Comments on: Spike Lee Adds 7 Films By Female Filmmakers To His List Of Essential Movies

By: bgortowsk

bgortowsk — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:14:28 +0000

Elaine May, A New Leaf, The Heartbreak Kid, Mikey and Nicky.

By: Ted

Ted — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:14:28 +0000

A lot of Wertmuller. I haven't seen her films in years, but I remember being unimpressed. If I remember, I thought they were narcissistic and stuffed with doggerel melodramatics, but maybe I should re-watch them. I don't know anyone who thinks "The Piano" or "The Hurt Locker" are "essential" films. "Daughters of the Dust" is pretty good, but I don't think it's essential. But that's also a title I haven't seen in awhile, I'll have to check it out again.

Frankly though, I just don't understand how anyone could make an essential list that's intentionally designed to include female filmmakers and leaves out names like Chantal Akerman, Agnes Varda, Maya Deren, Vera Chytilova, Barbara Loden, or Kira Muratova (and surely others I've neglected to mention).

By: plantain

plantain — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:14:27 +0000

It's patronizing to women to have to include them in a personal list based on their sex. But it's not like logic or honesty has any place in cultural conversation anymore.

By: huffy

huffy — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:14:27 +0000

That whole controversy was stupid. He made a list of films he personally considers to be essential viewing based on their content, not on whether or not the directors fulfilled a certain quota. If I were to make a list of my favorite movies I doubt I'd have more than two films by female directors on it. That has nothing to do with whether or not I think women are talented behind the camera and everything to do with personal taste. And if you don't like my personal taste tough shit, do something productive like making your own list instead of whining. The American media's relentless need to politicize everything is getting to be ridiculous. I bet if this exact list happened to be released by a white director someone would complain that there's only one black filmmaker featured.

By: sab

sab — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:14:27 +0000

If he trying to throw female directors or whomever a bone with this sidenote I'd just throw the bone right back. You mean out of the whole history of filmmaking of the films he's seen he can only count FOUR women filmmakers??!! And he's an educator!!

By: Nathan

Nathan — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:14:27 +0000

The lesson in all this: before you can empower yourself you have to play the victim. Btw, doesn't it defeat the purpose of a personal list if it has to fact-checked by politically correct censors and focus group tested?

By: James

James — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:14:27 +0000

Hmm… I'm not sure how giving women their own little postscript, and then choosing more than half of the films on that list from the same woman, really makes the situation better. Fells a bit too "Oh shit, I need to add some women to this list, what's on my DVD shelf…"

By: Sean

Sean — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:14:27 +0000

Personally, I don't give shit about the gender or race of a director. All that matters is if you're good at the craft or not, and dedicated to making something worth discussing/watching/analyzing/loving.