Miscellaneous Movie Musings

[scaeagles]

Alex gave Cars 9/10. I read his review this morning.

He points out that the theming of the movie is common. This made me think....

I recall I once took a theatre course in college where we discussed George Polti and his 36 plots. For those unfamiliar with Polti (not that I am an expert in the least), he was a Frenchman who in the 19th century (18th? Can't recall) hypothesized that there are really only 36 plots (and lists them) or minor variations thereof for a dramatic situation. Therefore, there is nothing new that can be done, so the beauty of dramatic work is the way in which the story is told.

Are we at an end to creativity in dramatic situations? I wonder. I recall reading about how the US Patent office was going to be closed in the late 1800s/early 1900s because there was "nothing new to invent". Ridiculous, certainly, but Polti's work seems to have some credibility.