The Whole Equation: A History of Hollywood

The Whole Equation shouldn't work. It's written in a rambling style that is at times pompous, at times overly dismissive, and almost always self-indulgent. Additionally, Thomson tends to place much more importance on certain themes (like Nicole Kidman's performance in The Hours) than they deserve, thus bogging down the flow of the book. And yet, The Whole Equation does work. Once one get accustomed to the style, it's very clear that Thomson has married an intellectual's knowledge of the medium with a film lover's experience to create a history that is both informative and challenging. Particularly important are Thomson's ruminations on societal issues that motion pictures have impacted; like the increase in divorce rates, the power of celebrity, and the easy with which violence is seen as a viable (if not the only) option for dealing with disagreement. These ruminations make it clear that the strange mix of pretension and greed that fuels a movie's creation may not produce results that are beneficial to society. In the end, I was glad that my frustration with the writing style didn't overwhelm my appreciation for the book's themes. This book certainly isn't for everyone. But, for those looking for a new perspective on this topic, The Whole Equation will prove to be a worthy guide to that strangely powerful form of modern expression known as the motion picture.

As someone who has casually perused his monumentally encyclopedic "The New Biographical Dictionary of Film", I recognize author David Thomson for the deep well of cinema knowledge he obviously possesses. With an obviously fertile mind, he is able to discern filmmaking trends and styles others have not thought to synthesize in their thinking. His writing can get scholarly and sometimes off-putting, but for the most part, he is quite accessible. His latest book is a provocative and personable read of a macro-level subject one would think too onerous to capture adequately in one tome. Not only does he attempt to tell the history of Hollywood but how it has influenced the rest of society here and globally. Taken appropriately from a line in "The Last Tycoon", F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished roman à clef about legendary MGM production chief Irving Thalberg, the title refers to the delicate balance between movies as entertainment and the business side where the source of funds and the quest for profits affects how movies are made. In fact, as the practical facilitator between a struggling new studio and a monomaniacal director in danger of excessive cost overruns, Thalberg himself is the subject of an interesting essay on how he maintained this precarious balance during the intensely stressful filming of Erich von Stroheim's epic 1925 silent classic, "Greed". Spanning the generations since then, Thomson covers personalities ranging from D.W. Griffith to Nicole Kidman, and he is at his best when he focuses on the artistic side of the equation. For example, he opines knowledgeably that silent films were due to meet extinction because of the Victorian theatrics and stilted movements that were necessary to compensate for the lack of dialogue, even though others are adamant that silent films are a lost art. The author can also get curmudgeonly as in his assertion that screenwriter Robert Towne should have made "Chinatown" a novel rather than a movie script and thereby ignoring the virtues of the resulting film, which most people consider a modern classic. Tom Cruise would give Thomson, obviously not a fan of Method acting, a standing ovation for his opinion that Marlon Brando's dependence on psychiatry during the filming of "On the Waterfront" was a decidedly destructive force, but again the result would prove otherwise. Intriguingly, despite his passion for the films and personalities involved, it is the business side that receives the most emphasis in Thomson's treatise. He goes deeply into the studio structures and the functionaries who are needed to make these companies run and make a profit. In this spirit, he goes into the power struggles and scandals that are as much a part of the industry as the films themselves. It is really in these sections that the author gets somewhat dry and overly explanatory. Regardless, Thomson is always worth a read just to see the results of his erudite mind in full intellectual flight.

First off this is "A History of Hollywood" not "THE History of Hollywood." David Thomson isn't writing the chronological, straight-up, blow-by-blow account of Hollywood movies. "The Whole Equation" is an essay that takes as its question, "are Hollywood films ever art like a Beethoven symphony or a Picasso painting?" He says they are both more and less than that. More because American film captures the tension between wanting to make money and wanting to say something which allows for the unintentional to happen. That serendipity is wonderful when it works which isn't often. Less because there are always artistic compromises as someone is always looking at the budget and thinking about the profits. And unlike most film critics he is just fine with this tension. His argument is that to understand and appreciate American film, you have to understand that it's always about the money and about the art. That means it is never truly art in any pure way (but is any art truly pure?). To tell you the truth, I don't think the book succeeds that well on that level. He points out various people and their struggles with this dilemma through out the history of American film but he doesn't developed a coherent argument that builds on his initial insight. For me, that just didn't matter. What makes it a terrific read is that David Thomson knows and loves film. He writes with a adolescent thrill and openness about his subject that makes it fun and poetic. He uses the film "Chinatown" as his framing device and as that is my all-time favorite movie, I was in heaven. He is not a deep thinker but his book crackles with his delight in sensations whether of the movie theater, the audience, the actors, the costumes, the music, all of it. He constantly raises questions and throws out insights that just tumble onto each other until you realize that like watching a film, you must just suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride.

The Whole Equation is a study in one man's passion for, insight into and knowledge of Hollywood film history. Immediately upon having had the pleasure of hearing David Thomson speak (he was introducing a film that was part of a series inspired by "the Whole Equation") I raced to my nearest bookstore and invested in his latest work. It was money well spent. Thomson is a personable writer whose charm and wit sparkle throughout this book. He has strong opinions on films and directors that readers will sometimes differ with but maintain a healthy respect for. Thomson backs his attacks with reasons, not the kind of hit and run criticism that some film critics engage in. "The Whole Equation" is not a straight chronology of Hollywood as Thomson frequently digresses, fast forwards and expands on themes -- always with great results. There is also a delightful mixture of gossip (how could there not be in a book on Hollywood) which comes across more as history than he-said-she-said. Here is the story of "Chinatown" of Jean Harlow, Irving Thalberg, the black list, Michael Cimino Marlene Dietrich and so much more. Film lovers we'll be inspired. Inspired to learn even more about the movies and more importantly to want to see particular films whether for the first time or with a new appreciation. "The Whole Equation" is a thinking person's companion to a life long love of movies.

The Whole equation by David Thomson is basically as historical overview of Hollywood and the American filmmaking industry. Mr. Thomson is well placed to write such a book-his other "credits" include a biography of an 18th century novelist as well as one of Orson Welles, an history of an artic exploration and the all inclusive "The New Biographical Dictionary of Film". The whole equation is an extremely well written and absorbing account of the film industry including, on one side of the equation, the artistic elements of writing, acting and directing, and on the other side of the equation, the bottom line businessmen-the studio chiefs, the producers, agents and assorted bean counters. Mr. Thomson does not shine his spotlight only on the success stories. He chronicles the rise and fall of several key talents-some well now, some obscure-through all the various means of descent-failure of inspiration, life-styles of enormous excess, bad career management, overrun ego and the nefarious tyrannies of studio chiefs. He also traces the many arcs of success and the juxtaposition of the two often illustrates how often luck---both good and bad-affects trajectories in Hollywood. This book has a bit of something for everyone. Although written with a novelistic flair, the book adheres to an historian's discipline. It has the "names" one would expect and interesting biographical datum on many great Hollywood personalities. It does a very nice job of providing a vivid picture of how the film industry operates. The book is both informative and fun to read. A great book for film junkies.