Cinema and Content: A Plea

 Hey Guys!

Today, I want to do something different. I'm not going to be talking about one single movie, or a series, or even a filmmaker. Today, I want to talk about the nature of cinema itself and the state it is in today. Keep in mind, I must tell you that I am just an 18-year-old who finds himself deeply in love with the art form. I do not claim to be a knowledgeable person who knows all about movies. Far from it, in fact, I know nothing about movies. All I know is that I love them, and with every film I watch, my love for the art of cinema deepens. So with that, let's begin.

So recently, I have been reading quite a lot of what a certain filmmaker has been putting out, by the name of Martin Scorcese. You may know my friend Martin as the director of some truly brilliant films like Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990), and many more. A few months ago, he voiced his concerns over the nature of the cinema industry today in a brilliant essay titled Il Maestro, dedicated to Fredrico Fellini [La Dolce Vita (1960), 8 1/2 (1963)]. It seems as though every month Scorcese says something about the cinema industry and every month it is a hot topic of debate. Given that trend, the same happened when he published this essay. Most people who did not see eye to eye with Scorsese claimed that he was an old snob who couldn't move on with times and that he was just jealous of the success of the MCU (that is in no way a random comment, by the way, he caught a lot of flack for equating the Marvel movies to "theme parks" back in 2019). So in this essay, I would like to put forward my own thoughts about this topic.

Simply put, cinema needs saving. From who, you ask? From algorithms. I want you to pause your reading of this essay here and head over to Netflix. When you open it, what do you see? I wager that there will be a section titled "Because you watched..." and then Netflix will recommend you things you might want to see. This recommendation is done by an algorithm. This algorithm puts forward things it thinks that you will like and hides things it thinks you will not like. What is the problem with this, you ask? The problem is... well, where do you explore then? Where do you get to watch new movies? Genres that you haven't explored will forever remain unexplored because of this algorithm. 

This algorithmic system of recommending shows and films on the basis of what you like devalues cinema as an art form. It makes cinema content. Content is something you can put in the background and take in as you do other chores. Content is something you view to pass the time. Content is TikTok, content is reels, content is YouTube (I am not trying to devalue them in any way). Content is user-based. It bends itself according to the needs of the consumer. Cinema, on the other hand, is art. Cinema is something you watch to alter your life. Cinema is made by the filmmaker to be a very personal thing. Cinema does not make itself easy to watch for the user. It does not give you answers, instead, it gives you questions. You do not walk into the Louvre or the National Gallery to be "entertained", you go there to learn and to be inspired. Why should it be any different for a movie theatre?

I can say that I've seen Citizen Kane after letting it play in the background as I do my college work, but have I really watched it? Do I know the intricacies of the montages that were used to signify the passing of time? Do I know the brilliant camerawork that was so revolutionary when it first came out? Of course not. I have always said when you watch a film make sure you ONLY watch a film. You can't be on your phone, you can't answer the door, you can't cook while watching a film. 

I am a huge advocate of the cinema-going experience. In my eyes, there is no other way of watching a film completely. I say this because when you go to the cinema, you don't just go to see a movie, you completely surrender your senses to the whims of the film. You give up two hours of your life, along with a few hundred other strangers, just to experience a film. In those two hours, you belong to the film. You see what it tells you to, hear what it tells you to, and you feel what it tells you to. No matter how hard you try, you cannot recreate that experience anywhere but a theatre. That is a simple fact. 

And given the pandemic situation, I feel people have become lazy when it comes to film. I see people going out on vacations, I see them heading out for dinner every week, but when it comes to the cinema they all suddenly become conscious of the pandemic. I believe that the pandemic is just a facade for those who want to sit at home and watch movies. I don't blame them, of course. Who wouldn't choose to watch a movie in the comfort of one's own living room, at one's own leisure? I would choose it too, had I not been struck by a deep love for the art form. Personally, even if the film comes out on streaming and theatres on the same day, I would choose to watch it in the theatre. I believe David Lynch said it best, "If you're playing a movie on your telephone, you will never in a trillion years experience the film." 

Now, I am not here saying that Netflix is bad, of course, it isn't. Scorcese himself released his last film The Irishman (2019), on Netflix. All I am saying is that try to explore over the same old surface-level content Netflix has to offer. So if you take away anything from this essay let it be this: explore. Widen your horizons; watch more movies; watch quality movies; push the boundaries of your comfort zone. Film is an art form that can truly change your life. That was how it was for me. Now every time I feel like my love for the art cannot grow, all it takes is a new film for it to deepen.

For as long as people create movies, cinema will exist. But it will get increasingly more rare as studios will produce more audio-visual theme parks over art. Do not let this happen. Go to your local theatre, watch a movie that is out of your comfort zone but you've heard great things about. If you can't, do the same at home. Let the studios know that people want art, not theme parks.  

So, finally, I would like to recommend 10 films from both, Netflix and Prime Video for you to watch, and when you do give them your whole undivided attention. It will change you. 

NETFLIX:

1. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) dir. Joel and Ethan Coen 
2. Collateral (2004) dir. Michael Mann
3. Okja (2017) dir. Bong Joon-Ho
4. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) dir. Stanley Kubrick
5. Silence (2016) dir. Martin Scorcese
6. Drive (2011) dir. Nicholas Wending Refn
7. The Meyerowitz Stories (2017) dir. Noah Baumbach
8. Shoplifters (2018) dir. Hirokazu Koreeda
9. Infernal Affairs (2002)  dir. Andrew Lau and Alan Mak 
10. Uncut Gems (2019) dir. Josh and Benny Safdie

PRIME VIDEO:

1. Spaced (1999-2001) dir. Edgar Wright
2. Whiplash (2014) dir. Damien Chazelle
3. Karwaan (2018) dir. Akarsh Khurana
4. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) dir. Yorgos Larinthmos 
5. Once Upon a Time in America (1984) dir. Sergio Leone
6. Donnie Darko (2001) dir. Richard Kelly
7. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) dir. Wes Anderson
8. City of God (Ciudad de Deus) (2002) dir. Fernando Mierelles and Katia Lund
9. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) dir. Celine Sciamma
10. One Night in Miami (2020) dir. Regina King  

These are films that I have seen and feel that everyone should see. Please, do give them a try. Explore new cinema, it will change your life. Thank you for reading. Until next time!