In fact, I've already said at least twice that he does

I'm not saying it's all on the audience's shoulders, or that it's even 50/50 all the time.

And I will concede that film has that very power you described, over people as well as other mediums - except for maybe comic books, which is even more of a 'director's medium' than film : )


I mean, like I said over in the WTC post, I share your apprehension. I think your questions and concerns are very valid, and I would hope that EVERYONE would ask these very same questions you're presenting here (we won't all come up with the same answer necessarily, but at least we'd be asking). I wish more of us had been asking these kinds of questions 5 years ago.

The only place you and I really diverged was that I wasn't seeing where you were putting any faith in the audience to make up their own minds at some point. Which registered to me as dangerous thinking. I respect your faith in the power of stories, but if it's at the expense of your faith in the power of the people, well then, I dunno...

But you've acknowledged the audience bears at least some responsibility, and I'm hopefully making it clear that I feel Stone bears some as well. So um, I guess we're cool?