Probably one of the most obvious readings of Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s “Birdman” has something to do with the power of social media such as Twitter and Facebook. These two popular social network services were mentioned in the film but I think focusing on social media may be too limiting. I think “Birdman” is more about a man’s liberation from illusion and the growing power of capitalism in art, specifically in cinema and theater.
Theater has long been regarded as the highbrow cousin of cinema. The latter is more commercial and populist. Theater, in contrast, is more concerned with artistry while cinema is more about pop culture and mass consumption. At times, cinema is relegated as the art form of the masses while the theater is for the elite but I think this claim is not entirely accurate. Theater is also not immune to commerce.
“Birdman” is not simply about commercial cinema versus high art theater; that is just the surface. The film is about capitalist ideology encroaching on all segments of society. Capitalism is like a predatory bird, which is also the symbol of America. The bird of capitalism has aimed its talons on Broadway, supposedly one of the oldest vanguards of high art, and perhaps one of the last territories of art that has not been fully colonized by pure commerce. However, with musicals like “The Lion King” and “Spiderman,” capitalism may have already taken root on Broadway. Near the end of the film, we see superhero icons of pop cinema littered a Broadway stage as if staging an all-star musical featuring Iron Man, Spiderman, the Transformers, and so on.
