The Player

The Player was a definite improvement from the previous film. The Player was directed by Robert Altman in 1992, written by Micheal Tolkin. It stars Tim Robbins as Griffin Mill, a studio executive who is being blackmailed by a dejected writer. Mill ends up killing a writer, who is not the one blackmailing him as it turns out. He ends up meeting the dead writer's girlfriend and they fall for each other, as Mill somehow avoids charges for the murder. It is a thriller with many qualities that lend themselves to film noir, including the very dark plot, overall sense of hopelessness, and especially Griffin Mill himself as the antihero. The story leaves us as the audience feeling very confused and uncomfortable. We are torn between wanting what is right and wanting the protagonist (and considering Mill I use this term very loosely) to get away with it.

One thing about the film that I thought was particularly interesting was the cinematography. Robert Altman was incredibly creative and clever with the way in which he used the camera to portray his satire of the industry. The first shot of this film is a long shot, a very long shot, talking about long shots. Clever huh? It is following Griffin Mill through the Hollywood lot showing what he does and who he is. The shot ends through a window to his office with him hearing movie pitches. It gives the view the feeling that they are actually there walking through the lot and simply peeking in on a conversation. It is a very effective way to grab the audiences' attention and affection from the get go. Another shot that was noticeable was the extreme close up on Griffin Mill's eyes showing the intense fear he had. It was almost a very cliché shot, however, it was executed so well by Altman and used so strategically that is somehow worked quite well.

One thing we have been discussing all semester in class is the theme within movies. All of the films that we have watched have been about the movie making industry. The Player in particular says something very strong about the business. Altman uses this movie to highlight the predictability of the business. It will never stick to reality, but will always end up compromising to appeal to the masses. Altman seems to think that studio executives and directors will always cop out and make safe, predictable movies where the hero gets the girl and there is a happy ending, which is not only the case in the movie Griffin pitched, but also in The Player itself. Mill lives happily ever after with his stolen girlfriend in a house with a white picket fence and gets off scot-free for a murder, plus his movie is a hit. Altman made a movie about movies and the struggle of the writers who write them and the producers who produce them. He seems to almost mock the audience saying that we could not accept reality in a movie ending but our feelings must be handled with care.