Why not? We say that violent movies pass on the message of violence. The converse is also true – the entire spectrum of movies is out there – we need to pick and choose those that serve our individual paths for evolution.
Movies have an advantage books don’t have – with books, the writer needs to translate her inner vision to words, and has to work within the limitation of words. Movies don’t have that limitation. With the improvement in technology, the movie can be used to convey the message exactly as envisioned with the necessary impact and clarity.
Below, I have listed the list of movies which have impacted me and have helped me evolve on my path. The list is huge but I think it is worthwhile to list them. I may miss a few entries, and I’ll add them as and when I remember them. I haven’t restricted movies by language because language need not be a barrier. The movies are listed in no specific order – I list them as they come to my mind.
Anbe Sivam
Translated in English, it means “Love is God” – this is the entire message of the movie. The movie was pretty unassuming and straight forward till it reached the end where it gave me a jolt. (In his book “Wings of Fire” – Abdul Kalam says “Ten minutes of text book flight wiped away months of hardship and struggle” – referring to the successful test of the indigenously developed missile ) – this movie had a similar impact – the message delivered in the last few minutes made it worth wile to sit through the movie for 2.5 hours.
Zorba the Greek
I read the book first (by Nikos Kzantzakis) before I watched the movie. The movie did not capture the true essence of the book – the message being “Live Life fully”. But I was happy that the book was made into a movie. For example, Zorba cuts off his finger because the finger was distracting his pottery work when molding clay. Zorba likes to move into his work so totally that cutting off his finger is not a high price to pay. The movie misses (or was left out during screenplay) this out. If you’re not an avid reader, you can watch this movie to get a glimpse into the world of Zorba.
Bharathi
A movie about the life of the Indian poet – Bharathi. Bharathi was a visionary – far radical given the outlook of society during his time. So he was ignored, disrespected and virtually outcast. It took more than fifty years for the people of south India to wake up to his work. The movie captures the spirit of Bharathi, supported by the awesome music of Ilaiyaraja.
Enter the Dragon
This movie would have been another action movie – if not for Bruce Lee. The name “Enter the Dragon” has become synonymous to the best Kung Fu movie ever. Watch this movie to see the spontaneity and dynamism of Bruce Lee. This movie also was his last official movie before his death, and Bruce never got to see this movie released. It is a violent movie, but it sets the context for Bruce Lee to express himself.
Two phrases of Bruce Lee are literally stamped on my brain. "It hits all by itself" - which Bruce used to indicate that his style is spontaneous and unrehearsed - and "Boards don't hit back" - which Bruce uses to convey to Bob Wall the message "I am fearless".
The Man who knew too little
This is the story of a man, who enrolls for the “Theatre of Life” company – which is a drama show where you participate as part of the drama. There is just one mix up – he misses the theatre of Life and gets involved with an espionage all the while thinking that he is participating in the theatre of Life. The movie was intended as a comedy movie – but I found great value in the outlook. To see Life as it happens as a big drama stage is very valuable, for this is what all masters say “Be in the world, but be out of it”.
Sliding Doors
This movie was also made as a Tamil movie titled 12B. I liked the English version better. This movie explores the difference a single moment makes in the events that shape our Life. The movie shifts into parallel tracks exploring the two possible outcomes. In the end, it makes a powerful statement – it says that our intentions and consciousness draws the events we choose to us no matter the route course (Deepak Chopra says – from point A to point B, there are infinite possibilities) – the movie explored two possibilities. I think, this essence was missed in the Tamil movie. Of course, even using a super computer would not help in analyzing the possibilities that arise from such moments. So what do you take from this movie – the amazement of what one moment does to your life, and to live it as alive as possible – leaving the details to the Universe.
Men of Honor
In Yoga, they say there are several ways to Enlightenment – intelligence, devotion, love, work. Can sheer iron-will see you through? This movie says “Yes” (This movie is not about enlightenment, though). It is based on the true life story of a man who wants to become a navy diver, but is being impeded constantly because of his skin color. He would not give up, ever, at any point of time – and this sees him through every single obstacle in his life.
The Accused
Murdering some one is a crime as per law. What about instigating some one to murder? And what if that person wouldn’t have committed the murder if he wasn’t instigated? My take is that it must be a crime as well – when you can inspire some one to evolve higher – the converse can also be true. In this story, a woman gets raped by two men. Because they were cheered on by a group of people watching, two more people join in. The movie explores this audacious subject – of whether the people who cheered on the crime were part of the crime.
K-Pax
This is an amazing encounter between a psychologist and a man who claims to have come from a planet called K-Pax. The psychologist is never able to prove that the man is a delusional and eventually leans towards doubting if he is a delusional. The fascinating aspect was how the movie presented the details about extra terrestrial life, and about the K-Paxian talks about the way the Universe functions. In many ways, it is just a thriller with an Extra Terrestrial back drop – but just the idea is fascinating. It is my feeling that there is Life outside the Earth, so I enjoyed this movie a lot.
Addendum: On one of the CWG websites, a summary of this movie was given - as "The knowledge of enlightened civilizations - demonstrated". I don't think it can be summarized better.
The Phenomenon
This is the story about a man who gets zapped by a seemingly Extra Terrestrial flash of light, and becomes a genius because of this. This movie explores what happens to him as a result, and how his life in relationship with others changes as a result. For me, the possibilities of the end result are exciting – though the means might be anything (the movie says the same thing – the flash of light wasn’t ET by the way).
Life is Beautiful
This is the story of a father, a mother and a child who are taken to a German concentration camp during WWII. A man of incredible faith, the father convinces the child that they are playing a very big game, and the game is to escape from the “big, bad men who yell all the time” (Nazis). Despite going through a lot of hardships, the man manages to use humor as a device to change his son’s outlook of the entire event. The story is a flashback, as narrated by the child.
It’s a Wonderful Life
This is the story of a man who is pushed to his limits and eventually decides to end his life. God sends him an Angel, who offers him the gift of seeing life as it would have been if he had not been born at all. A fascinating and eye-opening exploration – this movie is a must watch!!
Kamaraj
This Tamil movie was made under a lot of economic constraints – but it manages to get a powerful message through. It shows a leader who lived sometime back, who we could use as a role-model. Sadly, India is one of the most corrupt nations in the world today. The only way to change this is for individuals to change. This movie showcases a man who refuses to play “politics” despite being a politician, who dedicated his entire life working for the society – and eventually telling us – it has been done before, why not again?
Amadeus
I watched this movie for one reason – my favorite composer Ilaiyaraja had watched this movie thirty two times. I wanted to see what was so special with this movie. It is about the life of Mozart – another disrespected genius, who lived a life of hard ship and poverty. The movie is presented through the eyes of Saleri, a musician who can see the genius in Mozart, when no one else could, but was jealous because he wasn’t gifted with the same talents. Eventually, he plans to murder Mozart, with his own music as the device. Was he successful? This movie is a shining tribute to Mozart. His music forms the back drop for the entire movie and is a great inspiration to watch.
Powder
Powder is the movie about a boy, based on the descriptions, can only be described as already enlightened, but doesn’t know it yet. Again, the message of the movie is “we are all one”.
Note: I read a news article about the director of the movie, Victor Salva. Some time back, he had molested a young boy sexually. So, I read a lot of reviews decrying this movie. I didn’t know this when I saw the movie – but taking both of them in context had me thinking. Eventually, I decided that it is possible that the movie could have been made with sincerity. I tried placing myself in his shoes – so I did something which I don’t feel proud or good about – is my fate sealed forever? Perhaps it would take sometime for people to trust me again (or perhaps it may never happen), but it doesn’t prevent me from starting on a new path? In any case, this is a very powerful movie which must not be missed.
Before Sunrise
This is a wonderful, wonderful movie. It is about two strangers, a man and a woman who meet in a train bound to Vienna, Austria. They start to talk, begin to like each other. The man convinces the woman to get down in Vienna with him and spend the night with him, before he flies off to USA (his home town). They spend the night together, enjoying each other’s company – finally falling in love. The spontaneity, the hesitancy, the tension, the romance and the attraction between a man and a woman meeting for the first time have been wonderfully captured.
Before Sunset
The lovers meet again – after nine years (incidentally, the movie was actually shot after nine years, so the characters are really nine years older). They talk about how their lives changed during this time period – and so many other things – with an undercurrent of attraction. As with the sunrise, the sunset is beautiful.
The Education of Little Tree
This quiet, unassuming movie is more powerful than it appears. This is about a small boy called Little Tree, who is of American Indian origin. After his parents’ death, he grows up with his Indian grandparents – who teach him the Indian way of life. This is an unforgettable period for Little Tree, who falls in love with the Indian way of life – before he is ripped off to the American way – and finally escapes from the American boarding school to reunite with his grandparents.
Pay it forward
The teacher asks the students to take up one thing that they could do to change the world – an idea – and act upon it. It was a part of the “regular class assignment” for the teacher as well – but not for one small boy. He thinks hard and comes up with a plan – to do three good deeds to three different people. He will not ask them for any personal favors, but will ask them to pass on the favor to three different people. Will it work? What were the results?
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Bobby Fischer was a chess champion America had produced. Now, Josh Waitzkin’s parents see flashes of genius in their kid. So what do the father and the chess tutor try to do? They teach him to play like Bobby Fischer, and about the importance of winning. Josh thinks otherwise – he wants to be himself and still play chess his own way. Does he succeed? Will his father and his tutor let him?
Jillian’s Vantage
What difference does looking through the heart make? All the difference – says Jillian’s Vantage – a short movie written and directed by Geno Andrews. Jillian Vista is the start of the movie – her acting and her beauty captivated me – and so did the movie.
Rabbit Proof Fence
Aborigines (kids especially) in Australia were separated from their parents and placed in an Australian camp, to make them forget their ancestral roots. This story is about three girls who were removed from their parents and placed in a camp over thousand miles away. The girls escape from the camp – and walk all the way back to their homes. This is a true story. It happened a second time to one of the girls, and she walked all the way back again. The Australian government called this program “protecting the Aborigines from themselves”.
Right here, Right Now
This is a short movie – and Indian movie, directed by Anand Gandhi. This movie passes on a powerful message – “what you pass on, you will eventually receive”. This is the story of a young man, who throws an angry outburst at his mother, and inspires his young brother, in successive situations. The movie explores the chain of events following both of his acts – and ties them together in a surprising culmination.
Hearts in Atlantis
This is a wonderful movie which explores the relation ship between a small boy and an older man, who also happens to be a psychic. It also explores the impact this old man had on this young boy. It also wonderfully captures the tender love between this boy and his (girl) friend. The movie is viewed as a flash back of this young boy, who is now a grown up adult.
Guru (Malayalam)
This is the movie about a rogue, who has an extraordinary insight (the insight must have happened in a flash – but it spans more than one hour in the movie). He is transported to a land where all people are blind. Eventually this man loses his eyesight and regains them back – so he learns the value of his eyes. Symbolically, the eyes of his heart open as well – and so he becomes a transformed man.
Note: The music for this movie is absolutely fabulous – scored by Ilaiyaraja.
Kutty
This is a tamil movie about a small girl called Kutty, who is forced to work because of her family’s economic constraints. It captures the hardships faced by this small girl. There are people who are compassionate and understanding – but does this help her?
Housefull
How does bombing one thousand innocent people help you achieve your goal – whatever your goal may be? This Tamil movie explores those moments where the people inside a movie hall do not know that the hall is going to explode, and the people outside go through a turmoil, looking to save those people, and to pray for the bomb to keep from exploding. I watched this movie seven times just for the background score by Ilaiyaraja. The movie bagged the Indian national award for it’s theme.
Patch Adams
Patch Adams is about “Patch” Adams, a doctor who believes that to be happy and loving is 50% health, and proves it despite several obstacles. This is based on a true story.
Fearless
This is the story of a man who survives an aircraft crash. Minutes before the crash – instead of escaping into unconsciousness, he loses his fear of death. How his life changes after the crash is what this movie is about – an amazing exploration.
American Beauty
Yet another movie with the untiring and rejuvenating message of ‘Live Life Fully’
Niram (Malayalam)
Remade in Tamil as ‘Piriyadha Varam Vendum’ and in Telugu as ‘Nuvve Kavali’ – this movie is a delightful exploration into the fine line dividing friendship and romance between a man and woman. Shalini is absolutely pretty in this movie. I understand very little Malayalam, but I followed the story very well.
Pleasantville
How many different outlooks are possible to say ‘Live your life fully’. This movie is another one!! The characters are magically transported to a 1910 drama where the characters in the drama live unchanging lives (in Black and White!!). The two people who were transported create change (and color!!) to the dismay of one group and to the joy of another. Pleasantville is more than pleasant.
Karuvelam Pookkal
What can you do when you know some one is helpless and would do anything for a decent meal, a good education and a place to live? Lure them with money. How? In this movie, an innocent village is lured into working in a matchstick factory – throwing their lives into turmoil. This is a Tamil movie – and is absolutely uncinematic (meaning – no ‘masala’ or ‘commercial’ aspects). It presents truth in a straight and unpretentious way.
Twister
It seems that this movie got the facts wrong – this is not the way Twisters work. I couldn’t care less. The way the twisters have been picturised (created) is so amazing that it feels like you’re right there – in some cases wishing to merge with it. Yes there is some exaggeration and dramatization – but it takes nothing away from the depiction on one of the ways nature works.
Galaxy Quest
This is the story about a television series that is getting dull – and the three main actors in the show are getting fed up. The show is about a space adventure. However, there are aliens who are using this television show (think it as real) and it’s actors as rolemodels to build their ship. A story is woven out of this network. But what captured me most was the idea of how powerful thoughts can be when they are acted out. The actors are fed up with this show – but the aliens have built a real ship based on these ideas and worship these actors as space heroes. In some instances, this was overwhelming and I almost cried. I would most certainly watch this movie again.
The Devil’s Advocate
It’s a very complex movie – based on my understanding, I’ll summarize the message of this movie. Every moment of Life – we choose a path to walk. This path can be the path of the Devil (Satan, Antichrist) or the path of God (morals, Christ, Heaven). The catch is that the Devil’s path is tempting – provides instant gratification, power, prestige, money, fame, sex. God’s path is unappealing. And to keep making God’s choice all your Life is tiring. What’s the point – you may never see this heaven which God’s path promises. What does it promise – nothing. You receive a boring dull Life in exchange for an elusive goal after death. Satan or God – we see these choices being played through the eyes of a lawyer who’s growing successful by the day. The emotions and turmoil’s are depicted brilliantly. Also, this movie was fucking scary – especially since we can relate to this on a day-to-day basis.
Viswa Thulasi
This movie was a poem done with visuals and rich music on the back drop. As each scene unfolded, I felt that I could be watching this forever – with a big smile on my face. I didn’t like the ending. When the titles displayed “a film by Sumathy Ram” – I couldn’t help but exclaim “sodhappittiye Sumathy”.
Don’t let the ending bother you – just watch it for the attraction and love between Viswa and Thulasi. There was one scene where Viswa completes his lunch and goes to wash his hands. He starts to come down the stairs and Thulasi would be coming up the stairs. There is room for only one person to cross. They stand there watching each other’s eyes. Then Viswa takes one step forward and Thulasi takes one step backward – and so on, till they reach the foot of the stairs. Thulasi pours water on Vishwa’s hands for him wash. When Viswa turns to leave, she would hold our her sari end for him to dry his hands. This was so beautifully done – and is just one example of how the entire movie is built – frame by frame.
Dead Man Walking
Two men commit two murders (together) - one of them a boy and the other a girl. The girl is raped before murder. One of them escapes and the other is caught, and sentenced to death. A nun interacts with him in an effort to release him first, and then to help him die with grace and dignity. The parents of the deceased people go through a web of emotions trying to come to terms with their loss and with their hatred of the murderer. The murderer is angry at his fate first, and is then filled with regret for his act.
The biggest strength of this movie is that it doesn't take sides. It also doesn't downplay anything - not the brutuality of the act, not the feelings of the parents, not the emotional dilemma of the nun, not the genuine regret the man feels at the end. We as viewers are to make the choice of creating our own meaning out of the sequence of the events provided. Needless to say, the meaning would be different for each of us. In this sense, the movie comes very close in offering us a slice of reality.
The Day After Tomorrow
How long can we keep living like all our actions do not have repercussions? When we cut down trees like they grow overnight, or when we deplete fossil fuels like we use water, bit by bit we add to the temperature of the atmosphere, causing global warning. This movie is yet another 'yellow light' for us to wake up - before the 'red light' goes on.
While you're at it, please also read 'The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight' by Thom Hartmann.
The Day after tomorrow
This movie comes as a warning depicting the consequences of global warming. A paleo climatologist warns about an impending ice-age very soon (his very soon was a hundred to thousand years down the line) if we continued pumping 'heat' into the environment. All of them are in for a surprise when his predictions come true a lot sooner that expected. There are several scary moments in this picture (if you imagine them happenning in reality) - like the temperature dropping to -150 degrees farenheit, or sea waves rising to 150 feet and submerging New York City (this is an incredible scene).
Sleepers
Every event that happens to us conditions us, and changes the way we experience the world - either in ways we desire or in the opposite way. This is especially true for events that happen to use in our child hood. This story is about four children who are sentenced to a reformatory school for a crime they commit. They are abused (physically and sexually) by a group of gaurds and this event would change their lives forever. Two of the children become gangsters, one of them goes into seclusion, and leaves only one of them leading a 'normal' life.
What dreams may come
This movie explores the journey of Life after death (what an irony). For the most of us, what happens after death is anybody's guess. But the message this movie provides is the most comforting. It says that the way you lived your life before death forms the circumstances for your experience after death. In other words, you create your experience after death. This can be 'heaven' or 'hell' depending only on your view-point. The visuals for the after-life images are stunning.
Whalerider
A small tribal community in New Zealand. For several generations, a male child has always been the successor. This current generation is an exception, where the male child dies during birth leaving only the female child. The mother dies as well, so that leaves no leader for the community. Or is it really so? The little girl has other ideas, to the indignation, and later, the respect of her grandfather.
The Shawshank Redemption
This is among the best best movies I've seen in a long time. A man (wrongly) convicted for murder of his wife and her lover is sent to Shawshank prison for a double life sentence. He serves as a rolemodel for living in the prison world - with it's limited freedom and brutal surroundings - in a way that is inspiring for his fellow inmates.
American Made
A short movie about an Indian family in the USA. They are stranded on a secluded highway on their way to the Grand Canyon as their jeep breaks down. Here, they struggle with their traditional values and their new surroundings. Hidden feelings and compromises come out in the open and what ensues would change all of them.
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