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When movies do more than just entertain
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing 2001 star Keir Dullea and seeing the film at a screening he attended in Middletown, and it got me to thinking of a good question to ask you all:
What movie made you realize that movies could be more than just an escape?
I hear people say all the time they “just want to be entertained” by movies, but the best ones aren’t merely a fun way to kill a couple of hours. The film that turned me on to that fact, to coin a phrase, was 2001, when I saw it in the mid-1980s.
I actually started recognizing film styles earlier, when I noticed that although they were very different in tone, Raiders of the Lost Ark and E.T. shared the same invigorating visual energy of this guy named Steven with a beard and an ever-present ball cap.
But it was not until my dad showed me 2001 that I became acutely aware of the power of movies in a larger sense. I started realizing exactly what a director does, and I learned to recognize the distinct hallmarks of Spielberg, Kubrick, Scorsese, Hitchcock, Cukor and so many others.
More to the point, with 2001, I learned that movies could not only transport you through time and space via a startling cut from a bone to a satellite, but could make you ponder the universe itself. Movies are “the ultimate trip” indeed.
So what was your 2001?
Permalink | Comments (6) | Categories: Sir Critic muses
Comments
By Allie D.
June 15, 2006 2:19 AM | Link to this
Katie- that was an excellent point about Pulp Fiction. A great film in so many ways, and one that I could watch over and over and discover something new. Tarantino is really a genius. That “Get busy livin or get busy dyin” is one of my favorite quotes of all time, especially under the context in which it was used. Andy and Red are two of my favorite literary characters and Frank Darabont captured them so well on screen that I can say that Redemption on screen actually trumped the written material- a true rarity.By katie
June 14, 2006 11:26 PM | Link to this
I agree with Allie regarding Shawshank Redemption! “Get busy living, or get busy dying.” And of course Shindler’s List: “Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire.” And truthfully, another film that made me think, that made me lose sleep, was Pulp Fiction. Oh my - the theological symbolism and the contradictions! “The truth is you’re the weak. And I’m the tyranny of evil men. But I’m tryin’, Ringo. I’m tryin’ real hard to be a shepherd.” The juxtaposition of profound dialogue and grisly action is disconcerting and thought-provoking. And then, when Bruce Willis’ character takes pity on his enemy (in the S&M dungeon) then subsequently leaves the pawn shop and rides off on the motorcycle, and we see that the motorcycle is named “Grace,” WOW! Great films remind us that life is all about choices… and choosing correctly.By Allie D.
June 14, 2006 4:53 PM | Link to this
This is an excellent question, Eric. I’ve been sitting here trying to ponder it. Thinking as far back as I can, I remember going to see Terminator 2 when it first came out. I was about 11 or 12 at the time, and I think I was just starting to become aware of the extraordinary ability that great special effects had to insert someone into a story. Seeing Robert Patrick morph up from that black and white checkered floor as a pool of goo both fascinated and frightened the hell out of me, and I swear I watched that movie at least 200 hundred times when I was younger and I had every single bit of dialogue recognized. I kept my ear to the ground for all of James Cameron’s work after that and became very aware of his style, although as I watch his films through a more grown up lense, I see a lot of their faults, but it was a film that got me interested in correlating a director with his/her work. Movies that deeply moved or inspired me I would have to say are Stand by Me and Shawshank Redemption. Is it coincidence that they are both stories based on the work of my favorite author? Probably not. King can spin one heck of a yarn. But I remember Stand By Me making me feel the first pangs of growing up, and Shawshank made me feel the most unimaginable amount of hope I’d ever felt watching a movie. I still cry at the end of that one.By margo
June 14, 2006 3:03 PM | Link to this
I love that some movies inspire you, no matter how young. I remember when my dad took the family to see the original “Rocky.” He mentioned in advance that it featured the guy who played the Penguin in Batman. Of course, we all knew who HE was. Still, we didn’t know what to expect. All five of us kids LOVED everything about that boxing film, including the fantastic soundtrack. Another movie that had a similar effect on us was that great sleeper hit, “Breaking Away.” All of us kids emerged from the theater so pumped and inspired to work hard as athletes to achieve greatness.By cathy
June 14, 2006 1:20 PM | Link to this
1984—chilling to the bone.By Barb =:)
June 14, 2006 9:39 AM | Link to this
The realization of tying all aspects of a film together may have been Star Wars for me. Also, analyzing North By Northwest in college was an eye opener and caused me to look at all films a little differently. And just an FYI … Movies can inspire as well. Tonight (June 14) CBS is airing the next installment of the American Film Institute’s Top 100 list series. This one is 100 Years, 100 Cheers and is the top 100 inspirational films. You can get more info at afi.com.