Last night, The Artist captured Best Picture at the Academy Awards.  Do you know when the last silent film took home that Oscar? 1929 (the year of the first Academy Awards); Wings was the winner.  I’ve been stumbling across this fact in the majority of Oscar coverage and, as luck would have it, a restored version of Wings was released this year on DVD.

Wings‘ plot is a twist on the familiar boy meets girl story.  In Wings, a boy falls in love with a girl, but she is in love with someone else, but there is another girl who is in love with the first boy.  It’s not important. Wings has something better than plot: World War I fighter pilot action.  And no CGI. They mounted the cameras on planes for all the flight scenes. The director, William Wellman, was also a WWI fighter pilot and used his experiences to recreate action.  It also has star power. The film stars one of the most famous actresses from the silent era, Clara Bow.  It also features a very young Gary Cooper, but not for very long (I’ve said too much).

Is the newspaper dead?  This question underlies the film Page One: Inside the New York Times.  The documentary opens with news clips and headlines of the Rocky Mountain News ceasing publication, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer publishing exclusively online, and the Tribune company bleeding cash and staff.  At a time of decreasing circulation (as more people get news online), where does a storied institution like the New York Times fit in the new media landscape?

Although it is a scary time for newspapers, it is also an exciting time, especially if you work at the Media Desk at the New York Times. Page One follows the Times‘ media reporters for a full year as they cover the current state of traditional media and the emergence of new players.  It is an interesting year too: WikiLeaks emerges, Comcast purchases a controlling interest in NBC, the Tribune goes bankrupt, and the NY Times is deciding whether or not to charge their online readers.

The documentary is a little choppy and its structure needed a little work, but I came away thinking about the future of news, which was the point. Plus, you should see the film just to watch David Carr.

There are documentaries about anything and everything. There is a documentary about a 12-year girl who wants to make a zombie movie. Pulling John takes a look at world arm wrestling champ John Brzenk as he decides whether to defend his championship title or retire.  And The Parking Lot Movie follows the parking lot attendants of the Corner Parking Lot, a small piece of land located behind some shops and bars near the University of Virginia campus.  However, these documentaries are rarely about their surface subject matter. The Parking Lot Movie is about more than a parking lot.

The pool of attendants and former attendants consist of grad students, artists, musicians (including the bassist from Yo La Tengo), and post-grads not sure what to do next. They come from the philosophy, anthropology, law, and religion departments of Virginia.  According to their manager, it is only a parking lot.  All they have to do is take the payment from the drivers.  It isn’t that simple. Day in and day out, they argue with people over a few dollars, fight against drive-offs, and protect the lot and the cars from inebriated college students. They are often called names and told to get a real job.  They experience boredom, anger, and burnout.

We’ve all been there. Most of us have worked in that kind of job, where pay is low, tasks are repetitive, and your patience is tried.  Although they are hard to face each day, these jobs build character and a sense of self.  At least the parking lot attendants seems to see the job as important to who they are now. Because the parking lot was more to them than just a business.  It was a way to reevaluate one’s self and values as one watches the problem’s of society play out on a small scale.  As one attendant says, “It was a lens of looking at the entire life experience through the parking lot.”

Maybe Laevsky, a gambling, reckless, and often inebriated civil service worker, didn’t have a plan when he ran away with Nadya, a married woman, to the Caucasus.  I’m not sure if marriage, a family, or tending to the land was ever in Laesky’s mind.  What’s important is that Laevsky has no intention to do any of those things now, especially with Nadya.  When a letter arrives informing him that Nadya’s husband is dead, he needs a way out.  Unfortunately, he does not have the funds to leave town and there is the issue of Van Koren.  A scholar and moralist, Van Koren dislikes Laevsky and his influence on the town.  There is more drinking, gambling, and improper behavior among the town’s inhabitants since he arrived.  Also, Nadya has flirted, teased, and acted inappropriately with several men in town. When Laevsky insults a mutual friend over borrowing money to leave, it is too much for Van Koren.  A challenge is accepted.

The Duel is beautifully filmed with vibrant colors and the seaside village in Croatia is a fantastic backdrop. There is also a quietness to the film that I appreciate. Although some critics dislike the slow pace of the film, I think the scenes are crafted and deliberate.  I don’t think the film’s pace lagged and the duel scene was compelling.  As I continue to think over the outcome of the duel and its meaning, I have concluded that I need to read Chekhov.  It is a shame that I have ignored him for so long.