The Truman Show (1998) follows Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) through his everyday life. However, unbeknownst to Truman, his life is actually completely artificial as he is the subject of a reality TV show where everything and everyone around him is part of a set or hired actors. The film dives into many different themes involving control, such as parents who are too protective, oppressive governments, and free will. The meaning behind the movie is completely up to interpretation because the themes lean into so many different valid perceptions. This stands true for much of the symbolism in the movie as well. Today, the movie is all the more relevant and a great classic.
Written by Marcus Shelton
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Get Out (2017) is a psychological thriller about a black man, Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), taking a trip with his white girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), to visit her parents away from their normal city lives. Chris quickly learns how out of place he is through numerous racist remarks from her family. After a massive plot twist, Chris must act out of self preservation, yet an act of compassion at the end of the movie resolves some guilt from his past. The subtle symbols in this movie are easy to miss, but make the film's message much more impactful if noticed. The commentary on modern racism makes the film truly thrilling. Get Out was the most viewed in the Classic Film Series, and arguably one of the best.
By Savannah Dowell Moonlight (2016) is a coming-of-age story about a gay black man named Chiron (Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes) and follows him through three stages of his life, split into three acts. The film uses symbolism at every turn, whether through names, colors, or actions. The film dives into issues of identity, bullying, homophobia, and the acts that we put on for society. There is so much under the surface in Moonlight that the movie is worthy of a rewatch just to analyze the cinematic decisions. Although some scholars entered the theatre with a closed mind and failed to grasp the meaning behind the film, others who were more open-minded got to see an excellent and deep movie.
Written by Marcus Shelton Do the Right Thing (1989) was written, directed, and starred in by Spike Lee. The film follows a Brooklyn neighborhood during the hottest day of the summer which eventually causes racial conflicts to boil over. The film was Spike Lee’s first major theatrical release and his style is all over the movie. Although Lee’s stylistic choices and the film’s unique first half threw off some students, I personally left the movie with so much on my mind. Lee does an inspirational job of constructing the characters in the neighborhood in such a way as to give the neighborhood its own identity. The characters feel real, complicated, and have their own motivations. The film spends a large part of its run-time showing seemingly pointless interactions, but those scenes convey to the audience the personality of the setting and just how tense race relations are. Do the Right Thing truly does get more and more relevant every decade, cementing its position as a classic.
Written by Marcus Shelton Princess Mononoke (1997), the first and only animated movie in the classic film series, follows Ashitaka (voiced in English by Billy Crudup) as he travels to the west to lift a curse that will soon end his life. The film pursues themes of climate change and environmentalism through a conflict between humans and the spirits of the forest, which leads to overwhelming hate between man and nature. An absolutely beautiful film, Princess Mononoke managed to dive into ideas still relevant today while being unique and entertaining. Exciting conflict, stunning animation, and interesting characters made Princess Mononoke a joy to watch. This movie was many scholars’ first Studio Ghibli film, but it will hopefully not be the last.
Written by Marcus Shelton Lady Bird is a brilliant coming-of-age film that follows Christine "Lady Bird" McFerson (Saoirse Ronan) through her late teenage years. Growing up, quite literally, on the wrong side of the tracks fuels Lady Bird's concern about how her peers perceive her. As a result, Lady Bird struggles with the people she chooses to surround herself with—and not surround herself with. She also struggles with a tense relationship with her mother, Marion (Laurie Metcalf), which greatly affects their family dynamic. Lady Bird has big aspirations, though, as she's determined to go to a college on the West Coast against all odds.
In every way Lady Bird is about identity, and that is what makes it a great addition to the Classic Film Series: the central focus of many of our lives at this age is discovering our identities. Lady Bird beautifully captures the raw experiences of growing up, and that is precisely why many scholars (especially female scholars) were able to appreciate it so much. By Savannah Dowell Independence Day (1996) follows several characters including the American president (Bill Pullman), an Air Force captain (Will Smith), and a former satellite technician (Jeff Goldblum) as they fight off an alien invasion of Earth on Independence Day. The movie is unapologetically patriotic and a fun way to celebrate the fourth of July. Although the film is relatively simplistic and surface level, it was entertaining, and sometimes that’s all you want from a movie.
Written by Marcus Shelton Life is Beautiful (1997) starts off as a romantic comedy that follows Guido (Roberto Benigni), an Italian-Jewish man during 1939, as he attempts to charm an Italian woman named Dora (Nicoletta Braschi). After a time-skip into the 1940s that shows the two start a family and have a son, Joshua (Giorgio Cantarini), the movie has a sudden change in tone. The family is pushed into a concentration camp during The Holocaust, and Guido attempts to keep the horrors of genocide away from Joshua through over-the-top comedy. The film does an excellent job of making the audience care about the characters by exploring their personalities in the light-hearted, and genuinely funny, first half of the movie. This makes the tragedies they face all the more impactful, which proved true by leaving much of the GSP audience in tears. Life is Beautiful is an outstanding reminder about the horrors that real people with human motivations faced during The Holocaust and a great addition to the classic films series.
Written by Marcus Shelton Psycho (1960) follows several characters as they inadvertently run into the offputting and eccentric owner of the Bates Motel, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). Although regarded as one of the progenitors of the horror genre, Psycho fell flat with the GSP audience. Tension within the film seemed light and unintimidating. Psycho lacked any true scares and rarely left the audience with the breathlessness that horror movies are expected to deliver. Lastly, the twist ending was far too predictable for a modern audience that is accustomed to more shocking finales. Although Psycho attracted the most viewers of any movie in the Classic Film Series so far, many scholars left the theatre feeling let down.
Written by Marcus Shelton Casablanca (1942) was an unexpected comedy. The movie follows Rick (Humphrey Bogart) as he struggles to decide whether to aid his former love and her now husband in escaping from their Nazi persuers. Casablanca excited, humored, and shocked the audience with unpredictable twists, perfectly timed jokes, and stunning betrayals. Many viewers went in with expectations of a boring black and white film but were pleasantly surprised by the deadpan humor ever present in the movie, myself included. Casablanca was topped by a whirlwind of a love triangle that caused more than a few astonished outbursts from the audience. Overall, Casablanca was an extremely entertaining experience.
Written by Marcus Shelton |
AuthorsMarcus Shelton |