We don’t all need to be film critics
An opinion on the power of movies and how focusing on criticism and perfection can detract from their true meaning.
Illustration by Al Short
Written by Gaia Crans
*Disclaimer: Includes spoiler of “Titanic” (But if you still haven’t seen “Titanic,” you really need to watch it)
The overwhelming aroma of buttered popcorn fills the air as your eyes scan the dim room for an empty seat among the rows that are all-too-quickly filling up with a wide assortment of people.
You shuffle over to claim one near the middle behind a guy whose arm is slung over the woman next to him. His voice rises above the general chatter of the room as he talks at her, which unfortunately continues throughout the pre-screening trailers.
The speakers are loud enough for you to mostly ignore him, but you do hear a few of his whining complaints that he would “rather be watching a real film” and didn’t want to spend his evening sitting through “some sappy chick flick.” His date’s body language reveals an eye roll. You feel sorry for her — what a buzzkill.
A few pieces of your overpriced popcorn spill out of their bucket and bounce soundlessly to the floor as you settle in. The already-dim lights fade to black; the large screen gets slightly wider and suddenly illuminates the room again as the feature-length film begins to play.
Whether it’s at the theater or cozied up at home, watching a movie is a classic-leisure activity that most people enjoy, and has even been considered a means of individual and social transformation.
It’s hard to worry about anything else while we’re watching — we get pulled into the story and invested in the characters. Movies are good at making us feel things. Our lives and experiences are reflected in them, and many of the emotions portrayed are impactful because we can relate to them. But whether we’re brought to laughter or tears, it’s a benefit to our mental state.
We often use movies as a way to rest and relax in times of stress, relying on familiar favorites as a comforting, pleasurable distraction. This is why whenever I get sick or sad I find myself watching my favorite childhood movie, “The Iron Giant.” Despite knowing exactly what’s going to happen due to the ridiculous number of times I’ve seen it, I always end up crying. But I also always feel better afterward.
You watch as a mother tells her children a bedtime story, and an aged couple lie embracing in bed together having accepted their hopelessly-creeping demise as the unsinkable ship begins to vanish into the dark, icy ocean.
Your throat starts to catch, your head feels hot, your eyes begin to blur and well with salty tears.
Two young lovers cling to each other, awaiting rescue. She calls out his name as a lifeboat draws near, a chance for their survival and safety, for them to finally be together… But it’s too late. Jack is already gone; his grave now the depths of freezing waters which have claimed the lives of so many others. She’s alone.
You can hear the guy seated in front of you stifle a sniffle in hopes of retaining his macho facade for his date — and so he doesn’t have to eat his words later for complaining about the “chick flick.”
We need to reflect on our general reception of films.
Many people I know, myself included, feel the urge to constantly scrutinize movies, hyperfocus on their critical ratings and analyze them to their core as if they should all be perfect from beginning to end. If it doesn’t have an exact blend of good cinematography, acting, editing and writing, the movie is ridiculed, discarded and ignored.
The sheer amount of negativity and harsh criticism thrown around detracts from the true meaning of film, which, at its root, is a form of art and enjoyment. Sometimes we need to learn to relax, take things at face value and appreciate the experience for what it is, whether it’s “Sharknado 5: Global Swarming” or “Forrest Gump.”
And I’m not saying people shouldn’t analyze movies — I like watching hour-long, in-depth film analysis YouTube videos just as much as the next guy. Analysis can help people appreciate and understand movies, but we don’t all need to constantly be film critics and hand judgment down on movies as either “good” or “bad.”
Consider “Mortal Kombat” (2021). A majority of people would not consider it a “good” movie, but my friend, Azeem, greatly enjoys it.
“It captures the dumb fun that I like about “Mortal Kombat” because, at the end of the day, the whole series is about dudes fighting each other until their limbs pop off,” he said. “It was never serious to begin with. It’s campy, and the “Mortal Kombat” movie captures that well.”
There are bound to be movies people aren’t going to like. That’s OK — we all perceive and experience things differently. Someone else out there, like Azeem, will love and find meaning in them.
And all things aside, no matter what movie we’re talking about, it’s still a unique piece of art born from a considerable amount of time and effort by people who care about it. Whether it’s just a funny thing to laugh at or something we’ll continue to think about for years to come, it has worth to someone.
The music swells for one last time, and you feel content and happy as the two young lovers unite again in the afterlife. The credits begin to roll, as do the tears down your cheeks. The emotional energy in the room swells as everyone, including the guy in front of you, begins to gradually join together in a round of applause and small cheers. It doesn’t happen very often, but it feels nice to be a part of when it does.
Click here to view the photo essay that pairs with this story
