Introduction

Since the beginning of the film era, hundreds and thousands of movies have been produced and released. Yet few of them can be deemed worthy of praise or recognition. But what makes these movies great? I believe that at the root of it all, what makes a movie compelling is the connection the film establishes between the audience and the movie. The audience does not just simply view the film- they experience it. Effective movies transport the audience to the world of the movie- the narrative grips the audience’s emotions, and the viewers feel what the characters are feeling for themselves. 

Although movies of the silent film era may not possess the same glamour and flashiness that movies today have, they can still be quite noteworthy and compelling. One example of this is the film Le voyage dans la lune (Georges Melies). This silent film portrays a group of ambitious scientists and their journey into the filmmakers’ imaginative world of the moon. Although the world the filmmakers portray is fictional and impossible, we as the audience can still connect to the characters in the film. We feel their excitement when they land on the mysterious surface on the moon and their fear and anxiety when they are captured and brought into the intimidating alien palace. The audience remembers the imaginative and compelling story the filmmakers tell. In another silent film, The Great Train Robbery (Edwin S. Porter), the filmmakers transports the audience to the world of the American West and the cunning bandits that make their home there. In the film, the audience despairs over the deaths and the loss conflicted against the innocents on the train, and when the narrative is brought to resolution through the deaths of the bandits, they feel the closure felt by the characters in the film. 

One of my favorite films that demonstrates a compelling narrative and connection to the audience is the 1994 movie Forrest Gump (Zemeckis).

  The movie blends a mix of comedy and drama to illustrate the life of the main character of the story, Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks). The comedic sequences in the film were witty and hilarious, but I think that is only part of what makes this film great. The film does a great job of portraying Forrest as a genuinely honest and well intentioned character. We, as the audience, sympathize with him and feel that we understand everything that he is experiencing. We feel his heartbreak at the loss of his loved ones because we know that he genuinely cared for them. I think that this connection with the character the central theme that “good will prevail” makes a particularly good story. 

Another great film that I enjoyed was Up (Pete Docter). The 2009 Pixar film is focused on the adventure of the elderly Carl Fredricksen and his eager 9 year old companion, Russell. The movie, through its thrilling action sequences and humorous scenes, is quite entertaining. But the film is also quite heartfelt in the development of the relationship between Carl and Russell. Throughout the film we can easily see that Carl views Russell as a nuisance. But later in the film, Carl is forced to make a choice between Russell or his house. We learn that Carl genuinely cares for Russell by risking his life for him. I think that this transformation within Carl makes a great story because it resonates with the central theme and viewers that relationships with people are much more important than self satisfaction.