Month of the Movie
“The great art of films consists of…the movements of thought and soul transmitted in a kind of intense isolation.” ~Louise Brooks
Due to an urgent series of events, yesterday began my free one-month trial of Amazon Prime. Amazon Prime offers free two day shipping on all items , perks on special deals, and TV show/movie streaming. However, this is usually for a heavy price($99/month). Being the person that I am- that is, economical and not stingy, hopefully- I felt the urge to continue to find a way and use these benefits for the next 29 days.
Luckily, this unexpected happening coincided rather well with the“bucket list” of movies that I promised myself I would watch before I graduated, assembled since last summer. With each of these films, both adults and friends in my life have urged me to watch at some point or another, as the films were immensely influential to them. Although many of these movies are Oscar or Golden Globe recipients, there are also plenty of less recognized films.
Thus, every week, i’ll be choosing 2–3 movies out of a list of 12 movies, to watch for the next 5 weeks. I’ll briefly review the movies that I've watched in a separate weekly post. The list is below, along with summaries/major cast, for those interested.
Honestly, junior year has not treated me too well so far. Between preparing for standardized tests, extracurricular activities/competitions, the clubs i’m in, and coursework, my life is really pushing my physical/mental limits. Although i’m sure there are plenty of people busier than I am, the thought of somehow pulling another 4–6 hours out of my own schedule is mind-numbing. But, of course, another goal of high school, and adolescence in general, is to find yourself, and sometimes you have to take that leap of faith.
I may not have too much experience or depth in the matter, but I find movies (especially classic ones)incredibly powerful. Just as books do, movies allow the audience to live vicariously through the eyes of it’s characters. Every emotion-whether it be anger, sadness, rapture, or regret-is ultimately projected onto each watcher through the dynamic lens of cinema. Interpretations are molded by a plethora of factors, from the vision of the director to the collective artistic paradigm of the actors, all in order to create a final, polished product. Hopefully, by watching some of the many great movies of the past and present, I will not only be able to converse more freely with my mentors and my peers, but I will ultimately be able to live, learn and grow through these films.
In no particular order, the movies. Feel free to watch them yourself, if interested…
~Chris
The Shawshank Redemption: Two imprisoned men find solace and redemption-Morgan Freeman
The Lion King: Growing up, lion style-Animated
The Wizard of Oz: Fantasy adventure-Judy Garland
The Pursuit of Happyness: Life changing decisions-Will Smith
Boyhood: Growing up, boy style-Ethan Hawke
Shindler’s List: Holocaust-Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley
The Godfather: no words needed-Al Pacino
Inception: Dream-sharing corporate thriller- Leonardo DiCaprio
The Matrix: Rediscovering reality-Keanu Reeves
Invictus: The story of Nelson Mandela-Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon
Good Will Hunting: MIT Mathematician- Matt Damon, Robin Williams
A Beautiful Mind: Mathematician John Nash- Russell Crowe
Rocky: Underdog boxer takes on champion-Sylvester Stallone
