Alan Rickman once said “Actors are agents of change. A film, a piece of theatre, a piece of music, or a book can make a difference. It can change the world.”
This quote got us thinking at The Reel Scene and we wanted to ask you; what film stayed with you since you first watched it?
When these sorts of questions come to mind, we try and cast our thoughts back to a film that really impacted us and has, in some ways, influenced our decisions because we ask ourselves what would the character do in my situation? In some ways this can either help or hinder us in the future because sometimes we don’t truly make our own decisions because we are going off what a film suggested to do.
Nevertheless, a film which really impacted us at the Reel Scene was Boyhood. Directed by Richard Linklater, the film follows the journey of young Mason as he grows up in Texas, experiencing the joys and drawbacks of being in a divorce torn family, leading up to the time when he must leave for college, ending his time as a child and leaving boyhood behind.
With this sort of project, we see the same actors throughout the film. As the film took 12 years to produce, we watch the actors grow up causing a surreal feeling because we are so used to seeing actors playing either an older or younger self of the character.
A pinnacle moment for us at The Reel Scene was in the concluding scene of the film. Despite there being so many incredible moments between Mason (Ellar Coltrane) and his father (Ethan Hawke) showing the relationship between father and son; Mason’s discovery of the meaning of life at the end of the film leaves audiences both baffled and star-struck.
Many people follow the motto of Carpe Diem – ‘Seize the Day’. At the end of the film, Mason says ‘The moment is constant. The moment seizes us’, which contrasts the famous quote. This message hit home for us as this reflects Mason’s interpretation of using life’s constancy to feel lost in the moment and to embrace whatever life throws at you, whether it be positive or negative, as a way to find your path in life.
The fact that the film ends at what many see as the beginning of another journey for Mason as he starts life at college, it shows that even if we see a new path forming we must come away from observing others and continue with our own.
If you have seen Boyhood, we want to know your thoughts. Did this film impact you like it did for us at The Reel Scene? If not, what other films stayed with you since you first watched them. Let us know!!
Do you want to learn more on the impact of films, then get in touch today at reelscene.co.uk