They didn't go after the notion of politically engaged art! The movie is about the politically engaged artist being hired away by Hollywood and losing his soul. Wow, the whole concept of "selling out" as a storyline really has become that opaque, huh?
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Replying to @carlzoilus @peligrietzer
Are you suggesting Wallace Beery wrestling picture's aren't political art???!!????
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Surely they're treating the notion of "selling out"—and the idea that Fink's political art is any good at all—with irony, though?
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Sure, they're treating everything with irony because they're the Coen Bros. They tell their selling-out story ironically to avoid any risk they could in turn sell out by having something sincere to lose. Simple 90s-culture math.
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I think that's one layer of it but I feel like it's impossible not to read Barton (and by extension Clifford Odets) as a deluded buffoon, and his fear of selling out as a red herring. I think they were ahead of the "selling out is actually ok" cultural curve!
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I think it's smarter to bet the Coens loved & respected Clifford Odets and thought it would be a great tribute to write a version of him as a deluded buffoon. (The Llewyn Davis parallel is good: It would be misreading that movie to say it's about how dumb folk music was.)
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Fair, but I think Fink is much more obviously satirized than Davis
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Replying to @evankindley @carlzoilus and
also Davis (as far as I can recall?) is apolitical; that appears to be one of the things they like about him?
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Davis literally doesn't know what a Shachtmanite is. Not sure if we're supposed to admire that -- it's part of him being isolated and misanthropic.
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Hmm not sure… it could just be a sign of him not getting caught up in pedantic micro-distinctions? (Cards on the table, I don't know what a Shactmanite is either)
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Well if you were in a union (as Davis tries to be) or part of political music circle in early 60s you'd know what a Shachtmanite is! The point is Davis is a natural isolate, a loner, which cuts him off from solidarity of music & politics (he lost partner & refuses to join band)
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Yeah I agree with your point about his characterization, just uncertain about implied authorial attitude
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I don't think isoalted individualism or separatism is something they admire -- there positive characters always participate in fellowship (in family or collaborative efforts).
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