alexander solzhenitsyn (NP)

[Sean Mannion]

I get the gist of what you're saying, but still, I don't think the jewish 
harp that goes 'boinga boing!' over the footage of an Afghan training-camp 
is meant to indicate frivolity, somehow. Most of scoring for it doesn't seem 
to accord to the 'strains of violin in minor key = gravity, seriousness' 
type of soundtrack.

Was quite good to see that someone out there is still giving Brian Eno 
royalties anyway.


>From: jd <wescac at gmail.com>
>To: "Sean Mannion" <third_eye_unmoved at hotmail.com>
>CC: pynchon-l at waste.org
>Subject: Re: alexander solzhenitsyn (NP)
>Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 09:18:07 -0400
>
>I think that without the music the words would be interpreted very
>differently.  A bad example, when someone says "There's someone coming
>over the hill", deadpan, and there's silence, a listener is like to
>just look at the hill and see what happens.  When it's accompanied by
>uplifting music, the listener is more likely to get excited, and when
>it's accompanied by dramatic music, the listener is more likely to
>expect the worst from whatever is coming up over that hill.  Again,
>bad example but I think it gets the point across...  and I think
>regardless of message, introducing dramatic music into a documentary
>weakens whatever message it is carrying if only because the people
>making it don't seem to think that the message is enough.  They need
>those trill rings after a statement to make ears perk up, or that deep
>bass while the airplanes fly by, making the viewer interpret the
>images and words in a less independent manner.
>
>That's just how I feel.  Overall I liked the documentary, I just think
>the music thing is a weakness that many documentaries have.  And
>anyways all docu-music seems to be so damn similar and it's gotten
>boring, beyond my earlier point.
>
>On 6/29/06, Sean Mannion <third_eye_unmoved at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>"making points by relying on musical soundbytes (or at least appearing
>>to simply by including them) is really weak."
>>
>>
>>It's been a while since I watched that documentary, but I have no idea 
>>what
>>you're talking about.
>>I can't think of one instance in any of the three parts of 'The Power of
>>Nightmares' where the incidental music is relied upon for anything other
>>than subordinate background effect.
>>
>>
>> >From: jd <wescac at gmail.com>
>> >To: p-list <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>> >Subject: Re: alexander solzhenitsyn (NP)
>> >Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 02:10:57 -0400
>> >
>> >oh, and regarding the documentary...  man, I hate all that dramatic
>> >music.  You could make the most potent documentary ever but with that
>> >overly sappy dramatic music it just knocks it down ten notches...
>> >making points by relying on musical soundbytes (or at least appearing
>> >to simply by including them) is really weak.  I think the
>> >anti-Schindler's List faction would have something to say about that.
>> >That said, I love the intro to the program, it's just so darn FUN.
>> >
>> >On 6/29/06, jd <wescac at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >>http://www.archive.org/details/ThePowerOfNightmares
>> >>
>> >>What do you all think of Alexander Solzhenitsyn?  I have only read a
>> >>few pages of The Gulag Archipelago...  and then I was watching the
>> >>documentary from the above link which mainly deals with showing the
>> >>growth of neo-conservatism compared with extremist islamic violence
>> >>that we're faced with currently (I'm not saying it hasn't been around
>> >>for awhile, for the record).  But in the first segment they show a
>> >>clip of Solzhenitsyn that seems to portray him as someone somewhat
>> >>mis-led and with incorrect ideals.  Then again, they seem to portray
>> >>Nixon and Kissinger as honorable men with honorable ideals.  I'm no
>> >>Nixon expert, I could be wrong, but everything that crosses my radar
>> >>seems to indicate the exact opposite, so, as with anything, grain of
>> >>salt.
>> >>
>> >>Interested to hear what you have to say about Solzhenitsyn, however.
>> >>I've heard he's made many exagerations in Gulag Archipelago but many
>> >>seem to think his heart, at least, was in the right place.  What do
>> >>you think?
>> >>
>> >>I think this somewhat falls into the Pynchonian world view, apologies
>> >>if it's not appropriate for the list.
>> >>
>>
>>
>>