The making of a good movie

I have this theory about movies and it goes something like this:
“The quality of a movie can be judged by the direction in which it inspires us to move.”

A good movie is that which inspires one to be good in word and deed.
A bad movie then is that which inspires one to be bad in word and deed.
A foolish movie to be foolish, a great movie to be great.

A movie reveals its worth and lasting value by the quality of the motivation that it implants within the viewer.

A good movie leaves viewers with a lasting impression that moves them to act in a way that brings about a greater good. It does not necessarily leave a person feeling good, for a renewed sense of outrage against injustice can bring about good actions.
From this, ones moral senses are pricked, and feelings of duty and honor are revived by it.

On the other hand a bad movie does not necessarily leave one feeling bad. An effectively bad movie can in fact encourage people to perform evil deeds and be glad about it. The rise of teenage ‘party’ style movies is a case in point, as authority and decorum are cast into the wind with scorn, and pleasurable good times are had by all, yet without the impact of real life, long term consequences.
One can excessively drink but not get over-drunk or contract liver disease, can smoke marijuana yet not be effected by short or long term paranoia, and can have sex without ever having the burden of children, and be promiscuous without contracting veneral diseases or die of AIDS. All of these real life consequences are conveniently left out of such movies in order to maximize the promotion of fun and minimize the tedious burden of responsibility.Violent movies that romanticize excessive violence and the glory obtained therein, encourage the viewer to be more aggressive in their behaviour because therein lies their sense of achievement and worth, perhaps even a feeling of power.

A good movie then does the opposite of this. Instead of condemning duty and responsibility, it exalts and glorifies them for their virtuous nature. It renews the youthful exuberance in purity, goodness and justice. It condemns our carnal vices and praises our heavenly virtues. It revives the knowledge that love of our fellow man, presented through acts of mercy, patience and peace is what crowns a man in glory. It is the very nature of God revealed through his image instilled within a righteous man, which sets him apart from all else and proclaims his honor.

Someone said once that you can judge a country’s state of health by the manner of art that it produces. If this truly is the case, and our entertainment industries are considered to be creators of art, then ‘entertainment’ today may well be considered a sad indictment upon the decadence and moral degradation of western society.

Reality TV shows like Big Brother encourage voyeurism and our lust for eavesdropping and gossip.
Dysfunctional families in shows such as the Simpsons and My Wife and Kids make light of, and encourage acceptance of, inappropriate family behaviour and responses. Movies with inappropriate sexual or violent content numb our moral senses and eventually fail to elicit the rightful shocking and appalled response. On the contrary, they fuel our evil natures with the lust for erotic or violent encounters.

The older I become, and the more I understand about God’s nature and Man’s behaviour, the more convinced I am of the paradox that almost every thing that almost everyone knows in "human" wisdom is almost completely wrong.

Fundamentally wrong assumptions lead to fundamentally false conclusions. The viewing perspective can make all the difference and until we see the universe through the eyes of the one who understands it best, we will never understand one piece of worthwhile truth.

Thankfully though there are a few good men and women who still know how to produce good movies that provide a well needed respite from the perversion of the modern media, and employ within us a desire to see the right and proper way of things through honorable and righteous living. Good movies according to my criteria are few and far between, but when they do arise, often they are championed as truly great movies by those who appreciate the true meaning of glorious.