Thought-Provoking Cinema

Originally published 21/04/20

Spoilers ahead!

In the current global pandemic we sadly find ourselves in, cinema offers us more than a welcome distraction from the tedium of our imposed isolation. More often than not, I’ve found myself coerced into some form of reflection long before the final credits roll, as all good films have the ability to do. During this time, however, it is fair to say that cinema has guided me into a form of self-evaluation. By its hand, I've begun to re-evaluate my own existence, and reaffirm the necessities of life and my relationships and just how much certain people mean to me.

As a result of such musings, I’ve felt compelled to compile a list of relevant and necessary films that offer paramount life lessons in these troubling and uncertain times.

Groundhog Day (Harold Ramis 1993)

Ever an excuse to watch a Bill Murray classic, an actor whose sardonic wit has long since left a mark on the industry in which he plies his trade.

Groundhog Day is a hilarious, insightful and, ultimately, uplifting film that takes the fantastical element of a man living the same day over and over again, and breaks it down to a level that feels almost grounded in reality. Detriment can certainly be given to Murray’s patentability to playing the average joe, but it’s more than that; we relate to Phil Connor’s untimely predicament on a deeper level. There’s a monotonous routine to our current life, the days are rolling into one another and each one feels not so different from the last and almost certainly like the next.

What we can learn, though, from his journey of consideration and self-betterment, is to respect each day and those in it. We can come out of such an unusual circumstance with renewed hope if we learn from our previous shortcomings and strive to be better.

The Truman Show (Peter Weir 1998)

This oft-forgotten modern classic is the story of an insurance salesman who discovers his whole life is actually a reality TV show.

Such is the erratic charm of Jim Carey that a show based around his characters day to day life seems not only amusing but entirely plausible. Media satire is prominent in The Truman Show, but aside from the striking similarities with much of our own media culture, it’s the habitual nature and banal sense of routine depicted that we draw parallels with most right now.

What we can share and rejoice is in, however, is Truman’s desire to break free and strike out on his own, experiencing the world outside of his own sheltered existence and sympathise with his exasperation at his largely predetermined life, knowing all too well the recurring frustration created by a situation largely out of our control.

Into the Wild (Sean Penn 2007)

An escapist eutopia, Into the Wild, is based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, a young adventurer who, upon graduating from university, donated all of his savings to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness.

Sean Penn’s adventure drama is an eye-opening portrayal of a young man disillusioned by the selfish and often harsh characteristics of modern society. On his journey, he forms a number of profound and intimate relationships, giving shape and meaning to his personal journey.

Since the film’s release in 2007, the story has been subject to criticism regarding McCandless’ “selfish” and “naive” actions. I think they miss the real allegory of the story. Although McCandless’ adventure ends in sorrow, his journey is necessary. It’s one of self-discovery and reaffirming man’s basic desire, a passion for adventure, and it’s his relationships and experiences along the way that come to define him, leading him to eventually deduce, “happiness is only real when shared”.

During a time when all we can really do is live vicariously through the grand adventures of others, Into the Wild can surely be defined as a requisite.

Take Shelter (Jeff Nichols 2013)

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Director and Writer Jeff Nichols has said that his influence on the film resulted from a feeling that he perceived in the world. A sense of anxiety that everything we hold dear could be gone in an instant. It’s a theme expressed in our current global pandemic and there’s certainly an element of genuine sincerity behind this quietly moving film. Nichols' words contain real weight, as we as a people find ourselves in a situation that nearly all of us were not prepared for, and it seems to have come almost entirely out of the blue.

Beneath this more apparent theme, though, lies the film's real beating heart. At its core, it’s a film about marriage, family, and commitment. In the face of societal adversity and public scorn, we see a couple raise a deaf daughter, a wife stick by her husband through literal hell, and a husband act purely out of love and protection for his family.

At a time when families and loved ones are, on occasion, at each other's throats, we can certainly learn from the poignant and dedicated relationship depicted here.

The Lighthouse (Robert Eggers 2019)

Robert Eggers enigmatic, isolated throwback is a nod to the psychological horrors of yesteryear, namely the work of one, Edgar Allan Poe.

There’s a foreboding sense of anxiety to this highly engrossing picture that feels dauntingly familiar. A feeling of dread and doom captured almost candidly by its bleak and isolated setting and while The Lighthouse is undoubtedly rich in complex themes, it’s the feeling of dire isolation that is so striking and analogous.

Although captured with erratic brilliance by lead actors Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, it’s with morbid curiosity that we witness their characters slow descent into madness. These men are perhaps the absolute worst-case scenario, a horror story brought on by severe isolation, but at a time when most of us aren’t sure of the right way to act, it’s worth considering the fragility of our collective mental state and how detrimental that can be to the relationships contained within it.

A Forgotten Blessing