Back in September we posted an article asking if television had overtaken film as the medium of our time. It was part of a long string of opinion pieces writing the obituary for film culture. It seems only fair to post a rebuttal.
New York Times film critic A. O. Scott has a new piece declaring that film culture is, in fact, alive and well. “I hate to ruin a good funeral,” he says, “but all of this is nonsense.” Scott doesn’t really contest that film is losing audience to television, but he sees film as an increasingly vibrant medium that continues to envelope culture. He gives a litany of examples, from Moonrise Kingdom to Lincoln. All popularity issues aside, film isn’t losing any energy.
Don’t expect this to be the last word on the current state of film, especially once awards season enters full swing.