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Believe It

rbdetsport

By rbdetsport
in Detroit

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Jonzo Unincorporated Area

Jonzo

Posted
Posted

Oh c'mon. If anything this might help the city. Everybody knows that Detroit is in bad shape. Atleast this could make people more aware of the city. These people don't want to hurt the city in any way shape or form.

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Jonzo Unincorporated Area

Jonzo

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Okay not help it physically, but it's definatley not going to hurt the city in any way. The way that you talked about it you made it sound like it would be the end of the world. The people who made it love Detroit and they want to make people more aware. People already have bad opinions about the city so it's not like this film is going to lower their impressions. Atleast by watching this film people will realize that the city wasn't always the way it is today.

I went to Rackham on campus at 8:30 so I could see the movie and it was all full.. :( It's a shame because I really wanted to see it and I'm doing a term paper on the city. I found a scheduale though and they should be showing it again next week. It looks good.

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Wordsmith Whistle-Stop

Wordsmith

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We went up there this evening as well, and the place was packed. They said to come back at ten-thirty but didn't give us tickets. We came back early hoping to find a way to squeeze in but couldn't. Next weeks show is sold out as well. Everyone recognizes this as completely unexpected and though I didn't get to see it I hope it raises awareness, especially with all of the suburban people in the audience.

I also saw Sen. Carl Levin! Stood right behind him in the hallway while they tried to get him in. There weren't a lot of people upstairs so it's not like his "cover" was blown. I was too much of a chicken to speak to him though, I should have at least told him that I voted for him. Ah, name recognition at its finest.

WS

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GRCentro Hamlet

GRCentro

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Due to popular demand, U of M is showing "Detroit: Ruin of a City" again this Friday, the 25th at 7:00 PM. That screening at the Rackham Amphitheatre is already full, so they have decided to offer still a further screening at 7:30 PM in the auditorium of Natural Sciences Building. To reserve seats send a request to:

[email protected]

State the number of tickets and the name you would like them held under. Tickets can be picked up between 6:30 and 7:15 PM on Friday outside the Natural Science Auditorium.

I'll be sure to write up my opinion of the film after the screening.

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GRCentro Hamlet

GRCentro

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Posted

I saw "Detroit: Ruin of a City" which was shown to another compacity crowd last night at UofM. The co-director, George Steinmetz, said a few words beforehand. Due to some controversy, he wanted to clarify a couple things: 1) The title is not intended to bash Detroit, but is simply a play off the title of the conference for which it was created, "The Ruin of Modernity." 2) And the film itself, is not intending either to bash Detroit, nor provide any solutions. It is simply intended to spark questions and provide a historical analysis of how Detroit went from an industrial power-house to the case-study of urban decline.

Some of the observations include:

- Fordism, it seems, both built and broke the city. Obviously enough, the economy, fueled almost entirely by the auto industry was dropped on its face when the industries left. And even now, when Detroit is home to several major headquarters (i.e. GM and Compuware), the jobs and money skip right over the city from the gleaming skyscapers and go elsewhere.

- In addition, the Ford era created an intentionally divided city. It was suggested that Detroit was and, still is, the most segregated city in North America. The devestating riots of 1943 and 1967 are shown as examples of exploding racial tension.

- Adding to this, of course, was the invention of the highways and suburbs, and the enormous white flight and urban sprawl. It was said that the car is the enemy of cities. European cities were already well established before the automobile, but American cities, and most especially Detroit, had to grow up along-side it.

- Because of this, the tax base suddenly disappeared outside the city limits. Without sufficient revenue, planning suffered. A city planner stated (the most memorable quote I took away from the film), "Planning took a backseat to development." That is, standards of development weren't enforced because the city so desperately needed anything they could get a hold of.

- The city's image suffers as well. It is notoriously known as the case-study of urban decline and is unflatteringly represented in Hollywood.

- French sociologist, Loic Wacquant made his first vist to Detroit in the film. His initial response, "as a European," is shock. The Michigan Central depot he says, "is it monument to political impotence." Later, he can scarly believe he is in the heart of a major metropolitan city upon viewing the innumeral abandoned buildings and vacant lots. He emphasizes that what is happing to Detroit "is not a natural process." Furthermore, "An American city of 1 million whites would have never been allowed to get to this level of disintegration."

The film as a whole is set on a left-leaning, European viewpoint (and only naturally so, as it is made in collaboration with an English university and the most vocal star is Wacquant). The main stab is against industry for its part in creating an environment of individualism and segreation, encouraging the means by which many whites escaped the city, and finally, for abandoning what it had started. The snowball effect brings declined revenue, poor planning, a declining population, and in short, a poor city.

Apart from a few instances of sloppy editing and an intentionally annoying, repetitive soundtrack, I enjoyed this film. I would like to see it again in order to fully appreciate its content. Although I am not able to declare its truth because I have in no personal experience in Detroit, I do believe the film makes some valid points. It should be seen by everyone with interests in the improvement of the Motor City and anyone with interests in urban development on any level. I would be interested to hear the opinion of someone with a Detroit perspective.

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Allan Metropolis

Allan

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Posted

Thanks for the info ^

Allan, don't worry about not seeing the movie, I can rent it out from the F&VL and give it to you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ok. I'm not in any big hurry to see it. I have way too many other things going on in my life right now to worry about. I need a break from life....
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