1/5
Olivia Colman stars in Empire of the Light. Photo by 20th Century Studios
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Empire of the Light, which opens in theaters Friday, could provide a glimpse of what movie theaters were like in the 80s. His portrayal of British society at the time was a bit more problematic, but the cinematography is strong. Hillary (Olivia Coleman) In 1980, she performed at the Empire Theater on the coast of England. She coaches Steven (Michael Ward) and the two develop a romantic relationship.
Anyone who has worked in a movie theater can identify with passers-by by telling them about things they find in the aisles. Hopefully, if you haven't already, you've seen how unique relationships work in unique cinema.
Hilary has a story about a "sleeper man" who struggled all night after the last scene. The whole process of opening a counter, pulling candies, loading film cans into viewing boxes, and how this art form served the masses for a century before digitization changed everything.
Hilary was so busy serving customers that she didn't even watch the movie. This is a very important point, albeit an extreme one.
There is a lot of shift work with a constant flow of subscribers, but the biggest plus of this work is watching movies on holidays.
Even the common practice of not allowing patrons to bring food into the theater is unusual. This rule may upset customers, but it's an argument that ticket buyers should always have, and it could be worse.
However, this is where the Empire of Light faltered. A customer who wanted to bring in fish and chips (a really dirty item) would rather be annoyed at being stopped by a black man than throw away the chips.
Writer-director Sam Mendes made a particular Hollywood blunder by portraying the racism of a middle-aged white woman. Hilary only learns about racism when the racists chase Stephen down the street and charge him for his fish and chip customers.
Thus, many white refugees in the UK or the United States may only be aware of the problems that blacks face. However, in 2022, linking Steven's story to Hillary will become unacceptable.
In the story of a black man, Stephen becomes the protagonist, balancing his love of cinema with the racist culture of England in the 1980s, where white people who first learned about racism in a sheltered life have to be secondary characters.
This film is intended to show how shocked Hilary is when she tries to protect Stephen. But still yes, giving Stephen a supporting role.
Hilary takes lithium to treat schizophrenia. The world of light does not serve his mental health story well, as his class seems to be secondary to the social ups and downs he has seen.
Empire of Light struggles to connect stories about racism, mental health, and romantic dramas. In real life, too, a mess, but the movie requires much more attention.
Fred Topple, who attended Ithaca College Film School, is a Los Angeles-based entertainment writer for UPI. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012. Learn more about his career in the entertainment industry.
