I saw a film once where they shot an elephant right on screen.
The way it fell down and over, collapsed, hurt me terribly. It was like
watching someone bomb St Peter's dome. I wanted to kill the hunters.
(Ray Bradbury)
Video/DVD*
This list does not contain tai chi videos.
These films were designed to challenge how you think and what
you think, and encourage the viewer to reconsider their values.
They do not endorse corporate society, material greed, media trends and
celebrity...
Instead, they challenge you to pause and think.
12 Angry Men
This classic court drama concerns the question of
authority.
One juror plays devil's advocate and finds that the facts are not quite as
clear as they seem.
By quietly encouraging the other eleven men to think and feel, he provokes a
line of inquiry that none of the jurors had anticipated.
Rather than trust the lawyers, the jurors examine the apparent facts of the
case and explore the situation for themselves.
Underlying beliefs, bigotry and judgements are found to count more than
facts for some people.
Amelie
Amelie lives an imaginative life of originality and kindness, finding joy in
small things.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelie
Elizabethtown
When success and fame are lost, living can begin.
Cameron Crowe's film is even more satisfying than his previous endeavours (Jerry
McGuire and Almost Famous), capturing the grungy substance of
real life and demonstrating that great fulfilment can be found in ordinary
people and the everydayness of living.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabethtown_%28film%29
Fight Club
This film takes an
unflinching look at corporate society and questions the
values of the culture.
The Christian maxim of 'turn the other cheek' no longer seems weak when
Tyler Durden demonstrates the courage needed to take a beating without
fighting back.
Perhaps the key scene is the chemical burn, when Norton's character fights
to
run away from the moment but ultimately
realises that what is happening cannot be ignored.
The danger of the 'cult of the personality' is illustrated in this film.
Blindly following a leader is naive, no matter how charismatic and
reasonable they may seem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWbr-bzCprU
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight_Club_%28film%29
The Fountain
A curious study of love, living and dying.
If you liked Solaris, you may
well enjoy this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fountain
The Game
'I was blind and now I can see' - is the Christian theme explored in
this movie.
A man who thinks that he has everything in life realises that he has nothing
of any real worth.
Only when he is willing to
let go of his own life does he realise what
matters.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Game_%28film%29
Groundhog Day
This film works at so many levels and is a profound consideration of how
we relate to the people around us.
It is easy to be flippant and ignore the strangers we pass every day or
encounter in daily relationship.
Can we build a relationship that is mutually satisfying?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day_%28film%29
I ♥ Huckabees
Nothing is resolved and no moral lessons learned yet this quirky film leaves
the viewer with an odd feeling of bliss as the final credits roll.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_%E2%99%A5_Huckabees
Jesus of Nazareth
TV movie
This is a very moving film which
questions the
values of our lives, irrespective of
whether your are a Christian or not.
The film is not overly religious despite its subject and does not ask you to
believe in anything.
Many people may claim to be Christian, but this film demonstrates the
courage and sacrifice required to make such a claim reality.
The Matrix
This film questions the quality of our existence and whether we
are working to serve machines rather than the other way around.
Reality and perception are not what they seem.
In our modern culture people have withdrawn from direct human interaction in
many ways, using text messaging, e-mails and chat rooms - rather than talk
face-to-face.
This creates a sense of alienation, of a society that no longer relates to
one another.
The
organic is giving way to technology.
Seven
Widely considered to be a film about a serial killer, Seven is really a
study of apathy.
In a city seemingly without hope, two cops question their own lives, choices
and values - as a sociopath highlights the depravity of the culture around
them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Se7en
The Silent Flute
This was initially to be a Bruce Lee film exploring
Krishnamurti's "find
out for yourself, not through anyone" approach.
David Carradine ultimately starred in this movie, and whilst it fails in so
many ways, it succeeds also.
Solaris
(2002)
A bold film which explores human relationship and the need to categorise and label
everything.
Human behaviour comes under close scrutiny; particularly the effect of
choice and
memory.
Memory forms the basis of knowledge, yet we seldom question the accuracy of
what is remembered and how far reality has been jaded by our perceptions.
'Solaris' is a name applied to an inexplicable phenomena found in space.
The film questions the purpose of
meaning and measurement, wondering if we
are really interested in the unknown, or just seeking a reflection of
ourselves.
Lao Tzu considered these very same questions in
Tao Te Ching.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solaris_%282002_film%29
Studio Ghibli
This film studio releases imaginative animated movies designed to
appeal to child and adult alike.
The movies consider Shinto, wabi sabi, simple living, the loss of
traditional culture, creativity, freedom, ecology, technology versus the
environment, the treatment of animals and war.
Example movies: Spirited Away, Nausicaa, Laputa, My Neighbour
Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Howl's Moving Castle.
*We ask that you buy original videos or DVD's from the supplier rather than pirate copies
Page created 10 October 2003