Comments on: Cameron vs. Tolkien – A tale of two storytellers http://whatwouldtotowatch.com/2009/12/24/cameron-vs-tolkien-a-tale-of-two-storytellers/ Movie reviews from award-winning journalist Christian Toto Tue, 27 Dec 2011 04:55:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: John http://whatwouldtotowatch.com/2009/12/24/cameron-vs-tolkien-a-tale-of-two-storytellers/comment-page-1/#comment-29248 John Sat, 28 Aug 2010 02:01:44 +0000 http://whatwouldtotowatch.com/?p=5412#comment-29248 The sad thing is that Cameron knows that talking can't solve some problems: "Listen, and understand. That terminator is out there. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead." "I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." Newt: "My mommy always said there were no monsters - no real ones - but there are." Ripley: "Yes, there are, aren't there?" Newt: "Why do they tell little kids that?" Ripley: "Most of the time it's true." Cameron understands what monsters are and that they can't be reasoned with but apparently doesn't believe that people can be monsters. The sad thing is that Cameron knows that talking can’t solve some problems:

“Listen, and understand. That terminator is out there. It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.”

“I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.”

Newt: “My mommy always said there were no monsters – no real ones – but there are.”
Ripley: “Yes, there are, aren’t there?”
Newt: “Why do they tell little kids that?”
Ripley: “Most of the time it’s true.”

Cameron understands what monsters are and that they can’t be reasoned with but apparently doesn’t believe that people can be monsters.

]]> By: John http://whatwouldtotowatch.com/2009/12/24/cameron-vs-tolkien-a-tale-of-two-storytellers/comment-page-1/#comment-29247 John Sat, 28 Aug 2010 01:53:31 +0000 http://whatwouldtotowatch.com/?p=5412#comment-29247 In Japanese, "wakarimasu" means "I understand" but it pointedly does not mean "I agree with you". Unfortunately, many Americans have been led to believe that "I understand you" automatically means "I agree with you", but it doesn't, and this cultural quirk has caused problems for American businessmen in Japan who hear "I understand" and interpret it as "I agree with you". What it often means is simply, "I understand your position and concerns and you can stop flapping your lips now." The reality is that one person can fully understand another person's position and concerns and still not agree with them and that's why talking through problems quite often doesn't work. And the sooner Americans can jettison their false belief that "I understand you" and "I agree with you" are the same thing, the better off we'll be, especially dealing with other cultures that know they aren't the same thing. In Japanese, “wakarimasu” means “I understand” but it pointedly does not mean “I agree with you”. Unfortunately, many Americans have been led to believe that “I understand you” automatically means “I agree with you”, but it doesn’t, and this cultural quirk has caused problems for American businessmen in Japan who hear “I understand” and interpret it as “I agree with you”. What it often means is simply, “I understand your position and concerns and you can stop flapping your lips now.” The reality is that one person can fully understand another person’s position and concerns and still not agree with them and that’s why talking through problems quite often doesn’t work. And the sooner Americans can jettison their false belief that “I understand you” and “I agree with you” are the same thing, the better off we’ll be, especially dealing with other cultures that know they aren’t the same thing.

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