After Life
So as I'm sure everyone knows, I'm a film student. I like to watch a lot of movies because you never know what will inspire you when you least expect it. A lot of times, I'll see a movie that I like and that I'm glad that I saw. Something that I often say about these films though, is "but it didn't change my life". That might sound a little
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Personally, when I see an old film, a real classic, I can appreciate it for its cultural and technical significance and I can usually see what makes it a real classic. Even films like Battleship Potemkin and Birth of a Nation - not the kind of films that you'd want to toss into the dvd player, pop some corn, and spend your saturday night with - have their place in the historical significance of cinema.
What I think keeps these films out of most people's ranks of 'favorite films' or in my case 'the films that changed my life' is relatability. When I watch a film, any film, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this, I place myself into the minds of the characters and try know how I would feel if I were in their situation. Something like Cloverfield, for example - I love that movie, but it didn't "change my life". It's exciting and action packed, but I can't relate to the situation. But then, in the case of What Dreams May Come, I know what it's like to lose a loved one, so I relate to the characters.
This isn't to say that older movies don't tackle themes like these, because they often do, and there are older films that have "changed my life" so to speak.
Carl Dreyer's 1928The Passion of Joan of Arc, for example. Most people find this movie to be excruciating to watch (as it is a silent film), but I think it's an exquisite film that was way way before its time.
I guess my point is, newer films are more relatable for most people and modern filmmakers have gotten better at really honing in on what makes a film powerful and emotional.
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