Trash & Art: Redux

In her legendary piece Trash, Art, and the Movies, Pauline Kael makes the argument that most films are not "art" and that the mere presence of something unique/interesting isn't enough to elevate a program/genre picture above the level of "trash". While I have the utmost respect for the late Ms. Kael and her writing on filmmakers such as Robert Altman and Bernardo Bertolucci, I really must disagree with her on this matter because it starts us down a rather slippery slope from which there is literally no return.

As someone who believes that any form of creative expression should be defined as "art", this sort of thinking stinks of elitism. Sure we can quibble about how successful something is at being achieving what it set out to do, but isn't that why we invented the five-star rating system and its countless variations? Even the crudest exploitation picture will tell you something about the people who made it and the culture that produced those people. Some films can even serve an anthropological purpose.

For example: Even though Richfield Tower and Bunker Hill no longer exist in present day Los Angeles, we still have films like the box office flop Zabriskie Point and best-seller based detective film Kiss Me Deadly to show these vanished landmarks in all their glory. There are some that will argue that even porn films can be studied for these films often feature the most accurate depictions of middle-class furnishings from the time they were made. Are these films "art" or "trash"?

During the first half of the last century, a majority of the world's silent film output was not considered to be "art" and was therefore either melted down for its silver content or turned into lady's shoe heels. Simply by making an arbitrary distinction between "art" and "trash", all of that valid creation, expression and cultural history was effectively deleted from existence. We will never be able to get it back. That's why it is important to recognize that all art is valid. So what if a particular film doesn't quite tickle your fancy? That's no reason to wipe it from the face of existence. And who knows? It could become important later...