The Classics -- Films, books, etc

[dimber]

Debussygirl I absolutely agree with you!!! You wouldn't believe how ignorant young people can be these days...it's sad but true.
For example, some of my Ph.D fellows (Ph.D fellows, not some college freshman!!!!!) has never read Shakespeare's historical dramas...now, if you are a common reader you'd probably be uninterested in them but if you are a Ph.D candidate in English and Postcolonial literature, even if you're expertise is contemporary Aussie lit, how could you possibly be ignorant about something like that? This is really really sad...people don't read anymore and, I regret to say, books like Twilight don't help at all.
I love Twilight and I think one of its merit is that to make young people read - which is really really good. Yet, it has the demerit to make them used to a kind of light, plain prose. Most of the teens who adore Twilight are disgusted by the rich prose of classics such as Wuthering Heights's and Pride and Prejudice's. This is not good for literature, in my opinion...what do you think?

[fanMNM]

dimber...I can understand why you feel this way. On one hand, it's great to have today's youth so excited about literature, but it does not always work in encouraging them to read the classics....

I don't know why, but I grew up appreciating modern books as well as Shakespeare and other classics...the rich prose is sooo awesome and beautiful! What I wouldn't give to have my husband say such romantic words (LOL)! Unfortuntely, many of my students (I'm a teacher...) see classic literature and it's prose as corny, sappy...boring. I've been working on many of them, trying to get them to see why that isn't true and I've noticed that a lot of their view on it has to do with the "I want it now" part of this generation...instant gratification. They don't want to go thru all those words to say "I think you are beautiful" or "I love you" or even "I hate you". I'm still at a loss on how to get across the awesome ability it takes to be able to come up with lines like those you find in Shakepeare's works.

[debussygirl]

Dimber I can see how you can think that. My generation is pretty much just stupid (I think we are anyways). But the sad fact of the matter is, all of the people in my generation who can't appreciate good classics are just like that, no matter if they read Twilight or not. Even reading something like Twilight is a huge step for some of them. Although most girls even now still do like Austen....well, the ones smart enough to understand her anyway.

[fanMNM]

Reading thru these posts just made me remember years ago when Baz Lerhman's Romeo and Juilet came out (the one with Leo DiCaprio) and I went to see it with a group of friends. I had to sit between two of them and explain what they were saying because they couldn't understand the lines!! I remember thinking, "wow...I know it's different but to not understand what's going on at all....craziness!"

[debussygirl]

More depressing news. Two depressing newses actually.
First, at school today we were having a Battle of the Sexes thing and we had to write down a few girly questions the guys couldn't answer. So I write a question about Colin Firth, and the girl next to me doesn't know who that is. I tell her that he played Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. And she said, "Who?" I then asked her if she had even heard of Pride and Prejudice and she said no. I am in an AP class now. *shakes head*
Then at volleyball today we were outside and this kid on a bike is ringing his bell so I say, "Teacher says every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings." My entire team looks at me like I'm crazy. I say, "It's a Wonderful Life? Jimmy Stewart?" Nothing. So I can't believe it and I say, "It's the most famous Christmas movie ever!" And one of my teammates replies, "No it's not." Um, yeah it is. Well, at least my coach had heard of it.

[navarre]

Classic films - The Portrait of Dorian Gray. Angela Lansbury was in this one and it was fantastic.
The Manchurian Candidate - original (Frank Sinatra & Angela Lansbury)
The original Robin Hood with Errol Flynn
Jezebel, The Letter, All About Eve - Bette Davis starring.
Gone With The Wind - of course.
Laura - Gene Tierney
The Thin Man series - hysterical and the most witty dialogue ever!

Classic book - I had forgotten that I had read this book soooo long ago - Les Miserables'

[who_needs_fangs?]

debussygirl/Jenna,

Those idiots don't know what Breakfast at Tiffany's is, or the (arguably) greatest Christmas films ever? Next thing you know, they'll have no idea what the first four lyrics to "L-O-V-E' are.

[debussygirl]

That's the one by Nat King Cole right? "L is for the way you look at me" That one?

[who_needs_fangs?]

Yes! Thank goodness somebody in my age group knows it.

[debussygirl]

Yay! I was worried there was another old song out there that was similar to Nat King Cole's Love and I was just being an idiot.
And Naureen I'm glad you know about It's and Wonderful Life and Breakfast and Tiffany's too. We need to start a revival of the classics in our generation. To Unitedness!