My aim with this blog is to share something of my own interest in films. I intend to write about both recent films that I have enjoyed at the cinema or on DVD, and also of some of the older or less well known films that have inspired me. I do not expect to review many bad or even mediocre films – I hope that you won’t consider me a snob but I feel that life’s too short to spend time writing about films which are ordinary or poor.
For me, a film may have four purposes. It may be to tell a story, to be visually arresting, to communicate thoughts or questions or to trigger an emotional response. What you wish to gain from seeing a film should be reflected the intended purposes of the film you choose. Today, most people watch films for escapism and therefore choose films which focus on a story or emotions (whether it be laughter or tears). There is certainly a place for such films - however, I think that often people’s conceptions of what a film could or should be are inappropriately narrow. Too often films are limited to rushed stories or eliciting superficial emotional responses.
The best films usually make effective use of at least two aspects of the potential of film. Moreover, the most memorable films are as often those which ask questions or provoke thought as those which thrill. For me, a novel is able to convey a narrative without such severe limitations in length and a painting or sculpture may be created without the compromises necessary to relate a story. The exceptional value of film is its ability to express complex or even intangible ideas through the simultaneous application of words, images and sounds. In this way film are able to describe something of what it means to be human.
Whilst many recent films are somewhat shallow, there continues to be a steady stream of films produced in Hollywood and around the world, that endure in the mind long after the screen has faded. Conversely, if you are willing to overcome the barriers posed by subtitles or black and white, a vast array of rich and rewarding films awaits you. On this blog, I aim to illuminate some of the best examples of films of all types and origins, some recent and some from the past. I hope that what I have to say may be of interest to you.
