A Universal Concern
The real aftermath of the 2008 Universal fire can’t be photographed
(AP Photo/Ric Francis)
The recent Universal fire claimed more than a few facades and burned more than a few prints of old movies. It struck at the very heart of what will (hopefully) be one of the enduring legacies of the United States of America and it’s got me worried. If you love movies, or if you love this country, you should be worried too.
Every nation that has ever played a part on the world stage has left some piece of its cultural history behind. Social and political groupings wax and wane, but their cultural residue lingers and enriches those that come after. It’s a small example, but as I sit here drinking my morning cup of coffee, I’m dimly aware that the practice came from Ethiopia, spread to Egypt, the Middle East and then Europe with the rise and fall of empires. I don’t give much thought to Ethiopia on a daily basis, but damnit I do love a good cup of coffee. Thanks, Ethiopians!
Besides our ongoing, real-time experiment with the theory of Democracy (inspired of course by the ancient Greeks, a group of folks who knew a little something about culture as far as the West is concerned and have had more than their share of influence), the main cultural contributions of the United States are arguably jazz, rock and roll and cinema.
Though the glory days of the influence of jazz as a driving cultural force petered out about 40 years ago and rock and roll is diminished from what it once was, the heritage of both musical forms is secure. On the other hand, though it continues to be the most popular US export, cinema’s ongoing preservation seems to be much more tenuous and the recent fire is a frightening reminder of that.
Backtracking for a minute, I’m not claiming cinema as a uniquely American phenomenon. Of course, movies are the product of the ideas of many people in many cultures the world over, but like jazz and rock and roll, the United States provided fertile ground for those ideas to merge, take root and to grow. Factoring in the circumstances that left the US largely untouched by the negative impacts of two world wars that devastated most other nations at a time when post-silent cinema was reaching a new level of maturity, it’s not hard to see why many people think of the US when they think of movies.
Returning to the fire, the early good news was that nothing irreplaceable was lost. Though technically correct, now that the smoke has cleared there are lingering doubts about how accurate that statement is in practice. Yes, Universal can make new prints of their own films and all of the properties they’ve purchased over the years (including Paramount films up through 1949), but the question remains: will they?
For better and for worse, movies are inextricably linked to another American phenomenon: the free market. If it pays, it plays. The sad fact is that, from a business standpoint, Universal would probably be foolish to regenerate 90% of its lost heritage. However, from a cultural standpoint, how can they not? Unfortunately, the free market provides no motivation for Universal to do the right thing. There’s no money in it. So, should we leave the fate of our cultural legacy to the free markets? Hell no.
Don’t worry, this isn’t a rant about an economic system that has clear advantages and in many respects has worked quite nicely. This is simply a reminder that money isn’t always everything and that short-term economic gain should not trump long-term cultural consequences. On the other hand, we can’t really ask Universal to just take the loss and do the right thing. The preservation of film is important enough to beg government, private and corporate cooperation. Government can organize and help ameliorate the cost, either directly through funding or indirectly through tax breaks; the private sector can help with money and manpower and the corporations who own the properties can do their share as well.
It’s also important to remember that the problem is one of more than just preservation. We also need to ensure that the films in question have a way to reach an audience. A film is meaningless if it’s locked away in a vault and no one ever gets to see it. That’s the problem we’re facing right now with Universal.
Whether it’s preservation or exhibition, the needs are enormous, but the means to remedy them exist. Though assorted groups have tackled the problem from different angles, we need a more encompassing movement and a greater effort. We need someone to step up and make it a priority. We need widespread cooperation and we need it now. There is no time to waste. The next fire might take something that can truly never be replaced.
After all, what are we in the end but that which we leave behind?
Filed under: Opinion
Related Posts: - LiC Shines a Light on The Rolling Stones
- I Wanna Be Remade-d
- Universal Studios Fire
- Universal Repercussions
- On Tap at The New Beverly
I suppose it’s fickle and somewhat capricious (in light of this essay) to say, well Craig, we’ll always have DVD. DVD is great and the fact that much of America’s recent, and/or all its modern cinematic heritage is available on DVD is cold comfort when one considers that the small screen can never substitute for the cinema, a slowly dying entity whose demise this fire has (apparently) hastened in some small but critical way.
My biggest concern (and I think yours) would be that because corporate America nows rules Hollywood, their general desire would be to ignore this loss as a tax write-off and move on to the perceived money-making sequels and remakes of tomorrow rather than preserving the art of the past.
It would be wonderful to see the Feds or the California State govt stand up and put forth some assistance in light of this tragedy, but I’m assuming there’s little pressure or interest in doing so. God knows, California is being hit so hard with budget shortfalls they’re considering taxing porn (how unamerican!) and the Bush administration has literally spent the entire country into a bleak corner.
I don’t see any easy (or even fairly difficult) answers to this one.
Only a small percentage of films made before 1930 still exist. One would hope that some one in a high-profile, influential position would speak out so that whatever films were jeopardized in this fire could be brought back to life in the name of film preservation — someone like Scorsese , Eastwood or Spielberg.
Scorsese and other have done some fine work though The Film Foundation, but I’d like to see a broader, more concerted effort.
half of American films made before 1950 are gone and only 10 percent of silent films still exist.
Tough call - are we as fans and the movie-going public obligated to roll our sleeves up and make something happen, or are the Hollywood heavyweights (include Joel’s suggestions) and the, ahem, well-paid stars obligated to save their own work? I’m not hinting at the second, I’m just wondering who we can count on these days.
I’m not sure who this rallying peep was aimed at.
My point I guess was that everyone should care and everyone should want to do a little something.