How Does A Film Become Highly Acclaimed?

[Less]

I fell asleep in front of the Television, (something I can do very easily these days), on waking in the early hours of the morning there was one of these 'high brow' discussion programmes on.
These people were discussing what they described as a Highly Acclaimed, film called Walkabout.

Now this film came out in the early seventies, I used to go to the cinema on a regular basis back then and I remember sitting through about two hours of tedium which was that film.

http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movie...ml?v_id=115855

The above link will take you to a few clips to the film.

The plot ran something like this:-

Manically depressed father drives his daughter and young son out into the Australian Outback where he intends to murder them and then take his own life, the man is so pathetic that he can't shoot straight doesn't kill the kids but manages to set fire to his car before killing himself.

Our two heroes then set off into the sweltering heat of the desert rather than walk back the way they came, they are almost dead from hunger and thirst when a young Aborigine boy on walkabout finds them.
He brings them back from the brink of death and then instead of leading them back to civilisation and safety takes them with him walking around in the arrid landscape.
This being a film of the early 70's it has a compulsory nude scene were we get to see Jenny Agutters bush as she's swimming in the only water hole for thousands of miles.
Eventually and with great relief this film draws to a close with brother and sister finally being rescued and the aborigine boy is so traumatised that he wanders off back into the desert, finds the only tree capable of taking his weight and hangs himself. Thus leaving the cinemagoer with the feeling that there must be something really wrong with these two children everyone they know kills themselves!

As I said this panel of experts called this film 'Highly Acclaimed', I personally thougt it was rubbish then and I still think it's rubbish now, surely now that almost 40 years has gone by since it's first showing, if it was trash then would't it still be trash now?

Or do I not have the intellect to understand the subtle nuances of such a top grade movie?

[katex]

Put like that Less, does seem open to question ...

Don't think there is any criteria to enjoy a Highly Acclaimed film, just to appreciate, the filming, acting, music, etc., ne'er mind about the story line .. I'd sooner have a low budget film that leaves me feeling satisfied with the plot .. beginning, middle and comfortable end .. that's what I like.

There's a saying in the theatre: 'Leave them asking why didn't have another curtain call?; rather than why did they?' Some films that receive an acclaim afterwards leave me feeling like this.

[Gayle]

I always understood 'highly aclaimed' to mean box office failure that the critics loved (or pretended to love because they were a bit poncy and had to keep up appearances).

[cashman]

highly acclaimed means its a load of crap n oiks like us do not understand it.(so the toffee-nosed gits think)

[WillowTheWhisp]

Bit of an Emperor's New Clothes thing I think.

[steeljack]

Originally Posted by Gayle

I always understood 'highly aclaimed' to mean box office failure that the critics loved (or pretended to love because they were a bit poncy and had to keep up appearances).

a bit like some of the pubic art projects that have been proposed

[Gayle]

Originally Posted by steeljack

a bit like some of the pubic art projects that have been proposed

Finally........ someone who's seen through me!