Or, an excuse to reference Bioshock in a Drama lesson. Your call.
Anyway, last post, I asked for some suggestions on possible contemporary monologues that I can perform tomorrow. Eventually, Andrew Ryan of Bioshock was brought up and I skimmed WikiQuote to find a suitable array of quotes that could be strung together into a feasible monologue of suitably academic length.
What I ended up with is this (Why the HELL does BBCode sporadically fail?):
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A man has a choice. I chose the impossible. I built a city where the artist would not fear the censor, where the great would not be constrained by the small, where a scientist would not be bound by petty morality. I chose to build....Rapture. But my city was betrayed by the weak. So I ask you, my friend...if your life's price was to kill the innocent, would you sacrifice your humanity? We all make choices...but in the end, our choices make us. What is the difference between a man and a parasite? A man builds, a parasite asks, 'Where's my share?' A man creates, a parasite says, 'What will the neighbors think?' A man invents, a parasite says, 'Watch out, or you might tread on the toes of God...
I believe in no God, no invisible man in the sky. God did not plant the seeds of this Arcadia. I did. But there is something more powerful in each of us, a combination of our efforts, a great chain of industry that unites us. But it is only when we struggle in our own interests that the chain pulls society in the right direction. The chain is too powerful and too mysterious for any government to guide. Any man who tells you differently either has his hand in your pocket or a pistol to your neck.
I am Andrew Ryan, and I'm here to ask you a question. Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow? 'No!' says the man in Washington, 'It belongs to the poor.' 'No!' says the man in the Vatican, 'It belongs to God.' 'No!' says the man in Moscow, 'It belongs to everyone.' I rejected those answers; instead, I chose something different. I chose the impossible. I chose...Rapture, a city where the artist would not fear the censor, where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality, where the great would not be constrained by the small! And with the sweat of your brow, Rapture can become your city, as well.
No Gods. No Kings. Only Men.
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It might get drastically shortened when I move to actually LEARN the thing, but in theory, that's what I'll be aiming for. A video might be uploaded tomorrow night, depending on if I DO manage to learn it, if I remember to get a friend to record it for me, if my phone functions and if I can find my USB cable.
So probably not.
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If it's for High School, it would probably be fine. Except all the mentions of God. Some schools are bitchy about God in the classroom, though this would probably be fine.
It's not, it's for a college in England, 2nd year Drama course, where the average age of students is 18. We're also a lot more liberal and accomodating of blasphemy than America is, I think.
We, for instance, can teach both creationism and evolution in our schools.
As far as I'm aware.
What will you be performing this for? In the right hands this could be an epic monologue worthy of an oscar. Of course, most of Bioshock is better than anything to come out of Hollywood this year, so that shouldn't be surprising.
It's a speech module in a BTEC National Diploma course. I needed to choose one clasical (Shylock from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice) and one contemporary monologue, to explore differences.
I was told that monologues from films were fine, so if my lecturer has any problem with a monologue from what I consider to be the most artistically sound game of the last 10 years, then I'll have an epic debate on my hands. But this SHALL be performed.
I doubt I'm quite oscar-worthy yet, but I'll give it a bash.
Good luck, if you can remember it all it should be very good.
Andrew Ryan was my favorite character from Bioshock, even when I hated him at the beginning he was great, amazing acting went into it.
Oh, ok then. America isn't so bad with it, just maniacs bitching one way or the other. The muslim population in my township keeps trying to stop the kids from wearing halloween costumes to school until 5th grade. No more costumes for the kids, they say it's evil. Fucking politics.
Oh that's nice. Very nice.
@EDS
Totally outlandish idea here, but why don't we build an underwater city where we can wear halloween costumes ALL YEAR ROUND?
That'd be so fucking awesome...
this has nothing to do with the games-art-debate. false advertising on the cblogs!
ever crossed your mind that this might be a little bit too pretentious? but good luck man... make sure to send ken the bill afterwards...
@xper
It does, if somewhat tenuously. For instance, as an aspiring actor, it's constantly drilled into me that I need two monologues memorised, to produce for auditions.
Now, these are traditionally from plays, books or, more recently, films. All forms of art, all represented in theatre. So, if I take this small step further and include a GAME in this broad spectrum of theatrical influence, surely that's a step towards games being classified as a legitimate art form, at least on par with films?
Also, I'm not sure it matters if its pretentious or not. The module's really about the delivery of the monologue, rather than its subject matter.
@ EDS
Brilliant idea!
No Muslims. No Anti-Satanists. Only Trick-or-Treaters.
Also, the title is totally false advertising.
Epic monologue is epic, I loves it!
Also, can I live in Trick or Treat City? That sounds like fun! IM GONNA DRESS UP LIKE A SPLICER! ITS JUST FOR PRETEND, I SWEAR!
now this doesn't concern games persay, its about storytelling. this particular story and written dialog just happens to find itself within a game. games have many artistic aspects (this being one of them), and thats why we're having this debate about this being an actual art form in itself (rather than a collection of artistic aspects).
many things divides games from other mediums, but the interactivity stands out the most. so if you consider interactivity to be an art form, then games are art. if you do not, they are not art. many other factors play important roles as well, but i just wanted to take an example.
You're right, xper. Interactivity DOES stand out the most. But what I'm suggesting here is that the artistic characteristics that you can find in games, as demonstrated here, create just as plausible a reasoning for games to be considered art. A point which you, yourself have just agreed with, as you're right once again, this particular story DOES happen to exist within a game.
That, to me, is the point. Storytelling is an art form and takes place in many games. This example can hopefully go on to prove that.
hm i see your point... i guess... its just that, you gotta break it down. just because games are similar to movies/books and have storytelling doesn't make them art just for the sake of it. ppfff i'm starting to confuse myself... but yeah, i think you're jumping to conclusions and making generalizations.
lets see if i got your argument right: if a game has an artistic aspect (be it the written word in the story, or the fancy graphics a lá bioshock or okami) it is art just because it has that ingredient?
Not on its own, no. But look at Bioshock. It has many elements. The most obvious, of course, is what's true for all games - The interactivity.
Add to that the storyline.
And the graphics.
AND the 'emotion' (created by atmosphere, and something that other art forms cannot exist without).
I might've been too vague. Perhaps it'd be better to say that SOME games are art. In the case of Bioshock, almost certainly, for ALL of the above elements, not a single one.
"Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow? 'No!' says the man in Washington, 'It belongs to the poor.' 'No!' says the man in the Vatican, 'It belongs to God.' 'No!' says the man in Moscow, 'It belongs to everyone.' I rejected those answers; instead, I chose something different. I chose the impossible. I chose...Rapture"
This was the most amazing monologue I had ever heard in a game, even if I disagree with it. I'd love to hear your director's reactions when you tell them it's from a video game.
Sounds sweet, as a Drama student myself (A level GCSE baby) the only thing I would say to watch out for is range. With that you coudl go from bold and proud to quiet and angry well.. so do!
Also, if you film this, I bet you can get your e-fame right up! :-)
toxicprince, consider yourself friended
however, just by that comment, "Perhaps it'd be better to say that SOME games are art", you made the argument that games are not art. they just happens to things that are established art forms in them. but this conversation will go on for ages... your point is as good as mine, and this will always be subjective.
i think we already have established games as art, just by this conversation, just need to get rid of them old people
It's got the bit about "artist would not fear the censor" twice; you'd have noticed that eventually, but I figured I'd bring it up.
Otherwise: awesome.