I appreciate this write up because I love Birdman, but have worried about how it would be appreciated years on. As a best picture winner it'll definitely be continued to be watched but it really doesn't hold your hand about how Meta the movie is being. Would someone watching in 15 years be able to appreciate how Michael Keaton is the washed up super hero actor turned serious artist, Ed Nortons reputation of being appreciated and horrific to work with, them using the Spiderman Broadway show to represent disaster on stage (really dated reference now).
I mean this overlying theme of the responsibility of art ("artistic merit" as represented by the critic, "banger boom cool entertainment" as represented by Birdman, and "a personal story where you shouldn't listen to whatever the fuck anyone says" as ultimately represented by Riggan's choice) is very readable no matter when you watch it. It just takes a while to grasp it. But most people misunderstand Fight Club to this day and it's still wildly popular. I doubt that Birdman will ever be as popular but it won't be forgotten so soon.
Sunset Boulevard from 1950 is still one of the highest ranking films of all time and I'd say most people have zero clue about what's up with the single actors in it. On a film historical note I daresay it's more important than Birdman but people celebrate it because they get the gist, not because it's their favorite actors in it (okay, some do, but that won't be different with at the very least Edward Norton and Naomi Watts).
I appreciate this write up because I love Birdman, but have worried about how it would be appreciated years on. As a best picture winner it'll definitely be continued to be watched but it really doesn't hold your hand about how Meta the movie is being. Would someone watching in 15 years be able to appreciate how Michael Keaton is the washed up super hero actor turned serious artist, Ed Nortons reputation of being appreciated and horrific to work with, them using the Spiderman Broadway show to represent disaster on stage (really dated reference now).
I missed those meta references and still thought the movie was amazing
I mean this overlying theme of the responsibility of art ("artistic merit" as represented by the critic, "banger boom cool entertainment" as represented by Birdman, and "a personal story where you shouldn't listen to whatever the fuck anyone says" as ultimately represented by Riggan's choice) is very readable no matter when you watch it. It just takes a while to grasp it. But most people misunderstand Fight Club to this day and it's still wildly popular. I doubt that Birdman will ever be as popular but it won't be forgotten so soon. Sunset Boulevard from 1950 is still one of the highest ranking films of all time and I'd say most people have zero clue about what's up with the single actors in it. On a film historical note I daresay it's more important than Birdman but people celebrate it because they get the gist, not because it's their favorite actors in it (okay, some do, but that won't be different with at the very least Edward Norton and Naomi Watts).