Some dreamers of the film school dream

Jonathan Zimmerman on the mythology of film schools:

Today, while film schools remain seductive, they have dropped the grit and doubled down on the glamour; their sharp edges have been carefully filed off and their values have been kid-tested, mother-approved. The still prevailing myth of the film-student-as-rebel obscures the banal truth: These are highly profitable institutions, buttressed by a wildly irresponsible student loan system preying on thousands of starry-eyed individuals all vying for “their shot.”

According to David Mamet, Paul Thomas Anderson and other luminaries, these institutions offer the same practical value as a game of Three-card Monte. But film school advocates extol the unique connections and the opportunities available, and admissions officers trumpet the various accolades lavished on their graduates. Less mentioned, by either side, is the actual education provided. Discussing learning alone, it would seem, does not sell books and does not fill up the lecture halls.