What Makes a Great Movie?
The Willing Suspension of Disbelief
I was having a discussion with my girlfriend about movies the other day. She told me about a movie that she said was a “great movie.” I’m a movie buff so I was intrigued to see what she considered a great movie. But after watching the movie I realized it wasn’t that great after all. It was a good movie, but definitely not one I would classify as great.
In our discussions, I tried to explain to her why I didn’t consider it to be a great movie even though she did. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, right? Why was it a great movie for her and just a good movie for me? Was it a matter of taste? Perhaps in part, but it was more than that. I finally made progress with her by explaining, one difference between a good movie and a great movie is the movie’s ability to willingly suspend our disbelief.
What is Suspension of Disbelief?
I want to stop here and mention that I am not a professional film critic, nor have I ever studied film other than my own experience and classes in the humanities in college. These are ideas I have formulated on my own, based on watching way too many movies. The concept of suspending your disbelief is one I learned in college which I summarize by saying the following: In order for drama, theatre, and most fiction to…
