Film Talk: "Exit Through the Gift Shop"

I tend to go through extended periods where I'm not particularly inclined to watch documentaries, if only because my attention span doesn't seem to want to permit it, but I broke my streak with "Exit Through the Gift Shop."  I've finally jumped on the Netflix bandwagon, so I think you can reasonably expect an increase in film reviews/discussions on this blog, especially as I go to heroic lengths to avoid homework.

This film was so intriguing on several levels, I literally couldn't look away from it.  I've thought Banksy is a genius for a while now (I did a research piece on him for a class a few months ago), but seeing the influence of his work as well as the breadth of the street art movement was just plain cool.  I love the idea that this secretive, subversive community exists and is doing such interesting work despite the increased threat of arrest.  But the aspect of the film that I think really appealed to the casual viewer in me was the focus on Thierry Guetta, the cameraman who filmed hours upon hours of street artists doing their work, initially without any intention of actually making a film.  I loved what he had to say about the value of capturing moments on camera, of preserving his memories because he'll never see them the same way again-- there was something just beautifully striking about that, and it made me agree with Banksy, who at the film's beginning says that when he met the man hoping to make a documentary about him, he found Guetta to be much more interesting than himself.

And of course, I loved it just because the entire concept of street art appeals to my inner anarchist.  I wholeheartedly believe that street art should be allowed and even encouraged, especially if the people doing it are talented or spreading a message.  No, I don't think some forms of it are necessary (I think people writing their names or making a mess for the sake of it, for instance, should stop wasting their time), but on the whole I think art needs to be more liberated in this way.  There is less and less emphasis on it in the public school system, especially in this country, and it saddens me to think that every time we suppress an aspiring creative, we miss out on the full realization of his or her talent and potential for greatness.

I'm not sure how I felt about the last third or so of the film, which focused on Guetta's foray into the world of street art.  His attempts to emulate Banksy rapidly spiraled into what felt largely like a ploy for attention and money, which of course goes against everything the movement he's spent the film documenting is about.  Yes, Banksy and fellow street artist Shepard Fairy sounded more than a little resentful in their commentaries on the huge success of Guetta's show, but can you blame them?  They must have been feeling how I felt when Snooki got a book deal, or how musicians feel when people like Rebecca Black strike it rich with no talent.  It's just a disappointment, and I think Banksy summed it up best when he said it made him question whether art is just a joke.  As much as Guetta's change in attitude bothered me, I did like that the film ended here, on a note of uncertainty.