Why Bad Movies Are Good
March 17th, 2007, by Hilko
I love bad movies. And with bad, I mean movies that can be described with adjectives like ‘dark’, ‘bleak’, ’sad’ or ‘depressing. Many of my friends don’t understand this, and even I find this fondness difficult to explain. Why do I love movies so much, and why do I love ‘bad’ movies in particular? What is it about them that I find so good?
A possible explanation would be that it’s a form of escape. We watch ‘positive’ movies to escape from our current situation, by making us forget about it for a while. We watch ‘negative’ movies to make us feel better about our own life, by comparing it to the lives of less fortunate people.
This explanation, true as it may be for some, didn’t satisfy me. I then realized that there was another reason why I love movies so much; for me they’re not an escape, but a reminder.
I watch Fight Club, to remind me that a healthy disregard for ‘the system’ shouldn’t escalate into anarchism, or fascism.
I watch Amèlie, to remind me that the smallest things can affect individual lives greatly.
I watch American Beauty, to remind me of the rottenness beneath the surface of families around me that appear to be completely normal.
I watch Road to Perdition, to remind me that a person can be redeemed, no matter how evil an destructive his actions.
I watch City of God (Cidade de deus), to remind me of the death grip that crime and drugs can have on complete cities.
I immerse myself in these movies to remind me that there is much, much more to life, but also to remind me that, for many, there is much, much less to life.
My favorite movie is The Shawshank Redemption. In it, the main character is wrongfully imprisoned, but eventually escapes. More importantly, he changes the lives of his fellow inmates, even saves one of them from suicide, and leads him to a new life. It encapsulates everything I love about movies. It shows the ugly side of life, but also preaches hope.
In the end, these movies serve as more than just a reminder. They shock me awake, prod me out of my comfort zone, and prompt me to action. They encourage me to question and explore the world around me. To fight the bad, and pursue the good.
Fantasy is sometimes the best reminder of reality; the pulp fiction-esque approach to inner-city violence (City of God) might be more effective than a documentary, and the extreme, surreal and brutal Fight Club might be the most effective way to depict the hollowness of many people’s lives.
Movies magnify the good and the evil in the world, and that’s one of the main reasons why I love them.
March 17th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
Hey, “The Shawshank Redemption” is one of my all-time favorites, too! On top of the film’s well-written script and excellent cinematography, I have an extra sentimental attachment to the movie in that it was filmed in my hometown (”Shawshank Prison” is actually the old “Ohio State Reformatory” in Mansfield, Ohio). Cool, huh?
April 1st, 2007 at 7:47 am
Het is goed te weten dat films een goed effect hebben. Dat ze niet zomaar nutteloos vermaak zijn. Echter de vraag: als films een goed effect hebben op je geweten, kunnen ze dan ook een negatief effect hebben?
April 18th, 2007 at 8:01 am
Maybe the reason why the Bad movies are good is because we don’t expect anything from them. We can form them to our deeds. We could play it as a worthless toy thus enjoy our imagination. This is as well with people too. As long as you don’t respect somebody, but respect his motivations, you become respected by him. Worthless is this something which we play with because we just don’t care. And as we play we get used to it. In the end we are the masters of the game. The unidentifiable source of Happiness … Just the things that you don’t care at first.