One of my greatest passions in life is that of film, or "the movies" as referred to by the general public (I simply use the word "film" to sound more sophisticated and to promote my status as a filmmaker). Anyways, I have often pondered why it is that I am so mesmerized by films, and furthermore what drove me to yearn after creating cinematic adventures for the rest of my life. I have never been sure of why this is such a passion of mine, but one morning many years ago, as I stood in the shower, it all started to don on me. It’s never merely the “movie” that people adore; it’s the
story and how well it's told. “Movies” are simply a compilation of images with stylistic lighting, sound, and special effects. I could meander my way downtown, film a few cars zipping by, and claim this to be a movie.
Stories, however, are what people fall in love with. Stories are something that link people together and entertain us. They allow us to temporarily escape the monotony, stress, or fast pace of life. Stories are a facet of reality that many people wish existed within their true reality. Films can give us peace and hope for a brighter future, make us laugh, make us cry, and liberate our minds. As Roger Ebert so eloquently stated, "A lot of people these days don't even go to a movie once. There are alternatives. It doesn't have to be the movies, but we must somehow dream. If we don't 'go to the movies' in any form, our minds wither and sicken." Think for a second of your favorite movie. Let’s take one of my favorites, “The Lord of the Rings”. Sure, this is technically an extraordinary film. The special effects are captivating and realistic, the fight scenes are astonishing, and the locations are unprecedented. All of those elements are simply pieces of the puzzle, though, in telling this tale of epic proportions.
People also love characters. Characters give people someone to love and to root for. We often see parts of ourselves we wish we had within characters. Allow me to illustrate my point with a ridiculous adventure story. Last summer I went to Table Rock Lake, where some friends and I began paddling across a small cove in a makeshift raft that, needless to say, was a bit too makeshift. Unfortunately we all figured this out on our way back when it started sinking and even tried to take our lives. This raft had a mind of it’s own, it attempted to knock one of us out with a deadly blow to the head, and a puncture wound it accrued from one of use caused its' innards to begin to flood with water. Later on, it began to excrete toxic gasoline in a layer around us. With much struggle, we managed to reach a nearby repair station (A.K.A. boat dock). However, as we waged war against this almost human but inanimate object, I was in a world of my own. I slowly stood up on the raft, paddle in hand, looking up towards the setting sun, and for a couple brief seconds I felt exactly like Captain Jack Sparrow when we first meet him in “The Curse of the Black Pearl.” This instance I’m referring to is when he brings his sunken sailboat into Port Royal in his normal, scalliwag sort of way (aaaargh says I). Everything around me was chaos, our raft was sinking, and I was standing up pretending to be a pirate…and it was exhilarating. Why do you think actors are paid and famed as much as they are? It’s because they create characters we fall in love with or who add insight or excitement to our lives. Let's be honest, it would be exhilarating to be in Jason Bourne’s shoes for a day, or at least to meet a man like him who could K.O. me and dozens in the surrounding area in less than a second.
However, I do know many people who love films with poor characters and story. Therefore, for the sake of not wanting them to feel left out and sad enough to hit the noose, I will include yet another reason for why people enjoy movies; the images. I deem God created us with our five senses (six for me... if you include my ability to see into the future), because we use our senses the incredible world He created for us. Therefore, within movies, two of our senses are being satisfied: visual and sound. I'm noticing a frightening trend in today's films, though, in that more and more movies today are visually explicit because an increasing amount of people want to see more and more...crap. Many movie-goers lust after gore, explosions, beautiful bodies and faces, high speed races, exotic locations, etc. I believe these people to be shallow movie-goers, so for the sake of not offending them, I will finish with one final point.
I believe that movies effect and influence people. I'm not naive enough to think that people crowd the box office simply to experience a good story. I think there is something much deeper in why people see movies. Maybe it's to learn. Maybe it's to think and ponder. Maybe it's something unique to every individual. Regardless, that is why I take my responsibility as a Christ-following filmmaker so seriously. I have a responsiblity to use film as a weapon for Christ. I must be careful about which stories I tell, and that I'm always striving to create God-honoring projects that give glimpses of hope, redemption, selfless love, and zest for life. I have always admonished the film "The Shawshank Redemption" because I meditate upon it's themes of hope and philos love that the two main characters share with one another. It's an inspiring film, and everybody needs a little bit of inspiration from time to time. Furthermore, to be the most effective for Christ, I must be the
best filmmaker I can be. God gave me this talent and passion, so I will strive to honor and glorify Him by being the very best I can be in hopes of expanding His Kingdom and getting people to think. God Bless all good stories, no matter which medium in which they exist, and all film lovers, film creators, and ultimately films.
"Get busy livin', or get busy dying" - Red (The Shawshank Redemption)
-Adieu
