Recently, actressNatalie Portmansat down withVanity Fairto talk about her career and what she saw as the state of film in society today. It was a fascinating look through the eyes of a person who has been acting since she was old enough to speak. Her insights into the state of the industry shed new light on how insiders and audiences are approaching film in the age of social media.
One of the most revealing parts of the interview was when Portman took time to reflect on the changing state of media and how audience perception and attention have changed. She put a new spin on a narrative everyone has taken for granted but deserves her more modern take.
Portman Notices the Lack of Movie Stars
Entertainment is an ever-evolving piece of culture. What we choose to occupy ourselves with as a form of escapism says a lot about where we are. What started as simple storytelling by fireturned into books, music, radio, television, movies, and now a variety of social media outlets. Each time there is a significant change, the previous generation often laments the “loss” of what they see as the one true art form. It happens with music more than anything else. We see people talking about classic rock or old-school rap compared to modern music as if it were a harbinger of the end of days. However, Portman has a different viewpoint when it comes to film. She said,
“The striking thing has been the decline of film as a primary form of entertainment. If you ask someone my kids’ age about movie stars, they don’t know anyone compared to YouTube stars or whatever.”
And she’s right. It is a true form of the “kids today” argument. But not in the way that people lament the loss of media. In fact, it is her way of saying that things naturally change. Consider the fact that Generation Z spends an average offour hours a dayon social media. At the same time, they are only spending just under two hours on streaming TV and movies. In addition, as far back as 2022, Gen Z was actively going to movies in theaters even less,with Statista showingthat 29% said they went less than 1-2 times per year. It is not simply Portman’s opinion. It is a stone-cold fact.
Natalie Portman Talks About Taking a Provocative Scene a Bit Too Far in May December
Natalie Portman discusses her acting process to MovieWeb during a suggestive scene in Todd Haynes’ film, May December.
What the Decline of Film Means
“There’s a liberation to it, in having your art not be a popular art. You can really explore what’s interesting to you. It becomes much more about passion than about commerce.”
Studios continue to pump out terrible content right beside their groundbreaking work. They have done it for decades, and it once powered an entire industry. You have a fewOscar-worthy filmsmixed in with your “they’ll show up anyway” movies scattered throughout the year. But now, with fewer people actually showing up and even less planning on doing so, film is becoming something of a different beast.
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Instead of banking on tentpole films that nobody wants to watch, some studios are banking on more exploratory films—the kinds of things that make people ponder a great story. The kinds of movies where people don’t show up for the actor; they show up for the story and the characters. It is no longer “Natalie Portman in "; it is now “_ starring a cast of characters.” And there’s nothing wrong with that.
What the Decline of Film Means for Actors
Something is to be said for being talented, working a job you love, and being allowed to stay out of the spotlight. For generations, Hollywood has been a giantgroup of working actorspropping up a few talented and beautiful people. These people are put on huge pedestals by the press and the public, which hampers their ability to choose certain projects to which they may have felt a connection. But without the peering eyes of the public, nothing is stopping them from getting their hands dirty on projects that deserve their attention. If you’re not constantly vying for awards, you may do what you love and say, “Forget the general public; I’m doing this because I think it is worth my time and the time of people who truly love the art.” Portman added,
“I think all of these art forms, when they become less popularized, you have to start being like, ‘OK, who are we making this for anymore?'”
And therein lies the true meaning of any performance, popular or otherwise. Who is your audience? Is it millions of people who want to sit on their couches and fast-forward through your best speeches? Or is it a handful of people who want to go to a theater and see something new and exciting without it being reviewed, stamped, audience-polled, andCGI-ed into the ground? There are plenty of reasons to applaud the decline of film and the rise of social media worship. Natalie Portman is just giving us some of the best.Natalie Portman’s latest film,May December, is streaming now on Netflix.
