What makes a great movie?

A friend on wisemenpromotions.com posted this question: "what makes a great movie?" I thought about it, and here's my best attempt at a brief response. ;)

The formula is simple: "Heat" is a great movie. :)

Actually it is simple, it's just maddeningly difficult to achieve from the looks of things. My belief is that the film must tap into the spiritual current that is alive in all human beings. That's a fancy way for saying, what are the stories that we remember? What are the stories that lasted? Why?

Because those stories have such a deep connection with audiences that we can't help but be affected and find meaning in them.

I try to answer this with emotional answers. What are the great movies to me? What made them great?

Chances are, your list will not be unified by genre or tone--that doesn't bode well for coming to a clear conclusion does it? But it still stands: your list is still great, so what is it that they have in common?

Like I said earlier, I think it's spiritual. The greatest movies I've seen have a lot to say about truthful meaning. I believe it's because the stories and aesthetics are appealing to a natural stream that we are born with.

Why does every person strive for meaning? Why are there so many religions? Why do people care about art? It's all going toward the same thing in my belief: we're all trying to get to God.

So what makes a great movie in my belief is that it is exhibiting pieces of the truth that surrounds us: God stuff.

Some of you may not like that answer, and I may not have articulated it very well, but that's to be expected. The truth is, it's completely subjective--a testament I believe to our varying degrees of relationship with God (also subjective because some people just aren't affected by art--they grow through other means).



All that to say, here are some symptoms that are typical for my particular walk and taste:

1: Aesthetics are critical. If there is no form of spectacle (a broad, textbook use of the term), then it's not entertaining, or interesting...i.e. I don't care. For me, a grand musical palette is a common element among my greats.

2: It does not dishonor God or Godliness. Many differing opinions on what that means no doubt--I don't care to elaborate as I can only point out specific examples, not general principles.

3: It reveals something I never knew before about the world, or myself. --some movies changed my life.

4: Something I can watch many many times. --some movies are good, but I'll not likely watch them again.

5: Ascension -- it must urge me to be a better person (in my case, get closer to God)

That's the best I can come up with.