Movie is arguably the most influential and universal form of entertainment for the past century or more. Arya describes how her passion for movies has helped her to learn and unlearn things.
Frank: “Do you know Yeats?”
Rita: “The wine lodge?”
Frank: “No, W.B.Yeats, the poet”
Rita: “No”
Frank: “Well, in his poem ‘The Wild Swans at Coole’, Yeats rhymes the word ‘swan’ with the word ‘stone’. You see? That’s an example of assonance”.
Rita: “Yeah, means getting the rhyme wrong”.
Rita is a 26 year old working class hairdresser who signed up for an Open University course in English Literature. While Frank is her alcoholic professor. “Educating Rita” elucidates the story of a working class woman and her self-discovery. The funny banters between Rita and Frank conveys Rita’s urge to get educated, to break the stereotypical image of a working class woman. The film portrays the importance of education and how it can help in one’s own discovery.
A film is a popular form of visual art which mainly stands for entertainment purpose. But apart from the entertainment, it can convey different ideas, feelings, perspectives and even information. Movies not only stand for entertainment. A movie buff can learn many things from the films. Movies can act as an important tool for learning.
Movies can be a very powerful tool for education. Movies like “Educating Rita” tell the importance of education and self-discovery. Similarly it’s a powerful media for communication too as it attracts a large number of audience.
Over the years we have seen many movies. Different genres, different themes, different actors, different plots- twisted, linear, thriller, dark comedies, feel good movies, survival movies, war movies and so on. We have seen good ones and bad ones. We have seen movies that are cringy and movies that carry positive messages. Movies with morals or movies that carry information. We have seen several movies. The good part is all these movies teach you something, either to accept or to reject something.
Being a cinephile, movies always excited me. Films played an important role in developing my character and my standards of thinking. Movies always helped me to ignite the better version of mine. For me, it’s always been a fun to have talks about movies with movie geeks.
Movies always give us a visual treat. Films can give colour to your imagination. Especially the adapted movies. Movie adaptations of novels give a visual presentation to the words in the book. Over the years there are always arguments between cinephiles and bibliophiles. Both the -philes provide pros and cons of movies and books. But movies and books, both are creative products. Only creative minds can produce either. The creation of books and movies require a perfect blend of imagination, effort and talent.
On a personal note, I love watching movies but I love reading books too. As said earlier movies give colour to my imagination whereas books help me to imagine and visualize. I enjoy both. But yes, when it comes to Romance, I always prefer movies over book. Rather than reading a love story, I enjoy watching it. But choosing between books and movies is difficult for me.
Movies help us to learn many things. From general point of view, movies help us to learn about our society, its drawbacks, its history, about great personalities and their wonderful lives, about our myths and epics. But on a serious note, a true movie buff will get inspired by the movies. It inspires you to widen your perspectives, to understand the inner you. Movies inspire us to elevate ourselves into a better version and above all, to love ourselves with all our faults and strengths.
Along with the learning, movies help us to unlearn many things. It helps us to lessen our prejudices and to be less judgmental, to unlearn our negative attitude towards many things.
Movies help us to raise our standards to make ourselves normal genuine human beings. It’s true that there are movies that give wrong messages, with a negative aura. But maybe it’s all about looking things in the right way. All about taking the good in a movie and leaving the negatives behind. After all, according to the famous pirate Jack Sparrow “the problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem”.
Arya has a Master’s degree in English Literature and is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Education (B.Ed.). Arya enjoys offbeat movies, dancing, reading fiction and writing poetry.
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