Movie Depictions of Real Life
Films have the power to inspire millions of people around the globe as they allow us to step out of reality and into another world. When movies tell a story, they often inform and influence the audience along the way. They can teach us about historical events, visualize a scientific discovery, or explain the complexity of a global, political incident. Black Hawk Down, Saving Private Ryan, and Dunkirk are three of many famous movies informing the American public about historical events during these time periods. In recent years, scientific movies that visualize space in detail have become more popular, with nominations from Interstellar and Gravity for multiple Oscar awards. Argo, a political movie based on the period of the Iran hostage crisis, played a pivotal role in describing the mission that rescued American hostages. These films’ stories, and how they mirror reality, have changed the way that the public views history, science, and politics.
Historical movies continue to amaze audiences, often recreating dramatic scenes from wars or battles. Saving Private Ryan, the winner of five Oscar awards, is famous for this effect. Unlike most movies, it shows the tragedy and gore of war instead of the heroism. The opening scene, which takes place on “D-Day” on Normandy Beach, shows the pure destruction of war. As Tom Hanks makes his way across the blood-covered beach, thousands of fighters can be seen falling to the ground in the background. This gruesome scene, lasting just over twenty minutes, has had opposing reviews from film critics across the world. Some believed the scene was unnecessary. Due to the majority of Americans not having fought in the army, it is clear that the scene changed how they perceived war. The bloody scene likely changed how Americans considered the life-changing events, such as the 9/11 terror attacks and the War on Terrorism, in the years that followed the release of the movie. Saving Private Ryan was a compelling film which played the role of informing the public about the real horrors of war.
Many movies amaze audiences, but rarely, some movies intrigue viewers and make millions of them wonder about mind-boggling concepts. Films focused on science often do this. Interstellar is an example of this type of movie. It recreates a beautiful, realistic representation of space. Not only does it help create a visually stunning movie, but it is also groundbreaking in science. Interstellar is the first movie to visualize a black hole. With the help of physicist Kip Thorne, director Christopher Nolan was able to use computer graphic imaging to conceptualize an object never seen before. The small details of the black hole make a massive difference in a viewer’s movie experience. Visible light from the universe can draw into the black hole, a scientifically proven fact. The scientific accuracy in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar is groundbreaking and helps create a beautiful film.
Scandals and global incidents fill political offices around the world. In November of 1979, Iranian rebels seized the American embassy and captured American workers. However, six diplomats escaped the embassy. With the help of the Canadian government, the American government carried out an operation that successfully returned the six diplomats. The mission was completed by forming a fake film crew which was to be searching for shooting locations in Iran for their upcoming film, Argo. Once the film crew entered the country, they used fake Canadian passports to smuggle the six Americans out of Iran. The 2012 movie based on the Iran hostage crisis was fittingly named Argo. This film captured the crisis from the perspective of the fake American film crew. It was clear, due to the manner in which the director shot the scenes, which the Iranians had suspicions about the film crew’s intentions. This depiction of Iranians and the global event that risked the lives of Americans proves that films have power on how to view the government and other countries.
In the modern world, movies are in a position to influence billions of people in nations around the world. The use of a motion picture can be as simple as showing a child how to act kindly, or it can be as complicated as helping a space enthusiast to visualize a black hole in the universe. No matter the complexity of the film, it is impossible to deny the value that these movies hold on modern society. They have been able to recreate history for people that might have never understood the horrors of war; they have been able to depict space in a manner never seen before; they have been able to show political incidents from multiple perspectives. Over time, films have not only demonstrated that they could recreate real events, but they have also shown that they influence society.
About the Writer
Neel Kulkarni, Online Editor
Neel Kulkarni is a senior at Wheeler High School. He is involved in many after school activities such as Wheeler soccer, National English Honor Society,...
