Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Is Michael Bay a Republican and Does It Matter?

I saw "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" last night at midnight and I loved it. I loved the violence, the level of mirth and the dark, sardonic mood it struck. Calling it "Dark of the Moon" was appropriate considering the dark nature of the content and tone of the film. I was literally shocked to see Optimus Prime portrayed as (spoiler alert) an assassin. Not to mention the three, count them three climactic turns in the third act. I was thinking near the end of the film, "If there's one more 'all hope is lost' moment I'm gonna be really pissed off." Thank goodness there was an actual final climax and a quick denoument unlike "Lord of the Rings:Return of the King" which seemed to be never-ending in the theater and worse on DVD and Blu-Ray.
BTW there's a big controversy over the new Director's cut Blu-ray release of "The Fellowship of the Ring" over the digital color timing. Peter Jackson went back and did a new 4K master and new color timing for the new Blu-ray release, so it matches the color tone of the last two films in the series. It does not match the original theatrical film release, or the original DVD and Blu-ray releases, so some fans are a wee bit angry. I'm a filmmaker, so I say, "Get over it."
The color tone of "Dark of the Moon" was also impressive. I'm a huge Michael Bay fan. I have put up with his ultra-close-ups, his shakey camera, his frenetic cutting and his swooping camera moves for years. Finally, he's had to grow up and mature visually as a filmmaker thanks to 3D and IMAX. Just as Christopher Nolan found out with "The Dark Knight" you have to adjust your shot choices to what the physics of the camera will allow you to do.
This may have forced Bay to make more mature visual choices and slow his pacing. I appreciated this from an audience member's point of view because I was able to follow the action, and there was a ton of action to follow.
I credit James Cameron's influence on Bay for the amplification of cliff hanger moments and additionally excruciating action sequences. Cameron lent his opinion, technology and expertise to this shoot after Bay asked for some advice on shooting in the new 3D format.
The results are amazing 3D imagery that serves a dynamic and interesting storyline. Bay's surrealism is now complete. Dali would be proud.
Yet, I was left to wonder if Bay is a Republican due to some of the lines in the script and certain story and character choices. I enjoy Bay's Pro-American stance and his obvious patriotism in his films, but sometimes I feel a very distinct push in a Republican direction. It's only strange since his producer, Steven Spielberg, has a Democratic slant to his work, as does James Cameron's work. I wonder if this made "Dark of the Moon" better. Can a bi-partisan approach work in film as well as politics?
I'm exploring this in my current film that I'm writing now. I'll let you know.