Film is an absolute powerful medium that can express complex ideas and feelings with relative ease. Of course most people look at film as a source of entertainment, escapism, and fun, but film can also express ideas that get people to think and feel and convey complex ideas that no other art medium can express. I want to use the Before Trilogy as an example of this, mostly because I just watched it and it's on my mind, but also because it expresses the idea of love and connection in a real, true, human way that art or music could never really do. We live in an age where love is often commodified through sex, or products that will "make our love life better." It's often hard to see true love and connection in today's world, but the Before Trilogy discovers it and shoes it in a way that isn't trying to sell you the idea of love, but what love really could be between two people and it does that through one relationship in three different periods of time. Before Sunrise is the beginning of this love story. Two strangers who meet on a train and have an instant connection through conversation and decide to spend the evening together in Vienna. You know like normal people. But that's the thing about this film. It feels like someone got a camera, and just followed these two people around and documented their day. It just feels so real. The conversations that they have don't feel fake or cheesy, the way they interact feels genuine, and the connection they share feels like a real love, not a Hollywood-esque love. Fast forward 9-years to Before Sunset, these two people are reconnecting for the first time since their special night in Vienna, as they walk around Paris remembering the night they had and what could have come of it. Once again this film is juggling these complex feelings with relative ease and it doesn't feel cheesy or fake. The actors show with their faces and performances that they are broken people who wish that their lives were different and that they were with each other. Then we finally move forward another 9-years to Before Midnight. We see these two, now with twins and navigating their adult lives and feeling the sting that is failing love. This film tackles the idea of unconditional love and how love can persevere through built up emotions, painful arguments, and fading feelings. What happens when that initial connection fades? When life is beating you on all sides? Will love prevail? Through clever writing, beautiful scenery, amazing performances, and masterful directing, The Before Trilogy takes an honest look at love through time that I don't believe many other mediums could handle. The power of film is very evident with this trilogy and it may very well be the best trilogy I've ever seen (sorry Dark Knight Trilogy). Hopeless romantic or not, I would highly recommend this Trilogy to anyone who wants to think about or be challenged by the idea of love and connection, because that's what great films do, they challenge us to think about our lives and how we live them. We may not always agree with a films message, but if the film gets us to think and come to a conclusion than I think that makes a powerful film. And that's why in the month of June I'll be watching at least one film a day and blogging about it, to find the deeper meanings and to catch up on my increasingly huge backlog of films. I'll be watching all types of films, from action to comedy, sci-fi to horror, animation to historical drama, and anything in between, to continue to show that there is more to film than just entertainment. Please subscribe to my newsletter if you are at all interested in the film journey I'm taking this upcoming month! I am beyond excited and thrilled to watch some great films!
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Austin VincentJust a guy with a passion for film and Jesus who's trying to show that He can be found in our creative endeavors. Archives
November 2018
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