What are movies?

[BojackHorseman]

So I was watching a fascinating absurd movie, and I was wondering why I love movies that much, what they actually are.

My usual preconception came out : movies are a way to connect with other humans. Humans use the cinematographic language to say something or just transmit a more abstract feeling.

 

But then I felt it (instead of thinking it) : (most) movies are not a depiction of real feelings or situations. They seem more mystical to me. I can't explain why or why I'm thinking that.

But movies are something different.

What are they? Why am I so much connected to those?

Sorry, these are weird and vagues considerations. I just had to put them out if my brain into words cause something seems to elude me in my live for movies and  su can't understand what bothers me that much despite my love for cinema.

Edited August 11, 2023 by BojackHorseman

[DanielF]

Good question, this is something I actually gave it some thoughts. Since you asked, this are my most probably wrong conclusions about movies

I believe that story telling is part of the human condition. One could consider movies an evolution of those tales around the fire from when we used to live in tribes.

Movies (or stories in general) allow us to gain experience based on events that never happened to us. They can be based on real stories, or in hypothetical  events. Sort of "what if". What if aliens want to invade earth. By learning from this exogenous experiences we learn how to react and behave. Sort of like a vaccine exposes us to pathogens we haven't encountered yet.

Movies also provide us with moral values that are essential for a society and survive in a society as an individual. If one think about it, how many values have we acquired through movies?  For example, we all know that cheating in a relationship is inmoral. I think personally I learnt that in movies (before it was the Bible).

From ancient times, the dominant nation in a region will control the creation of art and thus imposing its values. This has of course been noticed by leaders and used art (and movies in particular) as a form of propaganda. As a non-American (maybe you can tell ) I can see how many of these Hollywood values are percolating into the European society.

However, there is more to movies. Entering into a more spiritual approach, there is more to explore. For example, let's talk about scary movies. Some people, I believe mostly women, really like to watch them. It could be a way of facing our fears. Some sort of self-impose meditation. Really sitting there and allowing yourself to experience your fears.

And talking about experience your feelings, we can generalize the above. If you went through a break up, you may want to watch a movie about that. If my memory serves me, I think during the lockdown one of the most watched movies on Netflix was about a virus pandemic (can't remember the name now)

On the other hand, watching a movie is an identification process. If the movie is good, we will feel identified with one of the main characters. We forget about ourselves and who we are for a while. It is sort of a magical process.

Having said all that, I wonder if there is any movie out there so different that we will feel completely disconnected. It should have these characteristics.

• It happens in a very different place.
• It happens to a very alien form. 
• They have their own set of values.
• And they have feelings we don't know.

I wonder if there is such a movie or what would be the closest to it. In sci-fi books, there is A Meeting with medusa by Arthur C. Clarke that I reckon it will qualify.

 

 

[BojackHorseman]

I've seen a lot of movies but I don't think anything really matches what you're describing. That does sounds REALLY interesting tho.

But I think it's hard to not be humans and humanize everything, so it's probably really hard for someone to come up with that, even if I feel it should be possible.

 

Otherwise everything you say is very true.

The idea of how movies can inject morals from a very young age is indeed quite strong.

 

And some movies do really feel like meditation even if they're quite rare (or I just don't know them)

I'll take the example of Stalker fascinated me from day one, and that I always watch at least once a year. That being I said I reallmy wouldn't recommand it to anyone, it's *very* slow and static cinema.

Edited October 9, 2023 by BojackHorseman

[Samy]

Movies have a unique power to evoke emotions, challenge perceptions, and transport us to different worlds, both real and imagined.  Movies can be seen as a form of art that captures the essence of the human experience, exploring themes of love, loss, joy, and sorrow in ways that words alone often cannot convey (watch great movies for free and in high quality on 123movies). They allow us to step into the shoes of others, to see the world through different perspectives, and to connect with characters and narratives that may resonate with our own lives. Movies have the ability to tap into our subconscious, to evoke feelings and emotions that we may not even be aware of. They can challenge our beliefs, provoke thought, and inspire change.

Edited April 22 by Samy
added some details