THE PLOT THUS FAR
An art instructor and an English teacher form a rivalry that ends up with a competition at their school in which students decide whether words or pictures are more important.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Words and Pictures” was a quiet little film that snuck up on me. I was supposed to review it theatrically in the Spring, but baby stuff happened. What we see here is a steady battle between which forms of communication matter to the world. Text vs. imagery is a battle that exists everywhere online and I have to fight with it daily. I believe that web visitors need to learn to appreciate giant walls of text instead of the latest meme generator that craps out eye candy. Many of my contemporaries want to staple image after image to your eyelids. While each approach has its benefits, I feel that taking one over the other betrays my sensibilities. Much like the characters in the film until they start making out.
There aren’t a ton of movies that tackles academia in the way that this film has achieved. The passion shown in each scholar’s field of interest in inspiring, as it almost makes their personal love story fall into the background. I love seeing and hearing people discuss that which they love and then seeing that passion get a chance to reach others. Sure, Tom Schulman’s work on “Dead Poets Society” took that material to its apex. That being said, there is room to have something like this exist in a romantic context. Passion in any form can inspire the senses.
The DVD comes with commentary and a featurette as the special features. The A/V Quality is sharp for a quiet drama. The 1080p transfer is crisp. Plus, the DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track doesn’t drop a word of dialogue. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.
RELEASE DATE: 09/09/2014