I have always been interested in movies and the art of filmmaking, and I think that films are one of the greatest artistic endeavors in the way that they combine so many different elements (visuals and photography, acting and styling, costumes and lighting) together into one single artistic vision. While I am not a film major, I decided to take a film class this semester because I figured that there would be no better time to explore something I am interested in than college. One of the things that I was most excited for in my film class was watching and analyzing movies, and I couldn’t help but be curious about the movies we would be watching. If you are just as curious about the syllabus of a film 101 class, do not fear! So far in this semester my class has watched and analyzed four different films, each with its own genre and style. Here is my official (and very academic 😉) ranking of the films!
4. Christopher Nolan’s Memento
I must admit that I am not very familiar with many of Christopher Nolan’s films, however his directorial debut Memento was an enjoyable, suspenseful and impressive (if not confusing) movie. If there are two ideologies in storytelling, with one being a focus on clarity and universality, and the other being one of suspense, with labyrinthian drama, then Nolan is most definitely a master of the latter. While debatably easier to understand than his later films Inception and Interstellar, Nolan does not fail to create a story that playfully manipulates both time and space in a way that creates deep suspense for both the characters and the audience.
My class watched this film during our unit on editing, and it is clear to see why. The film uses a discontinuous approach in its editing (meaning that its timeline is not chronological, and its transitions do not adhere to the guidelines of reality). This creates a very suspenseful mood for the main character. The plot itself follows a man named Lenny trying to avenge the murder of his wife—the only issue is that he suffered a head injury during her murder and developed anterograde amnesia (meaning that he is unable to create new memories but still retains all his previous memories leading up to the accident).
The film follows him as he tries to figure out the clues behind her murder, all the while becoming convoluted as he struggles to remember where he is going and why. Driven by emotion, this movie incorporates both the action of a cat-and-mouse murder mystery and the sensitivity of tragedy. Overall, this movie was fun to watch and will leave you in suspense even after the credits roll.
3. David Miller’s Sudden Fear
I was a bit hesitant going into this movie due to it being rather old (it came out in 1952!). However, this movie was genuinely a fun watch. Starring the incredible Joan Crawford as a rich playwright and Jack Palance as a struggling actor with a sinister plan, this movie perfectly captures the whimsy and drama of film-noir. Filmed in black and white, the film does not lack in imagery, from the lush and decadent furnishings of Myra’s (Joan Crawford) mansion to the barren moonlit city streets. One of the things that surprised me while watching it was how much I would be sucked into the story and suspense.
The plot follows a successful woman playwright who fires an actor in her show only to later meet up with him and fall in love. Most romances would stop there, but this story takes a turn when the audience learns (much to Myra’s oblivion) that her actor boyfriend is better at his craft than she previously imagined and is plotting her murder (along with the help of his secret lover). This film takes all the suspense and wild twists of the film-noir genre and transforms it into a clever and exciting story. I highly recommend that you check this one out.
2. Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland
In case you missed it, this film won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 2021 Oscars, and it is clear to see why. This movie is one of the most beautiful films I had ever seen, and that beauty was ultimately down to the incredible cinematography and storytelling. The plot is simple, it follows the story of a woman named Fern as she travels throughout the American West in her van, documenting the people she meets, the friends she makes and the life she leaves behind.
Frances McDormand is absolutely incredible as Fern, and she delivers one of the most authentic portrayals of a character I had ever seen. The film features a lot of non-actors (something Zhao often incorporates into her films) and the performances from Charlene Swankie, Linda May and Bob Wells are some of the most memorable of the film. We watched this film during our unit on cinematography, and the shots in this movie feel like a love letter to the American West and to the beauty of the Earth (I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw some of the shots in the movie, whether it was the billowing sand dunes or the snow-capped mountains of the Nevada Desert). This film documents the people who take to the road (leaving both nothing and everything behind) for the great journey of life. Add this movie to your list for when you want to see something truly and simply beautiful.
1. Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight
No movie has made me stop and consider life like this film. While I had first heard of Moonlight due to the infamous slip-up at the 2016 Oscars (in which La La Land was falsely awarded Best Picture), I had never actually found the time to watch the movie. The plot follows a young boy named Chiron throughout his life (the movie itself is structured into three parts, in which each phase of his life feels in many ways like an act of a play). The intertitles that break up the sections of the film are so cleverly named and effective at cutting up the narrative that I was shocked each and every time at the direction of the story.
One element of the film that I found amazing was the acting, not just in the beautifully sensitive portrayals of the characters, (I could not believe the delicate and gentle ways in which the heavier themes of the story were addressed) but in the actors themselves. This film follows a character from childhood to adulthood and therefore has three different actors playing the part of Chiron. While the actors themselves may not look perfectly alike, (although it was some of the best age-progressed casting I have ever seen) there was something in the mannerisms and eyes of all three actors that drew them as one in my mind. Watching the film, I had no doubt that the adult Chiron was the same man as the teenage and child Chiron. All three carried the same soul.
As far as cinematography is concerned, this film captures the hazy, heatwave days of 1980s Miami, using saturated blues, yellows and greens to create a unique color style. The plot deals with many heavy themes like childhood traumas, absentee parents and the struggles of growing up as a gay Black man in a troubled neighborhood in America, but it does so in a way that is sensitive and nuanced. One of the things that stuck with me the most was the film’s emphasis on softness, which is a striking juxtaposition to the often hyper-masculinized and hyper-sexualized portrayal of Black men in America.
One of the most beautiful lines of the film, delivered by Chiron’s only father figure Juan (played by the incredible Mahershala Ali), is this: “In the moonlight, black boys look blue.” This line stunned me so much for its simplicity and the way it challenges societal perceptions. As the credits played, I was speechless at what I had just seen, and I cried upon hearing the final score of the soundtrack. This film, for all its style, tells a story so real I knew this character lived and would live through the lives of so many young Black men around the country.
To Conclude …
I would really recommend taking at least one class in college simply because it interests you. There is no time like the present to try and learn something new, and passion and interest can be fundamental in giving you the motivation to master a new skill or craft. I hope you watch some of these films and that you find them enjoyable, meaningful or simply fun.