4 September 2024
Classic films are those that have stood the test of time. Not necessarily the big money makers but those that are watched over and over. They are available through a number of television channels like TCM, AMC, and Fox has one that offers Retro films. You can also download them, or even check them out through your local library. Why are they still around?
Well, the obvious answer is that they were well made, the acting was remarkable, or that they touch our personal lives in some way.
In each era there were technological advances and various types of experimentation that can form the foundation for contemporary films. Many of the themes remain today: love, hate, clever speech and jokes, revenge, success, greed, talent, selflessness, mistakes, happy accidents. They all are with us in our everyday lives to some extent.
Nostalgia. This is probably the major reason people are drawn to older films. They recall the first time they saw the movie, possibly in a large theater or sitting with a grandparent in the living room watching a small television screen. Perhaps it was a date, or group event, or a regular occurrence. Memories can return as you revisit the experience.
Technology and Techniques. Watching cinema develop over the decades is quite interesting. Now, in the 21st Century we are accustomed to CGI and graphics that are spectacular. Watching a film from the mid 20th Century, you need to realize that the special effects were all created through human manipulation and sleight of hand. Consider the movie Black Narcissus (1947), a rather bizarre film set in the Himalayas. Notice the camera angles. You won’t be able to miss the vibrant colors. In the 1956 The Ten Commandments the special effect of Moses (Charlton Heston) throwing down his staff and it turning into a serpent or the parting of the Red Sea were both creative and impressive.
Remakes. Some movies have been made several times. Examples include A Star is Born and A Christmas Carol. It can be compelling to look at previous versions and think about how the acting styles are similar or different or how a particular actor interprets the role. Sometimes there clear favorites and sometimes not. There are also American adaptations of foreign films like Seven Samuri into The Magnificent Seven.
Historic Perspective. While many of the attitudes and language are now, at best, socially unacceptable and, at worse, offensive, these films provide an insight into the times during which they were produced and written.
Escape. Watching a classic film or even a contemporary flick, we have the opportunity to lose ourselves from the daily grind and move into someone else’s life, different times, other places. It can allow us to see an event from another perspective, or through another’s lens, if you will.
In short, classic films are a part of our cultural heritage. They provide an artistic outlet and can inspire writers, directors, actors, and other artists. They can be comforting or jar us from a misconception.
So, what do you say? Order in a pizza, fill a bowl with popcorn, and pour a beverage of your choice. Sit down with a classic film or two and see what you think.
