In the 1880s, telegraphs were supposed create total communication, annihilate distance and end war. Now we take an artsy, pseudo-intellectual look at what has happened since then. When this opened with clips from over 200 films and actors I was encouraged because I recognized many of them ("Battleship Potemkin," Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, Lillian Gish); sadly, optimism doesn't keep a person awake...
Here are some of our impressions:
- It was didactic without being intellectual.
- It ended five times without having the decency to turn up the lights and let us exit the theater.
- They tried to be profound but ended up shallow, repetitious and boring.
- Examples of early telecommunications: telegraphs, radio, movies and television, have all been described in far more interesting ways.
- I had a good nap.