From Philosophical-Existential to Soul-crushing Films
Whether realizing the art form of filmmaking or not, directors and writers often use their preferred visual medium to tell a story. Ideologies, theories or whatever form of message is always decoded in this visual medium in hopes that the audience gets the message. The secret of making a successful film, especially when telling a story, is to avoid preaching.
From Mel Gibson to Seth Macfarlene, Federico Fellini to Ridley Scott and of course Hitchcock, their movies have messages, from symbolist storytelling to clever subtext dialogues. Here’s a list of some of the movies that have philosophical or psychological messages encoded for the audience.
KEY WORDS: DRAMA, EXISTENTIAL QUESTIONS, PHILOSOPHY, NICHILISM, state of MELANCHOLY or LONELINESS, PAIN
ABOUT NICHILISM
The word Nihil is Latin root of nihilism. Nihil means nothingness. Commonly nihilism is employed in the expression of Nietzschean philosophy, connected with Übermensch or eternal return theories.
Sometimes it is forgotten that Nietzsche promoted a “good” nihilism, as a starting point for new values; on the other side of the coin is the “bad” nihilism, embodied by the Marquis De Sade’s philosophy. So by connecting three key words, Nihilism, Sadism and Willful Nothingness, key influences relative to several filmmakers are achieved.
The Nihilistic world view is the expression of a pure void, ethically speaking, and cinema is a prime method of expressing this philosophy. There are a number of films which could fit into this category. Nihilism is a “behind the scenes” motivator and it is not seemingly uncommon to find movies based on this point of view.
SO,
there are some films in this world whose main function serve to depress the viewer, to show-case the darkest, most lurid and sordid acts, the most desperate and strife-ridden lives. Why, for the love of God, would anyone wish to view these films? To remind ourselves that we are human.
It goes without saying that every film in this list is a beautiful piece of cinema. A director doesn’t set out to make a harrowing film such as these without caring deeply about its cinematography and editing. But these films also strike such a powerful emotional cord that they must be experienced, at least once.
***
*Many of the describings are written by Luca Badaloni, who is studying his master’s degree in Philosophy. He believes that cinema is a perfect instrument for philosophical ideas and actually society needs critical thinking in several ways. He loves to write script, direct short movies but mostly, he loves reading.
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2015/15-great-nihilistic-movies-that-are-worth-your-time/2/#ixzz4arl66G7h
*Dylan Rambow, who studied film and journalism at Northern Illinois University, wrote the reviews about depressing films.
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2014/20-great-soul-crushing-films-that-are-worth-your-time/3/#ixzz4artgirCx
From Mel Gibson to Seth Macfarlene, Federico Fellini to Ridley Scott and of course Hitchcock, their movies have messages, from symbolist storytelling to clever subtext dialogues. Here’s a list of some of the movies that have philosophical or psychological messages encoded for the audience.
KEY WORDS: DRAMA, EXISTENTIAL QUESTIONS, PHILOSOPHY, NICHILISM, state of MELANCHOLY or LONELINESS, PAIN
ABOUT NICHILISM
The word Nihil is Latin root of nihilism. Nihil means nothingness. Commonly nihilism is employed in the expression of Nietzschean philosophy, connected with Übermensch or eternal return theories.
Sometimes it is forgotten that Nietzsche promoted a “good” nihilism, as a starting point for new values; on the other side of the coin is the “bad” nihilism, embodied by the Marquis De Sade’s philosophy. So by connecting three key words, Nihilism, Sadism and Willful Nothingness, key influences relative to several filmmakers are achieved.
The Nihilistic world view is the expression of a pure void, ethically speaking, and cinema is a prime method of expressing this philosophy. There are a number of films which could fit into this category. Nihilism is a “behind the scenes” motivator and it is not seemingly uncommon to find movies based on this point of view.
SO,
there are some films in this world whose main function serve to depress the viewer, to show-case the darkest, most lurid and sordid acts, the most desperate and strife-ridden lives. Why, for the love of God, would anyone wish to view these films? To remind ourselves that we are human.
It goes without saying that every film in this list is a beautiful piece of cinema. A director doesn’t set out to make a harrowing film such as these without caring deeply about its cinematography and editing. But these films also strike such a powerful emotional cord that they must be experienced, at least once.
***
*Many of the describings are written by Luca Badaloni, who is studying his master’s degree in Philosophy. He believes that cinema is a perfect instrument for philosophical ideas and actually society needs critical thinking in several ways. He loves to write script, direct short movies but mostly, he loves reading.
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2015/15-great-nihilistic-movies-that-are-worth-your-time/2/#ixzz4arl66G7h
*Dylan Rambow, who studied film and journalism at Northern Illinois University, wrote the reviews about depressing films.
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2014/20-great-soul-crushing-films-that-are-worth-your-time/3/#ixzz4artgirCx
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- DirectorLars von TrierStarsKirsten DunstCharlotte GainsbourgKiefer SutherlandTwo sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet threatens to collide with Earth.Lars von Trier’s film is a profound cerebral and visual piece on the dangerous depths of psychological withdrawal and depression. The large-scale, meticulous imagery von Trier employs gives us a sense of Justine’s (Kirsten Dunst) internal affairs, while also conveying to us that human existence is brief and insignificant, but nonetheless fraught.
- DirectorLars von TrierStarsEmily WatsonStellan SkarsgårdKatrin CartlidgeOilman Jan is paralyzed in an accident. His wife, who prayed for his return, feels guilty; even more, when Jan urges her to have sex with another.
- DirectorSpike JonzeStarsJoaquin PhoenixAmy AdamsScarlett JohanssonIn the near future, a lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need.Her is a sci-fi comedy drama that was directed by Spike Jonze and stars Joaquin Phoenix as a lonely man, who begins a relationship with a computer based Operating System, named Samantha. Visually stunning and accompanied with a superb score, the film proved a hit at the Oscars, with one win and four further nominations.
- DirectorSofia CoppolaStarsBill MurrayScarlett JohanssonGiovanni RibisiA fading movie star falls for a lonely young woman in Tokyo.Sofia Coppola really stepped out from her father’s shadow with this fantastically human film about the quiet wounds that loneliness inflicts.
- DirectorIngmar BergmanStarsVictor SjöströmBibi AnderssonIngrid ThulinAfter living a life marked by coldness, an aging professor is forced to confront the emptiness of his existence.Wild Strawberries is a metaphorically moving and exceptionally nostalgic road trip that in true Bergman fashion is jam packed with symbolism. This is a work of art from a genius director who was in the form of his life
- DirectorMichelangelo AntonioniStarsMonica VittiRichard HarrisCarlo ChionettiIn an industrial area, unstable Giuliana attempts to cope with life by starting an affair with a co-worker at the plant her husband manages.In Red Desert, Michelangelo Antonioni’s heart-breaking first colour film, we observe a woman’s sorry struggle with alienation and disorientation. Through brilliant use of colour, Antonioni delivers an emotional and visually stunning setting that channels our protagonist’s psychological anguish.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsEllen BurstynJared LetoJennifer ConnellyThe drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep.What makes it depressing: The apathy and lack of concern shown by everyone.
A plethora of different drugs conspire to bring down Harry Goldfarb, his girlfriend Marion, best friend Tyrone, and mother Sarah. At first, the drugs promise the allures of money from their sale, the relaxation of the party atmosphere, the fitness of diet pills. But the fact of addiction makes the usual dosage never enough, and the effects get progressively worse.
Everyone saw them as lost causes, lepers eaten away by a drug. Do not help; avoid at all costs. They clearly need help, but we must not help. That is what drug culture in America has become.
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2014/20-great-soul-crushing-films-that-are-worth-your-time/3/#ixzz4aruLIEwN
If Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas showed the comic and grotesque side of drug culture, then Requiem for a Dream shows the pure abyss of it. In this film the viewer is not situated with nihilistic characters but with a nihilistic milieu. The story revolves around drug addiction in several aspects from start to finish. The way this manifests itself could result in the film becoming a thriller but the theme is handled in another way entirely.
Aronofsky has created a series of short edits in order to evoke a sort of hallucination effect on the viewer. What will hit home for many is the absolute devastation brought about by this situation. There is no mercy for any of the film’s character. Nihilism will reach its zenith in destroying the characters’ lives. The film is divided in three seasonal sections and it is clearly metaphor in the fact that there’s no spring for them: there will be no redemption. Nihil is the only possible result for these sad characters. - DirectorWim WendersStarsBruno GanzSolveig DommartinOtto SanderAn angel tires of his purely ethereal life of merely overseeing the human activity of Berlin's residents, and longs for the tangible joys of physical existence when he falls in love with a mortal.Primarily shot in black and white, we see how the world looks through the eyes of our angels, whilst also being able to hear the thoughts of the people in focus.
Damiel (Ganz) and Cassiel (Sander) are both angels that roam the beautiful city of Berlin, observing the actions and thoughts of their subjects of choice. When the angels begin to pay more attention to their preferred mortals, this causes Damiel to fall in love with a trapeze artist named Marion.
The more Damiel sees of Marion, the more he longs to renounce his immortality. This leads to a meeting with Peter Falk, playing himself, as an actor currently based in Berlin, who shares a bond with the angel. Things however do not go as smoothly for Cassiel and the two angels soon begin to drift their separate ways and a return to colour beckons for one.
Complete with a wonderful score, powerful film footage and a truly moving storyline, Wings of Desire is a romantic and profound love story, wonderfully directed by Wim Wenders. - DirectorWim WendersStarsHarry Dean StantonNastassja KinskiDean StockwellTravis Henderson, an aimless drifter who has been missing for four years, wanders out of the desert and must reconnect with society, himself, his life, and his family.Travis (Stanton) is a presumed dead, muted and resigned drifter who is on a quest to track down his wife and son that he abandoned 4 years ago. As he hopes to try and rebuild the relationships, the painful memories sharpen, as reflection of his actions hit hard. When the truth draws near for Travis, an emotional and powerful resolution awaits.
- DirectorAndrei TarkovskyStarsOleg YankovskiyErland JosephsonDomiziana GiordanoA Russian poet and his interpreter travel to Italy researching the life of an 18th-century composer, and instead meet a ruminative madman who tells the poet how the world may be saved.
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsGeorge ClooneyNatascha McElhoneUlrich TukurA troubled psychologist is sent to investigate the crew of an isolated research station orbiting a bizarre planet.A complex and philosophically frightening study in confinement and alienation, Solaris is an epic vision by a supremely talented and grandiose director. Whilst probably not his best work, Solaris is still a beautifully insightful and captivating movie that makes a great companion for Kubrick’s own tour de force, ‘2001’.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartJohn DallFarley GrangerTwo men try to convince themselves they've committed the perfect murder by hosting a dinner party after strangling a former classmate to death.This is an anti-existentialist movie, and James Stewart discovers to his horror that, following existentialism principles, two of his students have killed their classmate. James Stewart at the end realizes that depending on this philosophy only produces suffering for the follower and the people around him. This movie brings up references to the Nietzsche philosophy “Ubermensch,” as well as containing Freudian allusions.
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2014/the-18-best-philosophical-movies-of-all-time/#ixzz4arTtISML - DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsMichael KeatonZach GalifianakisEdward NortonA washed-up superhero actor attempts to revive his fading career by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway production.
- DirectorIngmar BergmanStarsMax von SydowGunnar BjörnstrandBengt EkerotA knight returning to Sweden after the Crusades seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.The Seventh Seal, a cinematic model of existentialism, a man’s apocalyptic search for meaning. This extraordinary tale is about a knight who challenges Death to a fateful game of chess.
Although this movie is about understanding themselves in terms of metaphysical and philosophical questions, the Swedish director also wants the audience to experience this film with the issues of the problem of evil, philosophy of religion and existentialism. Bergman illustrates Bloch’s trouble with his beliefs incredibly well, the existence of an omnipotent God in the world, for his audience to view and judge for themselves. - DirectorJaco Van DormaelStarsJared LetoSarah PolleyDiane KrugerA boy stands on a station platform as a train is about to leave. Should he go with his mother or stay with his father? Infinite possibilities arise from this decision. As long as he doesn't choose, anything is possible.
- DirectorsDuke JohnsonCharlie KaufmanStarsDavid ThewlisJennifer Jason LeighTom NoonanA man crippled by the mundanity of his life experiences something out of the ordinary.Director Charlie Kaufman is somewhat of an expert on feelings of loss, emptiness, and sadness. In “Anomalisa”, an animated film, its tone is instantly recognizable as Kaufmanian. Michael (David Thewlis) is unhappy with the way his life has been tracking, and is rather numb to his experiences.
Simultaneously, Kaufman’s directorial decision to have all characters have the same voice is both hilarious and telling. Clearly, Michael sees everyone the same way: sad, and undeserving of his attention.
“Anomalisa” is founded on an existential crisis, but it emancipates itself from this description when Michael meets and falls in love with the flawed Lisa (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Although the film begins, steeped in sad loneliness, Michael’s love for Lisa allows the film to transition to a regenerative tone. - DirectorJean-Pierre MelvilleStarsAlain DelonFrançois PérierNathalie DelonAfter professional hitman Jef Costello is seen by witnesses, his efforts to provide himself an alibi drive him further into a corner.
- DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsBrad PittCate BlanchettGael García BernalTragedy strikes a married couple on vacation in the Moroccan desert, which jump starts an interlocking story involving four different families.
- DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsEmilio EchevarríaGael García BernalGoya ToledoAn amateur dog fighter, a supermodel, and a derelict assassin, all separately struggling to find love, find their lives transformed by a devastating car wreck in Mexico City.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsCatherine DeneuveIan HendryJohn FraserA withdrawn manicurist who disapproves of her sister's boyfriend sinks into depression and experiences horrific visions of violence.Roman Polanski’s first English language film; Repulsion, is a psychological horror made in 1965. Starring Catherine Deneuve, the plot focuses on a young woman’s descent into madness after being left alone in her sister’s apartment. Repulsion is the first instalment in Polanski’s sinister ‘Apartment Trilogy’ and in this viewer’s opinion, the best.
A claustrophobic and gory tale of sexual repression and isolation, Repulsion is a disturbing and unsettling tour de force that will go down as one of the most influential films of the genre. - DirectorMike LeighStarsDavid ThewlisLesley SharpKatrin CartlidgeAn unemployed Mancunian vents his rage on unsuspecting strangers as he embarks on a nocturnal London odyssey.A desperately bleak ‘dark-comedy’, Naked is an extremely raw yet intelligent film that contains a career best performance from David Thewlis. A huge success at the Cannes festival in 93, Naked hits like an emotional juggernaut, and then some. You have been warned.
- DirectorKrzysztof KieslowskiStarsJuliette BinocheZbigniew ZamachowskiJulie DelpyA woman struggles to find a way to live her life after the death of her husband and child.Sparse in dialogue and action, ‘Blue’ is a moving and painful observation of a woman emotionally devastated with bereavement. Whether through Binoche’s outstanding performance or the incredible musical vignettes, ‘Blue’ is simply a masterpiece in contemporary cinema.
- DirectorWong Kar-WaiStarsTony Leung Chiu-waiMaggie CheungPing-Lam SiuTwo neighbors form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs.Wong’s film is enhanced through its situation in a context of strict Korean social policy, adding a further layer of inhibition to the lives of Su and Chow.
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsBrigitte MiraEl Hedi ben SalemBarbara ValentinA lonely widow meets a much younger Moroccan worker in a bar during a rainstorm. They fall in love, to their own surprise and to the outright shock of their families, colleagues, and drinking buddies.
- DirectorMike FiggisStarsNicolas CageElisabeth ShueJulian SandsBen Sanderson, a Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his alcoholism, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There, he meets and forms an uneasy friendship and non-interference pact with prostitute Sera.Leaving Las Vegas is a despairing tale of two desperately lost souls and their struggles with addiction and loneliness. Nicolas Cage stars alongside Elizabeth Shue in this bleak portrait of a man and his crippling affliction with alcoholism.
