Artists and filmmakers have always used the powerful medium of film to create their version of what it means to be an artist; however, there has been little academic analysis done on how film has shaped public perception of artistic creativity over time. A new book, ‘Art and the Movies,’ sets out to fill that void by examining how film has helped to create a mythological.
In ‘Art and the Movies’ the author’s intention is not simply to entertain; but rather, through a review of both major motion pictures and lesser-known independent productions, to show the manner in which the way the artist is typically portrayed in film has affected our understanding of creativity/success culturally.
The author is able to show how the boundary of reality versus fiction has become unclear when it comes to portraying the actual lives of artists; consequently, many of our preconceived notions regarding the concept of art/artists have been created by what we see on the big screen.
Cinema shapes our understanding of artistic identity
One thing this book talks about is how cinema impacts our understanding of what an “Artist” is. Through the lens of film, artists are often depicted as tortured souls that create great art through suffering for their art. While this trope makes great fiction, it can also lead to unrealistic standards of creativity.
The author looks at many of the repeated tropes in films “The misunderstood painter”, “Obsessive filmmaker.” and the way these characters are presented, through the lens of film as well as literature, have made it very clear that the only way that one can produce ‘True Art’ is through suffering, struggle, and solitude.
The author argues that the majority of artists create through collaborative processes, discipline, and daily routines. By offering the real-life practices of creativity alongside the representations of creativity that are found in film.
Another central tenet of this book is that the representation of artists, as portrayed in the movies, has given greater prominence to some types of artists than others, particularly when it comes to writing, as opposed to visual artists and musicians, who receive greater representation in movies.
The book discusses a range of popular search topics including artistic representations in film, stereotype types of artists, and how film can offer creative inspiration. The analytical discussions within this work will appeal to anyone who studies film, art history, or cultural critique.
This book will remind readers that while film has an impact, the word “creativity” will not only be defined by the film industry. True artists are more complex than any film script could ever capture, regardless of their similarities and differences.
Ultimately, this new book is to provide another perspective of where we stand as a culture or society due to the impact that they have had on shaping who we are. The power of cinema is, of course, substantial. Actual artists will always be much more complicated than what a single band of writers will ever prove through a movie script.
