Why I Love Movies...

Why do I love movies? It is a question that, surprisingly, I have never been asked or asked myself. I love movies probably more than any materialistic thing. For as long as I can remember I have loved movies and could sit and watch one after another. From adventurous movies to comedies to thrillers, even the odd chick-flick, I love them all. And no matter what movie it is, whether its a good film or not, they all put a smile on my face because they take me away for those couple of hours.

I guess you could say that movies are my escape, the stories in particular. For those couple of hours I experience something that I most likely will never experience in my lifetime. I become someone that one can only dream of. In the movies; for that short period of time I become these fantastic characters like superman, Forrest Gump, John Coffey, Braveheart, Marty Mcfly, Maximus Decimus Meridius, Luke Skywalker, Rocky Balboa... I become these heroes and amazing characters that go on amazing adventures. A movie like the Gladiator or Braveheart where it takes you back into the past through some of the most amazing historical events. For that short period of time I get to imagine myself as some the worlds greatest heroes; whether it's as Braveheart shouting out "FREEDOM" before he takes his last breath, or as Maximus fighting that final battle to avenge the death of his family. For some people a movie is simply just entertainment, but for me movies give me a whole different aspect of life and the world. A movie can take an event and make it come to life and allows someone to understand it and feel it and experience it. The best example of this that I can think of is The Passion of the Christ. An event such as this one that many people perhaps don't understand or don't realise what exactly happened makes it come to life. And for anyone who has seen this movie will agree that you certainly experience it and cringe and can't help but look away at such brutality, it brings such an incomprehensible action to life. Another good example that perhaps more people can relate to is Schindler's List. This movie takes an event that shook humanity and gives people in this time a very small idea of the human cruelty that occurred. However it is also movies like this that gives one hope. Schindler's List is often criticised for making light of the Holocaust and all of it's atrocities, but I watch this movie and that is not at all the feeling that I get. Perhaps this is because I did not experience such a thing at first hand, but when I watch this film my heart absolutely breaks watching some of the ways these people were treated and what they went through, however I think the intention of this movie is to give humanity hope. Because through possibly the most horrific event in history we see the evil and inhumane acts that humanity is capable of, but we also see that through this darkness people can rise up and this gives us a little bit of hope... at least it did for me. Because even though this world is really screwed up, there are still good people in this world! Another movie that could also give one hope, although completely different and incomparable, is Forrest Gump. How can this movie be in the same category as Schindler's List? A man with all odds against him rose up and became a hero, a legend, a millionaire, a champion, an icon, a husband, a father... I don't know about you, but I get all warm and fuzzy inside every time I watch it because it is the best example of an underdog story. This gives me hope because it shows that one can go against the odds and become whoever they want to be and may make all of their dreams come true.

And then there are movies that just simply put a smile on my face and sometimes (most of the time)that's all it takes to turn a bad day into a good one. These movies are usually not the ones that will win Oscars, but they are the ones that end with uplifting and happily ever after endings or just leave you a little happier than when it started. Movies that come to mind with these aspects in mind are ones like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, The Goonies, Hook, Jurassic Park, and my personal favourite, Lord of the Rings. All of these movies I would consider classics because they are one-of-a-kind films that are possibly simple ideas, but powerful. An archaeologist searching for priceless treasure while avoiding capture by Nazis, it doesn't seem like too much of an abstract idea, but it will forever go down in history as a great film because they always left you feeling like you had just ventured on an amazing journey and you cannot help but have a smile on your face when it ends completely as expected with the girl in one hand and the treasure in the other. How about a movie about the adventure of a bunch outcast kids searching for lost treasure, it probably doesn't get much simpler than that, yet I would consider The Goonies to be in my top ten. That's because it is a fantastic film filled with adventure, booby traps, goofy humour, and an unforgettable happy ending. And then there is the Lord of the Rings which is anything but simple. The Lord of the Rings is a very complex and amazing story, one in which I could talk about forever so I will simply say that this movie/story could be in every category that I have talked about, it speaks of the truths of evil in humanity, it gives the aspect of hope as we see the hobbits rise up to the task of saving the world, and overall it is an amazing adventure filled with out-of-this-world creatures and not just a happy ending, but the happy ending.

I don't really have a specific category for these next films, but they are my absolute favourite movies of all time and therefore have to be in this blog so I will just give you my thoughts. The Shawshank Redemption is clearly not a surprise that it would be one of my all time favourites because it is widely known as one of the best. However, these are just the reasons that I love this movie. The Shawshank Redemption is the story of a wrongly accused man spending his time in jail alongside his elderly best friend. It's actually quite simple why I love this movie because it has every thing that a great film needs: a likeable main character; Andy is an innocent and intelligent man who pursues his freedom in any way necessary, A kind and loving best friend; Red is an old man that's been in prison for most of his life and is all he knows, an evil antagonist; the warden is a greedy man after his own selfish desires, a prison break; realising his freedom cannot be earned and that it must be taken, Andy devises a plan to break out of prison, and an unforgettable ending; not long after Andy has broken out of jail and long fled the United States, Red is released from prison and follows Andy's note and arrives on a tropical island where he sees Andy fixing an old boat in the distance, the film ends with two with smiles on their faces from ear to ear. The Green Mile is like no other film, it's another one that I could go on and on about because there is so much content and value in this masterpiece. To avoid rambling on about this movie all I will say is that this movie makes you see life in a new way... respect life in a new way and yes I know it is just a movie, but The Green Mile is not just another movie. I have seen this movie many times and every time I see the ending of when the innocent giant or possibly angel that is John Coffey take his final breath I get shivers down my back and any movie that can do that must be special.

As you can see by the length of this blog that I can talk forever about movies. Movies are what comfort me, when I have a bad day, I watch a movie and I escape this world for a short while and I come back happier than ever. That is why I love movies.