to American movies,
to have fun.
587
00:32:04,089 --> 00:32:07,124
Whatever the genre,
whatever the plot,
588
00:32:07,192 --> 00:32:13,163
whatever the time period,
we sell fun.
589
00:32:13,232 --> 00:32:16,866
Fun is part of the genius
of America.
590
00:32:16,936 --> 00:32:20,770
Since our beginning,
it's been one of the things
591
00:32:20,839 --> 00:32:25,708
that other cultures
have made fun of us for having,
592
00:32:25,777 --> 00:32:29,413
because we were not
a serious people.
593
00:32:29,481 --> 00:32:34,651
We told jokes in the most
inappropriate places.
594
00:32:37,323 --> 00:32:40,123
Harold, please.
595
00:32:40,192 --> 00:32:43,260
We have created
some of the best villains
596
00:32:43,329 --> 00:32:45,062
in world history.
597
00:32:45,130 --> 00:32:47,297
Now I'm always smiling.
598
00:32:47,366 --> 00:32:50,934
But we do it with a smile.
We do it with a wisecrack.
599
00:32:51,003 --> 00:32:55,272
We do it with a gag,
which is an American term.
600
00:32:55,341 --> 00:32:58,108
Here's Johnny!
Aah! Aah!
601
00:32:58,177 --> 00:33:01,644
We have always combined humor
602
00:33:01,713 --> 00:33:05,082
with the most serious
of subjects.
603
00:33:05,851 --> 00:33:11,554
We get it so we're not
overcome by the tragedy.
604
00:33:11,623 --> 00:33:17,160
We're laughing,
and laughing blocks pain.
605
00:33:18,697 --> 00:33:22,565
All three of the great
silent comedians --
606
00:33:22,634 --> 00:33:24,701
Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd --
607
00:33:24,769 --> 00:33:29,406
demonstrate this over
and over and over again.
608
00:33:29,475 --> 00:33:33,377
And the audience could say,
"Oh, my God. He broke his back."
609
00:33:33,445 --> 00:33:36,779
Well, if that happened,
it wouldn't be a gag.
610
00:33:36,848 --> 00:33:41,218
All comedy is based on pain
or potential pain.
611
00:33:41,286 --> 00:33:45,422
The greater the potential
for pain,
612
00:33:45,491 --> 00:33:50,260
the greater the opportunity
to be funny.
613
00:33:50,329 --> 00:33:51,995
In "The 40 Year Old Virgin,"
614
00:33:52,064 --> 00:33:56,766
Steve Carell's character
gets his hairy chest waxed.
615
00:33:56,835 --> 00:34:00,603
Ohhh! You fucker!
616
00:34:00,672 --> 00:34:04,408
Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
That's just your job.
617
00:34:04,476 --> 00:34:07,577
Suber:
No pain or potential pain,
618
00:34:07,646 --> 00:34:09,012
no laughter.
619
00:34:10,015 --> 00:34:11,814
There's something else
I want to mention
620
00:34:11,883 --> 00:34:13,716
that has to do with power.
621
00:34:13,785 --> 00:34:17,554
Not the power of characters,
but the power of film.
622
00:34:17,622 --> 00:34:23,826
♪♪
623
00:34:23,895 --> 00:34:26,029
Part of the power of film
624
00:34:26,098 --> 00:34:31,734
is its ability to use scale
for dramatic purposes.
625
00:34:33,772 --> 00:34:36,940
You walk in,
and there's an 80-foot screen --
626
00:34:37,008 --> 00:34:39,776
at least in the days
when everybody had to go
627
00:34:39,844 --> 00:34:42,579
to a movie theater
to see the film --
628
00:34:42,647 --> 00:34:45,382
and the camera gives us
a close-up
629
00:34:45,451 --> 00:34:48,985
of this part
of somebody's face.
630
00:34:49,821 --> 00:34:51,921
And it can be filled
with love...
631
00:34:51,990 --> 00:34:52,956
I love you.
632
00:34:53,024 --> 00:34:54,124
...or hate
633
00:34:54,193 --> 00:34:56,593
or any emotion
you want.
634
00:34:58,063 --> 00:35:00,330
Alright, Mr. DeMille,
I'm ready for my close-up.
635
00:35:00,399 --> 00:35:02,365
Suber:
Great directors understand
636
00:35:02,434 --> 00:35:04,667
the power of the close-up.
637
00:35:04,769 --> 00:35:09,906
♪♪
638
00:35:09,975 --> 00:35:13,943
They understand that close-ups
are so powerful
639
00:35:14,012 --> 00:35:17,914
that you use them frugally.
640
00:35:17,983 --> 00:35:21,151
I'm Angela.
Vickers.
641
00:35:21,220 --> 00:35:22,986
I saw you here
last spring.
642
00:35:23,054 --> 00:35:27,056
The director George Stevens
in "A Place in the Sun"
643
00:35:27,126 --> 00:35:30,460
had these enormous
tight close-ups
644
00:35:30,529 --> 00:35:33,330
of Elizabeth Taylor
and Montgomery Clift.
645
00:35:33,398 --> 00:35:35,532
That's the first time
anybody ever said that.
646
00:35:35,601 --> 00:35:37,367
You keep pretty much
to yourself, don't you?
647
00:35:37,436 --> 00:35:42,572
It's a love story that --
surprise -- doesn't end well,
648
00:35:42,641 --> 00:35:47,244
and in scenes where
he really wants the audience
649
00:35:47,312 --> 00:35:49,613
to empathize with the character
650
00:35:49,681 --> 00:35:54,117
and to really be involved
in their love,
651
00:35:54,186 --> 00:35:57,354
the camera moves in,
652
00:35:57,422 --> 00:36:02,526
and the lighting
is so carefully sculpted
653
00:36:02,594 --> 00:36:06,729
that those images could go
on a huge billboard,
654
00:36:06,798 --> 00:36:10,900
and people could see it
from a half mile away
655
00:36:10,969 --> 00:36:15,172
and instantly recognize
who those people were
656
00:36:15,307 --> 00:36:18,007
and say, "I want to see that,"
657
00:36:18,076 --> 00:36:21,411
because some human faces
658
00:36:21,480 --> 00:36:26,483
are really just fascinating
in themselves.
659
00:36:26,552 --> 00:36:30,086
This intimacy
with another human being
660
00:36:30,155 --> 00:36:32,455
replicates the intimacy
661
00:36:32,524 --> 00:36:36,593
of being an infant
at your mother's breast,
662
00:36:36,662 --> 00:36:41,364
and you're this far away,
and you lose that.
663
00:36:42,901 --> 00:36:45,635
You get it in sex later,
664
00:36:45,704 --> 00:36:48,505
if you keep your eyes open.
665
00:36:48,574 --> 00:36:53,743
But intimacy in love, sex,
666
00:36:53,812 --> 00:36:58,948
in violence
is very powerful and memorable.
667
00:36:59,017 --> 00:37:01,484
Lecter: You still wake up
sometimes, don't you?
668
00:37:01,553 --> 00:37:03,820
You wake up in the dark.
669
00:37:03,888 --> 00:37:05,855
You hear the screaming
of the lambs.
670
00:37:05,924 --> 00:37:09,959
Suber: Like this exchange
in "The Silence of the Lambs."
Yes.
671
00:37:10,028 --> 00:37:12,862
And you think if you save
poor Catherine,
672
00:37:12,931 --> 00:37:14,364
you could make them stop,
don't you?
673
00:37:14,433 --> 00:37:16,666
You think
if Catherine lives,
674
00:37:16,735 --> 00:37:19,969
you won't wake up
in the dark ever again
675
00:37:20,038 --> 00:37:23,106
to that awful screaming
of the lambs.
676
00:37:24,309 --> 00:37:25,542
I don't know.
677
00:37:26,345 --> 00:37:27,877
I don't know.
678
00:37:29,314 --> 00:37:31,981
Thank you, Clarice.
679
00:37:32,050 --> 00:37:33,416
Thank you.
680
00:37:33,485 --> 00:37:36,620
One of the most important
and often seen
681
00:37:36,688 --> 00:37:40,257
kinds of power
is institutional power.
682
00:37:40,325 --> 00:37:41,858
[ Siren wailing ]
683
00:37:41,926 --> 00:37:45,862
If you're driving down
the street or highway,
684
00:37:45,930 --> 00:37:47,631
and you look
in your rear-view mirror
685
00:37:47,699 --> 00:37:50,900
and you see
the familiar red light,
686
00:37:50,969 --> 00:37:53,336
as in "Thelma & Louise,"
687
00:37:53,405 --> 00:37:55,739
and the cop comes up to you,
688
00:37:55,807 --> 00:37:59,142
and you notice he has a weapon,
689
00:37:59,210 --> 00:38:03,747
but you don't really expect,
at least if you're white,
690
00:38:03,815 --> 00:38:05,815
that he's going to use it
on you.
691
00:38:05,884 --> 00:38:08,851
You're more concerned
with his badge.
692
00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:11,788
Hello, Officer.
Is there a problem?
693
00:38:11,856 --> 00:38:16,660
That tin star is a symbol
of where his power comes from.
694
00:38:16,728 --> 00:38:18,495
You want to let me see
your license, please?
695
00:38:18,563 --> 00:38:22,965
He's got other cops and courts
and everything else behind him,
696
00:38:23,034 --> 00:38:26,670
and he can lock you up
and throw away the key
697
00:38:26,738 --> 00:38:28,371
for a long period of time.
698
00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:30,640
You want to get out
of the car?
699
00:38:30,709 --> 00:38:35,111
The institutional power
of a cop is really high.
700
00:38:35,180 --> 00:38:36,713
Come with me, please.
701
00:38:36,782 --> 00:38:44,821
But as powerful as institutions
are in real life,
702
00:38:44,889 --> 00:38:49,326
we compensate
for that power in movies,
703
00:38:49,394 --> 00:38:51,961
most often by making fun of it
704
00:38:52,030 --> 00:38:57,166
or by proving it
to be irrelevant.
705
00:38:59,538 --> 00:39:03,440
In the old days
of silent comedy,
706
00:39:03,508 --> 00:39:06,576
a lot of the fun
consists of making fun
707
00:39:06,645 --> 00:39:09,912
of the symbols of power.
708
00:39:09,981 --> 00:39:16,252
Stuffy guy in a top hat,
people who are nothing
709
00:39:16,321 --> 00:39:20,724
if you remove
their institutional affiliation.
710
00:39:21,793 --> 00:39:26,229
We don't really like
institutional power,
711
00:39:26,297 --> 00:39:29,399
especially if we don't have it.
712
00:39:29,468 --> 00:39:33,936
So, to see people
who are inflated
713
00:39:34,005 --> 00:39:37,006
with their own
institutional power
714
00:39:37,075 --> 00:39:41,745
get their comeuppance
is really satisfying.
715
00:39:44,683 --> 00:39:46,850
In "The Shawshank Redemption"...
716
00:39:46,918 --> 00:39:51,087
I believe in two things --
discipline and the Bible.
717
00:39:51,155 --> 00:39:54,691
...the warden clearly
has enormous power.
718
00:39:54,760 --> 00:39:57,460
Put your trust in the Lord.
719
00:39:57,529 --> 00:39:59,796
Your ass belongs to me.
720
00:40:01,366 --> 00:40:02,866
Welcome to Shawshank.
721
00:40:02,934 --> 00:40:06,636
But we know from the
opening scene at the lineup
722
00:40:06,705 --> 00:40:10,740
that this guy
may have the power now,
723
00:40:10,809 --> 00:40:13,843
but he won't
by the end of this film.
724
00:40:14,613 --> 00:40:16,245
Open the door.
725
00:40:18,717 --> 00:40:22,018
Heroes are victimized
all the time.
726
00:40:22,086 --> 00:40:25,488
That's the setup that leads
to the hero acting...
727
00:40:25,557 --> 00:40:26,656
Turn that off!
728
00:40:26,725 --> 00:40:29,158
...well, heroically.
729
00:40:29,227 --> 00:40:31,060
[ Knock on door ]
730
00:40:31,830 --> 00:40:35,131
The hero appears
to be trapped...
I am warning you, Dufresne.
Turn that off!
731
00:40:35,199 --> 00:40:39,602
...but he doesn't allow
his victimization to stop him.
732
00:40:43,575 --> 00:40:46,843
He defies that
which has bound him,
733
00:40:46,912 --> 00:40:50,647
and he summons
the greatest power of all --
734
00:40:50,715 --> 00:40:52,148
willpower,
735
00:40:52,216 --> 00:40:56,553
which is often the only power
he or she had.
736
00:40:59,991 --> 00:41:02,625
Saying no, being defiant,
737
00:41:02,694 --> 00:41:07,630
not allowing yourself
to be the victim
738
00:41:07,699 --> 00:41:12,569
or to be victimized
by what happens to you.
739
00:41:15,206 --> 00:41:18,842
The prisoner wishes
to say a word.
740
00:41:18,910 --> 00:41:21,110
[ Crowd shouting ]
741
00:41:23,281 --> 00:41:24,714
In "Braveheart,"
742
00:41:24,783 --> 00:41:27,350
Mel Gibson's character
William Wallace
743
00:41:27,418 --> 00:41:29,786
is tortured to death,
744
00:41:29,855 --> 00:41:34,891
but he has the willpower
to utter one last defiant word,
745
00:41:34,960 --> 00:41:38,595
one that will make him
a memorable hero to his people.
746
00:41:38,663 --> 00:41:47,303
Freedooooooom!
747
00:41:47,405 --> 00:41:57,013
♪♪
748
00:41:57,081 --> 00:41:59,616
Finally, in our list of powers,
749
00:41:59,684 --> 00:42:03,119
I think it necessary
to mention respect.
750
00:42:03,889 --> 00:42:05,522
But I saved this for last
751
00:42:05,590 --> 00:42:12,695
because respect is something
that other people bestow on you.
752
00:42:16,334 --> 00:42:19,335
Shortly before the ending
of "Schindler's List,"
753
00:42:19,404 --> 00:42:23,907
after the war ends,
Schindler says...
754
00:42:23,975 --> 00:42:26,375
I could have got more out.
755
00:42:28,813 --> 00:42:30,647
I could have got more.
756
00:42:30,715 --> 00:42:32,982
I don't know.
If I'd just...
757
00:42:34,686 --> 00:42:36,385
I could have got more.
758
00:42:36,454 --> 00:42:39,556
Oskar, there are 1,100 people
who are alive because of you.
759
00:42:39,624 --> 00:42:41,190
Look at them.
760
00:42:41,259 --> 00:42:46,529
And he is rewarded by
Itzhak Stern with a gold ring
761
00:42:46,598 --> 00:42:53,536
that is a sign of the respect
of the inmates who faced death
762
00:42:53,605 --> 00:42:56,205
if it weren't for his effort.
763
00:42:57,876 --> 00:43:00,076
The film doesn't end there.
764
00:43:00,144 --> 00:43:03,046
We see a long line
of the descendants
765
00:43:03,114 --> 00:43:06,115
of the Jews
that Schindler saved.
766
00:43:06,985 --> 00:43:10,486
And we are at what we realize
767
00:43:10,555 --> 00:43:14,156
is Schindler's grave
in the real world.
768
00:43:14,225 --> 00:43:17,259
And they walk by,
and they each put a stone,
769
00:43:17,328 --> 00:43:22,899
because that is a ritual of Jews
when they visit the dead
770
00:43:22,968 --> 00:43:25,367
as a sign of respect.
771
00:43:27,105 --> 00:43:33,576
It is the greatest achievement
to be respected and remembered.
772
00:43:33,645 --> 00:43:38,447
♪♪
773
00:43:38,583 --> 00:43:42,652
Our greatest fear, I think,
is not death.
774
00:43:42,721 --> 00:43:44,520
It's impotence.
775
00:43:44,589 --> 00:43:48,157
It's powerlessness.
776
00:43:49,094 --> 00:43:53,863
It's discovering that we are --
777
00:43:53,932 --> 00:43:57,133
as we will discuss
in the next episode --
778
00:43:57,201 --> 00:43:58,567
trapped,
779
00:43:58,637 --> 00:44:04,473
that we don't have the power
to change our world,
780
00:44:04,542 --> 00:44:06,075
and it hurts.
781
00:44:06,144 --> 00:44:08,444
And one of the compensations
782
00:44:08,513 --> 00:44:13,883
that memorable popular films
give their audiences
783
00:44:13,952 --> 00:44:16,285
is a great gift,
784
00:44:16,354 --> 00:44:22,925
is the belief that
you don't have to be powerless.
785
00:44:23,695 --> 00:44:33,036
You can change your world
and your experience of life.
786
00:44:33,905 --> 00:44:43,312
♪
787
00:44:43,381 --> 00:44:52,588
♪♪
788
00:44:52,657 --> 00:45:01,864
♪♪
789
00:45:01,933 --> 00:45:11,340
♪♪
790
00:45:11,442 --> 00:45:20,649
♪♪
791
00:45:20,719 --> 00:45:29,892
♪♪
792
00:45:29,994 --> 00:45:39,368
♪♪
793
00:45:39,470 --> 00:45:48,978
♪♪
71373
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