Review of the film “Genius” – Business Petersburg

Journalist Andrew Archangel – the film “Genius,” directed by Michael Grandadzha. News, Review of the movie

The film – a real the history of relations between the writer Thomas Wolfe and editor Max Perkins , open to the world as Fitzgerald and Hemingway. Along the way, it is also a story about how to shoot, “a movie about the intelligentsia.” In our movie, for example, the most intelligent – or sinister, or comic figure, which is needed to set off the main characters. By itself, the intellectual few people are interested

The main problem, in general, is clear:. In this movie there is nothing to do action. For example, in this film there is almost nothing but long conversations, and large stacks of sheets. What is there to do a drama or a comedy .. Predictably, one of the heroes – almost eccentric: Thomas Wolfe (Jude Law) corresponds to the mass perception of the artist: verbose, unbalanced and disheveled.

But with another hero, Perkins, and more interesting. This is a very different type of gray eminence: very few people know of the person, but a lot depends on him. He’s usually very talkative, morose and devoid of emotion (as Fixer Eddie Mannix in the film “Long live Caesar!” Coen brothers). Silent, constantly reflecting the hero – an interesting challenge for the actor, that is to say, “Stirlitz effect”. And as in the role of publisher Perkins Colin Firth, famous for the film “The King’s Speech”, it further enhances the audience’s expectations. It Perkins, according to the logic of the film authors, is the genius of American culture, though a bit gloomy. It was he, in fact, he decides that will be read by people.

But beyond the artistic taste such a person should be even and acumen businessman. This is the inner drama: a love of art and businessmen about the benefits of co-exist in the same person. A basic conflict is chosen perfectly, it is clear to everyone. The writer wants to remain in the book of “things as they are” (Wolfe’s second novel was originally held five thousand pages.) – And the publisher offers to cut, cut and rewrite. And one laments cuts and rewrites, and the second requires more. As mentioned in one Soviet film, “One runs, the other catches up with” the same pursuit, only psychological. A stack of sheets to the editor table is reduced, melts, and there is something fascinating.

This is not just writing and publishing, and have a civilizational conflict. Because the art of today is often the main – not a writer, and producer. That is, Perkins – this is such a global metaphor, “people pruning”: it is the intermediary between the creator and consumer, between the author and the public. And this is one of the main problems of modern life: what to throw away and what to leave

“If Tolstoy was a publisher, like you, – says in the hearts Wolfe Perkins – he would be on the “war and peace” is only left a “war” Russian viewers at this point knowing laugh Tolstoy worldwide still greatness of character – both literally and in a literal sense.. still in the novel 1200 pages . But, in addition, we are pleased that a Hollywood movie name sounds Russian writer: pleased that the concept of “world” in this moment includes Russia

in the meantime, the novel Wolf cut, printed and has a great success writer got fame and money, and publisher of tossing and turning all night, can not sleep:. may be reduced in vain Maybe it was necessary to leave .. and then turned to another “War and peace? “But who has the right to do is to decide? .. That can not sleep.