At the start of the documentary These Amazing Shadows, various film lovers talk about the magic of going to the movies, using phrases like window to the world and religious experience. But the way things go at the multiplexes these days texters, talkers, popcornmunchers whens the last time you felt that sense of awe?
The only place in town where film can be appreciated year-round as an art form instead of mere entertainment is the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, where Shadows unspools Friday through Sunday.
The doc is a love letter to the moving image, using the National Film Registry as its diving board. Created by a literal act of Congress, its board has selected 25 films of cultural, historic and/or aesthetic significance annually for preservation since 1989. From a mix of sprocket-worn classics to consciousness-expanding works, these chosen few represent snapshots of American history, whether they reflected the era or helped shape it.
As Shadows shows, the organization initially was about the issue of artists rights, at a time when media mogul Ted Turner was colorizing just about every black-and-white film he owned from studios vaults, whether directors liked it or not.
As Turner eventually put his digital crayons away, the registry became about making sure the films simply stick around at all. Sadly, according to Shadows, a full half of the movies made before the 1950s no longer exist in any form. Some are in such poor shape, they break upon contact. Other reels are shown to have decayed and hardened into hockey pucks. (See Reel secret on Page 61 for a look at OKCMOAs own preservation efforts.)
Shadows delves into the lively debates the board has each year to determine inductees. While the registry includes your expected Citizen Kane and Casablanca, it also has made space for comparative eyebrow-raisers such as Mel Brooks Blazing Saddles or the midnight movie fave The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The stories behind their nomination and inclusion are, as one would expect, funny you try presenting a case for a transsexual musical before Congress.
Although most of the films selected are movies, Shadows explains how the board has cast its net wider over time to include the occasional short, cartoon, serial, experimental work and home movie notably Abraham Zapruders 8mm footage of President John F. Kennedys assassination. To date, one music video calls the list home: Michael Jacksons Thriller.
For the casual movie watcher, Shadows almost operates as a primer as to how to watch film actively, rather than passively. For those who already do, its like revisiting a particularly treasured photo album. Even the most ardent film buff will be exposed to titles he or she never knew existed.
The only downside s trying to keep a mental must see that list without diverting your attention from the screen. A brush-up on your mnemonic skills before attending is, like Shadows itself, strongly recommended.