Sunday night was “date night” for Kia and I. We had a great time hanging out, including getting ice cream, window shopping and seeing the newest Woody Allen movie, Midnight in Paris.
Midnight in Paris
The the movie follows the protagonist, Gil (a screenplay writer from Hollywood), as he travels to Paris with his fiance. Gil dreams of finishing and publishing a novel which he had worked on for years. Part of his fantasy is seeing all of this happen in Paris.
Gil sees Paris during the 1920’s where artists like Hemingway, Picasso, T.S. Eliott, F Scott Fitzgerald, Dali and others spent a majority of their time, as the golden age of creativity. He saw the 20’s as the perfect time and place to live and create art.
By chance, he is transported to the 20’s where he meets many of these famous artists along with a supposed muse of Picasso. Adriana also dreams of returning to a golden age – the Belle Époque; what she believes to be the time of the greatest art and artists. The very obvious irony is the nature of people to assume that the golden age has already occurred.
Is there a golden age?
After a bit of reflection, I realized that too many people in general and photographers specifically live life like Gil or Adriana. We look back at a time in our lives or a time that we’ve studied and dreamed about and determined that it is THE time to live in. It is the golden age. We’ve missed out, and we need to go back to that time.
With photographers (particularly, older, male photographers), it seems to be this subtle wish to return to the age of the masters. The age of film, when photography was still great; when the art was still alive.
However there is a truth that is missing in this desire.
Times have changed. Greatness has been redefined. Things have moved on. The rules have been broken if not completely changed. Yes, there are some timeless rules that will always make an image great (or replace image with whatever word or medium you struggle with).
While there is nothing wrong with looking back on the past with fondness, you can’t allow it to cripple you now or moving into the future.
While the ending is a bit cryptic as what happens, Midnight in Paris ends with Gil having come to terms with the idea that he may well be living in his own golden age.
Live in the now…
With an eye on both the past and the future, we have to live in the now. Why? Now, very well may be the golden age.
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