zeppelin
10-21-2004, 04:52 PM
Though it is not my ambition in life to become involved in the movie industry, there are certain movies that really inspire me to be a director. I'm sure it's that way with a lot of you too, whether they make you want to be a director, screenwriter, actor, cinematographer, or whatever. What are the 10 most inspiring movies of this sort to you, and why?
In no specific order, mine are:
City Lights- It's just so simple and sweet. Watching it makes me want to make a movie like it, just to put a smile on people's faces.
The Bicycle Thief- Like City Lights, this movie is also very simple and sweet, although it's not quite as much of a feel-good experience. I've always said that if I ever somehow become a director, I'd make movies in the manor of the Italian neo-realism movement of the late 40's and early 50's just because I love the feel of them. This is probably the best example of that movement.
La Strada- Another Italian neo-realist movie, though it has a wonderous kind of circus feel to it, as most Fellini movies do. I'd like do something like that. Combine a simple story with realistic characters but have the feeling of a circus.
Oliver!- If I were to become a writer (again, not something I really want to do, but I'm just saying), Charles Dickens would be my main inspiration. The unforgettable, somewhat quirky characters in a story that is easy to follow but is really quite complex...that's what I'd aim for. And though David Lean's adaptation of the book is more faithful to Dickens' novel, this one looks like it was so much fun to make. And after all, why would I want to be a director if it didn't look like fun?
Once Upon a Time in the West- Simply because it's awesome. It's stylish as hell, but is also able to handle its story and characters. But really, when Frank and his gang step out from behind those bushes, and that Ennio Morriconne score kicks in...well, that's what some would refer to as "cinematic orgasm." Moments like that, you can't help but be inspired by.
Days of Heaven- Between City Lights, La Strada, The Bicycle Thief, and now this, maybe you've noticed that simple stories with a dash of sentimentality seem to be what inspires me the most. But the main reason I chose this movie is because of the visuals. It's easily one of the most beautiful-looking movies ever made. Maybe in that respect, it makes me want to be a cinematographer more than a director, but either way, it makes me want to get involved with movies.
This Is Spinal Tap- Just because it's got to be such fun to make a movie like this. So this one inspires me more for the fun of making it than for the final product.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?- Another one that I picked more because it looks like fun to make than for the final product, but if I were to become a director, I'd want to make a movie set in the Depression-era deep south, like this. It's the setting that I like here, and the feel of it. Also the endlessly quirky characters and situations. Something I'd definitely have in my movies.
The Seventh Seal- I don't mean to sound like a cornball here, but...because it shows that movies can be something more than just entertainment. Entertainment is of course the primary objective in movies, and if movies weren't entertaining, I for one wouldn't watch them, but every now and then, it's nice to get some intellectual stimulation too. Oh god, now I really sound like a pretentious asshole. Anyway, that whole "saying something" factor, along with the haunting imagery in the movie that I love, inspire me a lot.
Ikiru- Because stories like this about living life to the fullest always inspire me. And this one's the best of them, I think. Plus, Akira Kurosawa is probably my favorite director. Him, Charlie Chaplin, Frank Capra, and Vittorio De Sica would be the main inspirations for my movies. I'm not sure if this is my favorite Kurosawa movie (Yojimbo is probably more entertaining), but it's the one that inspires me most.
In no specific order, mine are:
City Lights- It's just so simple and sweet. Watching it makes me want to make a movie like it, just to put a smile on people's faces.
The Bicycle Thief- Like City Lights, this movie is also very simple and sweet, although it's not quite as much of a feel-good experience. I've always said that if I ever somehow become a director, I'd make movies in the manor of the Italian neo-realism movement of the late 40's and early 50's just because I love the feel of them. This is probably the best example of that movement.
La Strada- Another Italian neo-realist movie, though it has a wonderous kind of circus feel to it, as most Fellini movies do. I'd like do something like that. Combine a simple story with realistic characters but have the feeling of a circus.
Oliver!- If I were to become a writer (again, not something I really want to do, but I'm just saying), Charles Dickens would be my main inspiration. The unforgettable, somewhat quirky characters in a story that is easy to follow but is really quite complex...that's what I'd aim for. And though David Lean's adaptation of the book is more faithful to Dickens' novel, this one looks like it was so much fun to make. And after all, why would I want to be a director if it didn't look like fun?
Once Upon a Time in the West- Simply because it's awesome. It's stylish as hell, but is also able to handle its story and characters. But really, when Frank and his gang step out from behind those bushes, and that Ennio Morriconne score kicks in...well, that's what some would refer to as "cinematic orgasm." Moments like that, you can't help but be inspired by.
Days of Heaven- Between City Lights, La Strada, The Bicycle Thief, and now this, maybe you've noticed that simple stories with a dash of sentimentality seem to be what inspires me the most. But the main reason I chose this movie is because of the visuals. It's easily one of the most beautiful-looking movies ever made. Maybe in that respect, it makes me want to be a cinematographer more than a director, but either way, it makes me want to get involved with movies.
This Is Spinal Tap- Just because it's got to be such fun to make a movie like this. So this one inspires me more for the fun of making it than for the final product.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?- Another one that I picked more because it looks like fun to make than for the final product, but if I were to become a director, I'd want to make a movie set in the Depression-era deep south, like this. It's the setting that I like here, and the feel of it. Also the endlessly quirky characters and situations. Something I'd definitely have in my movies.
The Seventh Seal- I don't mean to sound like a cornball here, but...because it shows that movies can be something more than just entertainment. Entertainment is of course the primary objective in movies, and if movies weren't entertaining, I for one wouldn't watch them, but every now and then, it's nice to get some intellectual stimulation too. Oh god, now I really sound like a pretentious asshole. Anyway, that whole "saying something" factor, along with the haunting imagery in the movie that I love, inspire me a lot.
Ikiru- Because stories like this about living life to the fullest always inspire me. And this one's the best of them, I think. Plus, Akira Kurosawa is probably my favorite director. Him, Charlie Chaplin, Frank Capra, and Vittorio De Sica would be the main inspirations for my movies. I'm not sure if this is my favorite Kurosawa movie (Yojimbo is probably more entertaining), but it's the one that inspires me most.