Fave films

If I look at some of my favourite films, what do they have in common:

American History X
The Matrix
Groundhog Day
Lawrence of Arabia
The Godfather
Mean Streets
Taxi Driver
The Hit
Performance
The Man Who Fell to Earth
Magnolia
Boogie Nights
Platoon
Dr. Strangelove
Butterfly Effect
Sliding Doors
Sexy Beast
The Big Lebowski
Donnie Darko
Heat
Usual Suspects
K-Pax
One flew over the Cuckoo's nest
Shawshank Redemption
Closer
Raging Bull
Wings of Desire
Fight Club
Some Like it Hot
Crash
The Conversation
300


to name but a few.

What do they have in common?

They have great stories. They're compelling, and thought provoking. They're intelligent.

None of them is simply "chewing gum for the eyes" and none is simply entertainment. I haven't included films such as Bond films, meaningless thrillers.

A couple of years ago Michael Moore made a speech about films, and he said that modern films have no importance any more. They have no meaning, no real value. They're only entertaining, or money making, or thrilling, or just fantasy diversions.

This resonates with me a lot. A film, to me, has to have more than just entertainment value. A film has to be intelligent, and thought provoking, and have a really interesting, important story. It has to say something. So many films nowadays don't have anything to say. They might be exciting. They might have great special effects. But if that's all they have: some trick to keep the mind occupied with tasty chewing gum for 90 minutes, what's the point?

I really would like to be able to write something that's good and important. Something with a great story, great plot, and some significance. I want to give people a perspective that they haven't had before.

Of course, it's been said that there are only seven stories, when it all boils down to it.

But I know I want to make intelligent, thought provoking films.

How the fuck do I do that? It all seems so far away.

I know I have to apply a set of principles to the making of this film. I know I have to apply a method to the making of it: first, perhaps, in its basic story and plot. I need to come up with a story that's pretty original.

Let's take a look at the list again and see what's in common with all of them, starting with the hero of the piece:

American History X : guy becomes racist, befriends black guy, stops being racist.
The Matrix : guy against the world, fighting evil, classic hero/messiah
Groundhog Day ; hero starts as cynic, gains perspective, comes to life
Lawrence of Arabia : hero faces own demons, becomes martyr to a cause. An odyssey.
The Godfather : Hero faces up to being a man, conflict with ideals, conflict of value
Mean Streets : Hero faces world, battles own demons, becomes victim
Taxi Driver : Hero is outcast, becomes hero through odd ways. Maintains integrity.
The Hit : hero find self, faces past, past catches up, faces conflict
Performance : hero changes through meeting others very different to himself
The Man Who Fell to Earth : hero is alien, we see world through his eyes
Magnolia : heroes all have to face demons (multiple heroes/intertrwined story)
Boogie Nights : heroes face demons, face long dark night of soul
Platoon : hero/antihero conflict
Dr. Strangelove : Anti hero/ comic hero
Butterfly Effect : hero realises he's powerless against the world
Sliding Doors : hero realises what's important - illusion of life story
Sexy Beast : hero faces demons and past. Realises what's important. An odyssey
The Big Lebowski : the reluctant hero. Characters develop/ relationships
Donnie Darko : hero saves the world and dies doing so (Messiah)
Heat : Hero versus hero: the dilemma of opposing values/similarities/other side fence
Usual Suspects : anti hero is pretending. Heroes face retribution
K-Pax : hero is alien, deals with life's difficulties. Personal odyssey
One flew over the Cuckoo's nest : hero fails, other hero emerges
Shawshank Redemption : hero fights system and wins
Closer : conflict between men: hero wins eventually. Nice characterizations
Raging Bull : hero destroys himself through fighting world
Wings of Desire : hero comes to life (analogy)
Fight Club : hero reject false self, fights self.
Some Like it Hot : hero realises he only has to be himself to get the girl
Crash : multiple heroes/ characters emerge from conflict
The Conversation : hero fights own demons/self
300 : hero fights the impossible, knowing he will die in the process (glory)

So in each film there's an identifiable hero. In each, there's a conflict that has to be overcome, and in some cases that happens, in others it doesn't. But it's always the conflict that means something.

This time, if I look at each film from the perspective of the story and plot, what could be the logline?

American History X - boy sees one perspective on life, adopts it, lives his belief, then sees another viewpoint as he matures.

The Matrix : man wants to know The Big Secret, faces dilemma of deciding (red/blue pill), faces fears and death, becomes reborn (analogy)

Groundhog Day : man has to accept who he is and where he is to be happy. Has to be in "the now". Realises life just keeps repeating patterns.

Lawrence of Arabia : "Nothing is written": man decides he must prove himself. (Seven pillars of wisdom)

The Godfather : man rejects his father's life and family, does "his thing" but faces duties again. Adopts role, rather than "is himself"

Mean Streets : man has to choose family over Mafia responsibilities. Dilemma.

Taxi Driver : Man likes girl. She thinks he's weird, he becomes weird (rejected by society), become hero by accident. Girl likes him, he rejects her.

The Hit : man chooses to escape mafia life, faces retribution, finds self spiritually.

Performance : man escapes mafia, meets opposite type, changes through seeing new perspective.

The Man Who Fell to Earth : man has to face up to cruel life. Surrenders (bleak)

Magnolia : Man hates mother, father, women. Resolves with father on deathbed. Woman realises she loves man who she cheated on. Man and daughter can't resolve, man attempts suicide, frogs intervene (chance happening), kid makes stand against father/ role, man rejects role similar to child; police officer finds himself, faces moral value conflicts, Male nurse is kind, faces conflicts with dealing with patient
.
Boogie Nights : Life is great, life is shit, what's it all about. Rebellion, journey into dark side, finding self, ego study, rediscovery of self through conflict. People face identity crises, realise worthlessness, wearing of masks.

Platoon : Becoming a man through war: change of beliefs through struggle

Dr. Strangelove : What is the story here?

Butterfly Effect : man can change history, but something still goes wrong.

Sliding Doors : we see how a simple moment can change history.

Sexy Beast : man's past catches up with him. His odyssey revolves around facing his fears, facing the devil. His nemesis tries to do the same (mirror scene) and we see conflict of McShane character's closet homosexuality and self hatred
.
The Big Lebowski : passive odyssey - meeting of many characters.

Donnie Darko : boy meets girl, boy travels through alternate reality, saves girl and world (sacrifice, messiah, CHANCE)

Heat : man has great integrity, works with fools, meets similar in enemy (Pacino/cop) Pacino admires adversary but not his allies.

Usual Suspects : skull duggery and betrayal: watch out who you trust
.
K-Pax : man goes into self, is saviour of others, becomes saved, alien has trip to earth

One flew over the Cuckoo's nest : man versus evil stupid establishment. Makes friend in silent Indian. Indian finds voice again.

Shawshank Redemption : man is wrongfully imprisoned, victim of injustice, but justice eventually prevails. Black man finally says what he feels and is released.

Closer : who's telling the truth? Who loves who, and who wants who?

Raging Bull : man is desperately wanting love, but trusts nobody. Is own worst enemy. Doesn't learn, and is detroyed through own intrasigence. Conflict: takes a dive in the ring.

Wings of Desire : man stops being perfect angel and becomes real on earth (analogy is of being born and taking off THE MASK

Fight Club : man wonders why his life is so empty. Hits himself, fights himself to get some reality in his life. Lives out his conflict fully.

Some Like it Hot : Guys running from Mafia because they were witnesses. Have ideals that they let go of eventually, meet girl, accept things as they are.

Crash : How people's lives intertwine. How one thing affects another, and CHANCE plays such a part in things. Conflict in all characters, as they end up becoming protagonists and heroes, surprising themselves in what they encounter.

The Conversation : man becomes involved in job he does, and starts making moral choices rather than being a "fly on the wall"

300 : Man does what he know will kill him, but knows that the alternative is unacceptable. The truly heroic man.