5 Movies that Will Teach You Something about Yourself
The great playwright Arthur Miller assured that theater cannot disappear because it’s the only art form where humanity confronts itself. Is there anything better than enjoying movies that teach you something about yourself that you didn’t know before?
Film, theater, and any type of performing art, can entertain, but they can also make you think and feel. They make you laugh, cry, tremble, fear… In short, they make you feel a complete spectrum of emotions.
Now, you can let movies pass through your life as mere entertainment, as a way to have a good time. But you can also let them enter your mind, your heart, your feelings, and your emotions. And then you might learn something about yourself that you didn’t know before.
Movies that can teach you about yourself
Humans experience a full range of emotions when watching a movie. Authors like Jean Mitry or Andrei Tarkovsky have written excellent pieces about the meaning of film and its effect on people.
When you watch a film, your emotions come to the surface as a function of your mood. Love, anger, or sadness can emerge at any moment, as well as feelings of friendship or the desire for improvement. There are countless mental effects that can occur as a result.
“Film is a painted mirror.”
–Ettore Scola-
Pretty Woman and love
Are you one of those people who think you’re incapable of finding love? Perhaps Edward Lewis, masterfully played by Richard Gere, thought the same thing. However, when he least expected it and where he least imagined it, he met Vivian Ward, played by Julia Roberts.
With Pretty Woman, a sort of fairy tale was created that didn’t have to be real or realistic. Nevertheless, improbable love is a theme that’s present throughout the entire film, painting a valuable lesson that we all know but sometimes forget.
Falling Down and anger
Do you think you’re a calm and relaxed person? Is it hard for you to come out of your shell? Have you ever thought about your limits? How far do you think you would go on a bad day? Falling Down is an excellent reflection of the danger of anger.
Maybe you don’t consider yourself to be an angry of vengeful person. However, pushed to the limit, we can all explode at some point. “D-Fens” Foster, portrayed by Michael Douglas, also seemed like a pretty balanced man, until the circumstances caused him to explode. Do you think there might be a little bit of that in you?
The Pianist and sadness
Are you a happy person? Do you believe that whatever happens, you’ll never lose your good spirits? Is your life happy and complete, and nothing can change that? Perhaps Wladyslaw Szpilman in The Pianist thought the same, but circumstances threw his hopes and securities out the window.
Adrien Brody plays a talented Jewish pianist who watches his life go down the drain due to Hitler’s pretensions of greatness and craziness. He is overcome by sadness when he loses everything he has. A valuable life lesson that reminds us how sensitive and fragile we are.
Freedom Writers and overcoming obstacles
As fragile as we are, we’re also capable of giving the best of ourselves. You might learn something about yourself from Freedom Writers, a fantastic movie in which Hillary Swank plays a teacher with a strong will to fight, Erin Gruwell.
Based on a true story, this film tells the story of a woman who overcomes fear, violence, and misunderstanding to give her students weapons to fight with: books, freedom, and education. In other words, personal growth shows that we’re all capable of doing our best, if we know how to do it.
Million Dollar Baby and friendship
You might think that friendship is a weakness. If you’re not close to anyone, you can’t get hurt. However, when you least expect it, you might meet someone who will change your life. If you don’t think this will happen, just ask Frankie Dunn, the retired boxer skillfully played by the great Clint Eastwood in Million Dollar Baby.
This story tells of the bonds of friendship that develop between a veteran athlete and the young Maggie Fitzgerald, played by Hillary Swank. These bonds become so strong that they grow together. Do you think this could happen to you?
“A good wine is like a good movie: it lasts for an instant, but it leaves a glorious taste in your mouth. It’s new in every sip, and like with movies, it’s born and reborn in every taste.”
-Federico Fellini-
Even though these movies are fiction for the most part, you can learn something about yourself from any of them. The process of self-knowledge takes a lifetime, so it’s never too late to discover new details about yourself. A film, a song, a book, a discussion…the trigger is not as important as the lesson you learn.
