In Defense of Todd Solondz
By Memo
Salazar
3/13/02
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In Defense of Todd Solondz By Memo
Salazar |
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Anyone who clings to the above criticisms
as proof of Solondz' failures is simply just not getting it. Yes,
his characters are two-dimensional; the same way Chris Ware's
characters are in his comic book masterpiece The Acme Novelty
Library, a comic which receives nothing but critical acclaim
from both the alternative and mainstream press. But, you see,
it's okay to do that in comics, because, well, it's comics!
We don't expect fully realized characterizations in a medium written
off as one designed for children. The film world is a different
story, however. People want to relate; hell, they need to
sympathize with the characters, yet Solondz rarely affords us
that luxury. We want individuals, but he's giving us archetypes.
He doesn't go into back-story depth with them because he doesn't
need to; you've met them all before in real life. He's not trying
to convince you that these people exist; in Solondz' world, that's
already an established fact. He starts with that assumption and
moves on. Critics complain that he's mocking his characters, but
the humor in his films emanates not from mockery but from the
seemingly exaggerated events that these poor characters have to
go through, combined with the truth exposed behind such ridiculous
scenarios. That his critics get so upset by watching the audience
laugh in recognition of that truth says more about said critics
than it does about Solondz himself. His characters are merely
cogs in the great cold machine of the universe, there to show
us how utterly cruel life really is. I'm not saying I necessarily
agree with that philosophy, but if that's what Solondz believes,
he should be commended for his ability to portray it on-screen,
not be criticized because it doesn't fit our own contradicting
ideas on life.
Like any worthwhile filmmaker, Solondz is distorting reality to
fit his own dark vision- and dark it is. Man, does he put his
characters through the wringer- but he manages to do it with insight
and wit. Take the scene in Storytelling when the youngest
son of a comfortable suburban family spills some grape juice in
the middle of the night and runs off to wake up the poor, overworked
and under-appreciated Mexican housekeeper, Conzuelo, to have her
clean it up. It's cruel enough that this little kid is so spoiled
he sincerely doesn't think to just clean up the mess himself;
he then busts into her room without knocking, discovers her weeping
over the news of her grandson's recent execution, unsympathetically
(but innocently) postulates the idea that the son, being a criminal,
deserved such treatment, prompts her to define and explain rape,
still has the gall to ask her to go clean up the mess, and then
goes on to hypnotize dad into firing her because "she's lazy."
I don't care how implausible that scenario seems- it's damn funny,
and damn truthful too. Kids can be that cruel, and often
are, without them ever realizing it. Their actions may have dire
consequences, but how much blame can you lay on them? They're
just kids. The true culprit is clear: the cold, uncaring universe
that rules us all. "Life is a cruel joke," Solondz is
telling us, but notice it's life he's mocking, not the poor saps
forced to endure it. The truth behind his satire is what makes
it all work- which is the whole point of Storytelling,
a film that shows how the truth can seem more false than fiction,
while reality can be distorted to be more fictional than the truth.
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