Making Lists
May. 15th, 2026 08:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
poliphilo So, when you're drawing up a list of 100 best novels, or movies or whatever, do you let your heart or your head rule you?
I guess for most people it's a bit of both.
The head has to have it's say. If I'm drawing up a list of great movies I'm unlikely to include some piece of fluff that I love for no better reason than I watched it on a first date. Let's see, I love The Alamo, John Wayne's version- because it obsessed me when I was a kid- and I really, really wanted to be Laurence Harvey- but I'm mainstream enough to recognise that it's not exactly a cinematic milestone.
On the other hand a list ruled entirely by the head would have to include all sorts of things I don't like at all but know to be culturally important. For instance a list of great movies would have to include Battleship Potemkin- a film I consider downright nasty- crudely manipulative, dishonest- and a list of novels arrived at in that way would have to include something by Sir Walter Scott- who I find unreadable.
But the more heart we allow into the equation the more our lists are going to disagree. Subjectivity takes over, objectivity goes out the window.
I've already given you my number one novel. My number one movie is Powell and Pressburger's A Canterbury Tale.
So bite me!
I guess for most people it's a bit of both.
The head has to have it's say. If I'm drawing up a list of great movies I'm unlikely to include some piece of fluff that I love for no better reason than I watched it on a first date. Let's see, I love The Alamo, John Wayne's version- because it obsessed me when I was a kid- and I really, really wanted to be Laurence Harvey- but I'm mainstream enough to recognise that it's not exactly a cinematic milestone.
On the other hand a list ruled entirely by the head would have to include all sorts of things I don't like at all but know to be culturally important. For instance a list of great movies would have to include Battleship Potemkin- a film I consider downright nasty- crudely manipulative, dishonest- and a list of novels arrived at in that way would have to include something by Sir Walter Scott- who I find unreadable.
But the more heart we allow into the equation the more our lists are going to disagree. Subjectivity takes over, objectivity goes out the window.
I've already given you my number one novel. My number one movie is Powell and Pressburger's A Canterbury Tale.
So bite me!
