Michael Bay: A True Auteur

Michael Bay is successful for a very good reason, despite what people like to think.
The arguments against Bay always boil down to the same things:

• He makes movies primarily for money
• The stories are shallow and superficial
• And the action is too fast, too close, too chaotic and too confusing…

…yet his films consistently make tons of money.

Why would so many people keep going back to the Movie Theater time and time again to see terrible movies made by the same terrible Director?

Okay, I know people still go to the Theater once a year to see The Room, but you know that’s not the kind of movie Michael Bay is known for.

A very reliable source–

(Robotic Mutant Alien Turtle Cops)

–told me that back when Michael Bay was in Film School, while all the other students were off making their Art Films and Dramas for their film projects, Bay was busy shooting High Concept Commercial-style films with fast sports cars and gorgeous women.

The one time that he tried his hand at “serious drama” was with Pearl Harbor, and we all know that didn’t work out because he has no soul and doesn’t understand real emotions.

So this guy has always worked with high concepts and fast action, but does that make him a bad filmmaker?

If you are someone who feels that film is purely an Art form that should only be populated by the likes of Scorsese and Von Trier then yeah, I guess he’s bad.
But I argue for the point that Film is a vast medium, and almost everything has its place and purpose.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with Movies as a Business and a Craft instead of Art.

Michael Bay is a Commercial success because for him, movies are a Commercial Craft, and he is a great Craftsman.
His movies may not have the deepest substance, but he is truly a master of directing Action.
I know people disagree because they say the fight scenes in Transformers are too close and confusing to follow, but personally I’ve never had that problem.

Ultimately, Michael Bay knows who he is.
Now, with all of this in mind… WE ALL know who he is.
Stop going to movies made or heavily influenced by Michael Bay and expecting something other than what Michael Bay does.
You know better.
You know if you like his films or not.
They’re not going to change.

– Come talk to me on Mastodon or Twitter

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