Meaning can be seen in many different shapes and forms, which is why film is essential in bringing those meanings to life through cinematography and other elements.
Initially, as children, we watch movies with easily comprehensible morals, such as kindness, honesty, loyalty and general reflections of good and bad behaviour, to indicate right from wrong. As we grow older, we start watching movies that relate more and more to our age range so we can relate more to the content we are consuming.
I had initially watched films solely for entertainment purposes to kill time, and it wasn’t until my first year of university that I started paying more and more attention to the movies I watched. My friend then introduced me to the app Letterboxd, a platform where users can log, rate and review the films they’ve watched, and create lists for them to be categorized.
I downloaded the app after seeing my friend and began to get familiar with it to start getting into it. Since then, back in 2019, I have been logging, reviewing, rating and categorizing every film I watched. And with this, I have been able to properly analyze every movie I watch to produce an efficient review and rating.
The films I fall in love with the most are those that have to create fictitious storylines and concepts that are genuinely intriguing to imagine if they occurred in real life. The other films I enjoy are documentaries or “based on true events” as I can learn something new about history, how it has altered people’s lives and what impacts it can make today in time.
My favourite genres are crime, thrillers and comedies. I enjoy the crime and suspense that come from the crime and thrillers, whether true stories or not, and the comedies help bring out the sometimes very needed laughs to lighten the mood.
Although I have watched many films from home by myself, the best experience of film watching would be in a theatre with a friend or two, so I can get more than one opinion. Whether this be on the film, to see what I may have missed if they disagree with my perception, and what interesting points they can bring forth.
When I was in high school, I liked watching films that were based on teenagers, as I could try to find myself relating to their awkwardness, struggles in school and other drama. Now, as an adult going into my 4th year of university, I find myself watching films that bring forth the more significant issues of racism, sexism, homophobia, environmentalism, mental health, politics and more, as I am keen to learn more about those topics to become a better person with the ever evolving world.
Films for self-betterment instead of consistent fantasy can not only help expand the mind but help in understanding other perspectives. With this, I believe it’s important for people to watch films that they wouldn’t necessarily watch to get out of their comfort zones and to learn more about different concepts and potential realities for others in the world.
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