The Filmmaker vs The Spectator
Warner Bros. has drawn the ire of many a cinephile about their decision to move their 2021 slate from the cinemas to their streaming platform HBO Max.
But why the vitriol from filmmakers the likes of Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve? Full disclaimer: I'm a fan of both directors, having watched all but one of their released films to date. They have done remarkably well for themselves by having their film concepts financed by the studio. In fact, when some studios choose to play safe with pre-sold products made to the order of the masses as though it were paint-by-numbers, Warner Bros. stuck their proverbial necks out and handed over budgets in excess of $250 million for original stories with head-scratching narratives designed to appeal to the ‘snobs’ or ‘elitists’ of filmgoers. They gave Nolan carte blanche, and yet, the decision to move their slate to their streaming platform so audiences can watch their films during a pandemic when most cinema chains are shut, has Nolan scream bloody murder from the rooftops. Here’s what Nolan has to say once he found out what was happening:
“Some of our industry’s biggest filmmakers and most important movie stars went to bed the night before thinking they were working for the greatest movie studio and woke up to find out they were working for the worst streaming service,”
Nolan further added, as if spitting in their faces wasn’t enough:
“Warner Bros. had an incredible machine for getting a filmmaker’s work out everywhere, both in theaters and in the home, and they are dismantling it as we speak. They don’t even understand what they’re losing. Their decision makes no economic sense, and even the most casual Wall Street investor can see the difference between disruption and dysfunction.”
This is the man who insisted his film Tenet be released during the height of the pandemic when few screens were still operational. For a film that cost $250 million, and will need to double its money to break even (cinema chains eventually end up with roughly 50% of the cost of a ticket stub by the end of a film’s run) and that does not count for marketing, which would be in excess of $100 million, Nolan seems to be a bit short-sighted. The film grossed $359 million worldwide (only $57 million from the U.S.) – well short of breaking even! It lost money. Nolan’s insistence lost the studio money. Before anyone bashes the statement here, consider the ramifications of that on other filmmakers and crew members. Studios will no longer make these ‘original’ films if they lose money. They will no longer invest in new talent. They will no longer offer opportunities for others. WE lose out as spectators. Choice of what to watch will be removed and instead replaced with formulaic driven content. The expression, ‘never bite the hand that feeds you’ springs to mind when I came across this story when the news broke out that Warner Bros. was moving 17 films to HBO Max.
Even more cynicism tells me that Nolan's gripe is subconsciously rooted in his backend points he's bound to lose out on based on box office takings!
Denis Villeneuve recently wrote in Variety:
“With this decision, AT&T [Warner Bros.' parent] has hijacked one of the most respectable and important studios in film history. There is absolutely no love for cinema, nor for the audience here.”
With all due respect Mr. Villeneuve, you do not speak for me as an audience member! You sir took one of the most boring films I thought couldn’t be made worse and did the unthinkable, wasting 3 hours of my life – at the cinema I might add – to watch the mind-numbingly, over bloated, self-congratulatory bore fest that was Blade Runner 2049. Go ahead, do your worst and tell me how wrong I am! The opening sequence, just like the opening sequence to the original were the only moments in either film to hold my interest. The rest, meh!
Now to be even more clear, these films in 2021 are still going to be released theatrically, but also on HBO Max the same day. They will be streamed for one month on HBO Max before being removed to continue its theatrical run. Warner Bros. has given audiences the choice – finally! The choice to watch when they want, where and on what to access the content. Times have changed. Anyone who knows me will know how much value I place on cinema. My first ever memory was of my first cinema experience to watch Superman 2 for Chrissakes! You can read about that piece here.
Trust me when I say, I dearly love the cinema experience. However, technology has changed drastically over the years to the point where the experience I love so much can be replicated almost as easily from the comfort of your own home without the distractions of nob-heads kicking your chair behind you, or selfish twats grabbing the biggest rustling bag of chips right when the film is about to start. Munching their way through Doritos, or stinking up the place with rank hotdogs while you’re trying to immerse yourself into the film is not the kind of experience I want when I watch a film. The cinema experience has changed all right. But not for the better in my opinion. I welcome the move to streaming from Warner Bros.
The argument could be that cinema is an artform. These films should be experienced as the director intended. To some extent I can agree. I discussed the idea of cinema as a science or artform here. Personally, I consider it to be an artform. But it is up to the spectator who pay their money and put these filmmakers up on their pedestal. Without us they have no voice. There’s a power shift… and audiences, dare I say, will come out on top in this digital age.
The only drawback I see about all of this, is the thousands of jobs from those that work in cinemas, should cinemas become no more. However, instead of over-bloated budgets, monies from studios can be directed towards programmes to help nurture talent, and those working customer service jobs in these cinema houses can affiliate with such programmes. Or perhaps cinema chains can be more like arthouse cinemas, part funded by studios who would normally pay astronomical fees for 'star' salaries, and instead 'donate' or 'sponsor' these chains. A win-win for all!
Oh, and by the way, the largest cinema-going demographic is the 16-24 age range. I do not belong in that bracket anymore. I have young children too. I don't have the time or financial luxuries that Villeneuve and Nolan cry foul about in terms of who he deems is the audience. If a film is streaming, there's a great deal more chance I will 'experience' their films from there. At least I will have seen it – isn't that good enough?
Now, where’s Wonder Woman 1984 – give me access to HBO Max, Warner Bros.!
Nolan’s latest, Tenet is out now on DVD – I have asked for it for Christmas to which end I will post my review on Cinnamon Video once I’ve seen it.
As for Villeneuve, his latest ‘opus’, Dune is due for release on October 1st 2021 (theatrically AND on HBO Max). for what it’s worth, I really did enjoy Arrival and Prisoners (both of which I went to the cinema to watch).
In the meantime, let me know your thoughts on Nolan’s comments. Do you agree with him? Do you prefer to watch from home, on your mobile device or tablet? Does it matter to you about watching film at the cinema?
Header photo by Markus Winkler on unsplash.
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