Lord of the Rings

Title: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellon, Christopher Lee
Rank: 50

There is one extremely significant difference I have found between The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and every other movie on AFI's list that I've watched so far: This film does not belong on the list!

Whether or not I personally like a film that I watch for this project, I always try to watch the film objectively and write about it fairly as to why it is on the list. There have not been many films for this project so far that I have not liked, but the few that I didn't care for I was still able to find a reason that it had earned a place on AFI's list. With The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring there is absolutely no good reason I can think for its presence on the list.

I tried to find a reason, though, but I just couldn't justify this movie being on there. I thought maybe it's because of the story, but it was a book first and therefore the movie isn't the main medium for the tale. Then I thought about the fact that it is an epic movie, but there are already several other (much better) epic films on the list. Perhaps it's on the list because of the visual effects, but there are so many other films that could've been on the list that have much more astounding visual effects. It's definitely not on the list for the acting, because although the performances for the most part are just fine, I've seen just about all these actors in other features give much stronger performances to much more memorable characters.

Then I thought "Maybe The Lord of the Rings is on the list because of how much money it's made, and how popular it is." That thought was quickly tossed aside. The list is the "100 Greatest Movies of All Time" not the "Most Popular Movies of All Time" or "The Highest-Grossing Movies of All Time." If it were based on popularity or gross, then on the 2017 list we'd be seeing such films as The Hangover, Twilight, Transformers, and Shrek 2. While those may be popular and high-grossing movies, frankly, they don't deserve a place on the "100 Greatest Movies" list.

So why was The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring included in AFI's list? I still don't have an answer for that, and probably never will. I've tried to watch this movie several times over the years, but it just doesn't hold my interest. Sure, it's a finely made movie, but it feels more as though it was made for people who were already fans of the book and the stories. There's a abundance of elements to the story, and it's easy to get lost and not follow along if you are not already familiar with it. I didn't enjoy this movie, nor have I ever in the few times I've tried to sit through it. I don't hate the movie, I just do not care for it. The only thing that I did enjoy about this film was the sets and the visual effects, but like I said, there's tons of other movies that have amazing visual effects that are much more deserving to be on AFI's list.

Trivia:
•This is the only film on AFI's list that was made after the turn of the millennium. All of the other films are 1999 and before.

Movies to Go: 76

Intolerance

Movie: Intolerance (1916)
Director: D.W. Griffith
Starring: Mae Marsh, Robert Harron, Margery Wilson, Frank Bennett, Josephine Crowell, Alfred Paget, Howard Gaye
Rank: 49

"Your political views are different than mine, so I don't have any respect for you."

"I have different beliefs about the existence of a higher power than you do, so you must not be as smart as I am."

"My paycheck is much bigger than yours, and it must be because you're not as deserving as I am."

"You don't look as good as I do, so therefore I don't have to be nice to you."

"I don't understand your sexual orientation, so I don't think you should have access to the same things I do."

Yesterday morning, you went outside. You took a leisurely stroll down the street, enjoying the beautiful weather. While you were out, there was someone who judged you because of what you were wearing. Later in the afternoon, you got in your car and ran a few errands. As you drove down the street, someone tailgating you judged you because of your bumper sticker. That night, you went to dinner with a friend without realizing you had a stain on your shirt, and someone judged you because of it.

That sounds fair, right? I mean, isn't it easy to know who isn't our equal just by looking at them? It gets even easier when we find out little bits of information about them. It's safe to assume that anyone who is a Christian just isn't that bright, just like anyone who is an atheist is immoral. Illegal immigrants are the sole ones responsible for our current economic woes. The homosexuals are destroying the morals of the nation and are going to corrupt our children. Obese people, well, they're just too lazy to make a worthy contribution to society.

Sometimes, it feels as though we label each other because we are just too busy with life to be bothered to get to know who a person really is. We make judgments based on one past experience that we've exaggerated in our own minds or some out-dated stereotype that was never based in reality to begin with. Sometimes it seems like we fight so hard to eliminate anyone who is not like us. The world would be easy if we all shared the same ideas and beliefs, right?

Wrong.

Life has never been, nor will ever be, easy. (Personally, I think that's one of the things that makes life beautiful.) But if we were all the same, new ideas would never evolve. If we all agreed, if no one ever stood up and questioned why things are the way they are, we'd still be living in caves. If life were like that, it would be dull, and cease to exist.

I doubt if many of you have seen the film Intolerance. To be frank, I'm certain most of you never will. Sitting through a three-hour silent film about hate and injustice isn't many people's idea of a Sunday afternoon, but if there were any lesson I'd hope you would get out of my 100 Movies project, I hope it's from this film here. I'll be honest and say that I was both excited about seeing this film and dreading it at the same time. In cinema classes of years past, Intolerance always comes up as a point of discussion at one time or another, yet none of my film teachers ever showed it in class. Most likely, I'll never watch this film again, but it will stick with me for the rest of my life.

Intolerance follows four stories. All of the stories are long and involved, and moving, but I'm not going into plot synopsis. (If you really want the plot, you should look for it through Google or IMDb.) All four of the stories deal with intolerance, of looking down upon another human being because of a difference of opinion, class, culture, and religion. In all stories, love in blocked by injustice and bigotry, and in two of the stories the lover's die without ever being able to be with the one they desire. It is because of blind hate that love cannot bloom, because of judgments of trivial details rather than who a person really is.

Throughout the film, there is a shot of a woman rocking an empty cradle, and the words "Out of the Cradle, Endlessly Rocking" appear on the screen. This is a reference to a poem by Walt Whitman, about a bird who loses his mate. The bird has an unyielding love for his mate, and when she disappears he searches for her, anxious to find her once again. But they cannot be together because of forces larger than themselves, and so the bird eventually gives up, and in a way, he dies. Much like this poem, the love that could've conquered the world is crushed by the evil of judgment in Intolerance.

The sad thing is, though, that even though this film is just six years shy of being a century old, the same thing still happens in the world today. We are constantly judged for the little details about ourselves. And whether or not we want to admit it, there has been a time when we ourselves have judged others for something on the surface. The beautiful thing about being human, though, is we have a choice about how we view people. You may not be able to help how people view you, but you can control how you choose to see others.

Do you want to know how things will change, seriously? What could possibly make the world a better place? Us!! We can change the world, really. We cannot change others, but we can change the things we do. There are so many forms of discrimination and prejudice out there, but it's not something that is built into human nature, it is something that is learned! Stop saying sexist jokes, stop using racial slurs, because even if you don't believe yourself to be prejudice you are still fueling the fire by keeping the stereotypes alive. You never know who may be taking you seriously, or who may be hearing what you are saying! People who judge others based on superficial trivia learned to do so from someone else. Don't let it spread! Hate ends here, if we want it to.

Out of the Cradle, Endlessly Rocking


Movies to Go: 78

BEN-HUR

Title: Ben-Hur (1959)
Director: William Wyler
Starring: Charlton Heston, Haya Harareet, Stephen Boyd
Rank: 100

First, let me say thanks for sticking around during this hiatus. I've missed my 100 movies project deeply, and I've missed writing about the movies! Today I'll be (finally) writing the posts for the five movies I've watched since writing up The Grapes of Wrath nearly two months ago. Hopefully, there will be no more breaks after this!

Ben-Hur is an amazing film, one that molded the face of epic cinema. These days, it is common for film budgets to reach into the tens of millions, but back in 1959 MGM spent the astronomical price of $15 million to produce Ben-Hur. No expense was spared, and the results were well worth the price. It grossed an estimated $70 million, and saved MGM from bankruptcy. (source: IMDb/B.O.Mojo) But aside from saving one of the best-known studios from going under, Ben-Hur is a legacy, leading the ways for such films as Spartacus, Shindler's List, Titanic, Lord of the Rings, (all of which are on AFI's list) and many other appreciated epic movies. Every detail of this film was planned out and given careful attention, making it an absolutely beautiful film to view. The extras, the soundtrack, the sets, the script- everything about this film is grand and glorious! (Just make sure you have some time: Ben-Hur runs about three and a half hours long.) Ben-Hur raised the bar for films, calling them to be grander and push the bar of greatness.

The plot of Ben-Hur is one that touches many people. Judah Ben-Hur (played by Charlton Heston) is a man who, though wealthy, respects all people. Even though he is offered security and a high official rank if he gives the names of Jewish people who speak against the emperor, he turns it down without second thought and assertively protests the emperor to free all the Jews. Later, a controversy arises and he is made a slave. After three years of torture, he saves the life of the man who had beaten him down all those years when a boat accident nearly kills him. He never loses faith, never gives up hope, even when there is nothing he can see to hope for. He is freed after saving his slave-driver's life, and uses his freedom and new found social rank to fight for the rights of the people.

The story of Judas Ben-Hur parallels a story that is one of historical importance. Whether or not a Christian, nearly everyone is familiar with the story of Jesus Christ. Throughout Ben-Hur's journey, he comes across Jesus several times, and even though it is seemingly insignificant in gesture, Christ influences Ben-Hur each time they intertwine. When Jesus is being led to crucifixion, Ben-Hur is there watching in agony over the torture he is witnessing. Risking his own life, he gives Jesus a drink of water, returning the same favor Jesus gave him years prior. What is great about this is that the audience never sees Christ's face nor hears his voice, which instills the power of this man on the people, the mystery, and faith.

An epic movie is nothing without a good story to tell, but with an excellent and compelling story, Ben-Hur is a film that defines what an epic really should be. Fifty-one years after it was made, it still continues to be a major piece of discussion in any cinema class and a powerful influence on filmmakers today.


Movies to Go: 83