Serious art

There was a time when films had the same status as video games do now in our mainstream culture. When the medium was young, films were not considered serious art. They were novelties. Even the landmark 1903 narrative film The Great Train Robbery ended with a shocking, violent stunt -- a gunman pointed his weapon at the camera (you!) and pulled the trigger. Ha ha! Neat!

But not serious.

Movies just gave you a cheap, quick thrill. They were not viewed in an atmosphere of sober contemplation. Like today's arcade video games, you would even drop a coin into a slot to see some of them while you were out getting drunk, eating candy and doing other frivolous things. No doubt, back then many people would have had a difficult time imagining that movies would ever be considered a serious form of art, capable of exploring life's most important challenges with depth and meaning.

The nickelodeon? As serious a form of expression as the theatre? Horsefeathers!

At that time in history, it would have been difficult to be a filmmaker trying to push style and genre boundaries beyond the novelty obsessions of the day. One would have faced a totally unjustified prejudice against the form itself.

Today video game creators have to deal with same ignorance. When presented with only these bare facts...

A film about the Columbine massacre.

A video game about the Columbine massacre.

...some people are certain that the first could be serious art, but the second could not possibly be.

But there is no reason to take these people seriously. Horsefeathers, I say.