A Need for Inspiration. Now More than Ever.

Anybody familiar with me knows that I have other great interests besides movies. I am a passionate baseball fan, particularly a Red Sox fan (and I am anxious for this season to begin, as commentators cannot stop singing praises about the team’s depth and acquisitions from this offseason). I am also a man of faith and try to pursue a contemplative state of mind whenever I can. And I am also a history fan. One of my go-to podcasts for the last few years has been The Rest is History. When noted American historian David McCullough passed away in 2022, I went through several of his lectures on YouTube, and he was often consoling audiences in 2018 and 2019 about how there never was an easier time and that previous generations have always had their struggles.

But then McCullough brought up another consolation that turned out to be incredibly ironic: asking us to imagine if we had a pandemic like the Spanish Flu in 1918 and seeing that on the news every night.

We all know what happened next.

You do not need to be a news junkie to know that our country (and world) is experiencing unprecedented trials we never could have imagined while we were first learning in school about how a bill becomes a law. We are all on-edge and incredibly overwhelmed by the headline notifications in the Information Age. We do not know what is going to happen next. The insanity grows like a wildfire, difficult to contain. While we cannot simply roll over and decide to disengage from the news, we cannot fully subject ourselves to it. When shit gets real, there will be moments when we will have to heed the words of Indiana Jones as the spirit of the Lord emerged from the Ark of the Covenant: “Keep your eyes shut!”

Movies have always been my escape vessel. There is no other art form like a movie because it is the combination of all other forms of art (theatre, music, animation, etc.) presented before us that is accessible any time or place (particularly in the modern era with phones and streaming services). While during these trying times I will certainly be turning to faith and watching more baseball than people think is possible, they don’t have the broad appeal that can unite everybody. Some people find baseball boring and some people find religion controversial. But almost everybody will be happy to set two hours aside to sit down with friends and watch a classic film or television series.

My main priority will be the feel-good and inspirational genre. I do not think that an artistic masterpiece such as Requiem for a Dream will be compatible as a way to fill time and entertain myself. Maybe I will watch them in discussion of the artistic merits afterwards with my fellow film buffs? But certainly not for my leisure. Now is the time for escape movies, such as the Star Wars franchise. I may be watching the Skywalker saga for the millionth time and know the exact timing of certain sound effects, but I will use it as an opportunity to daydream about becoming a Jedi knight, traveling to other planets, and interacting with droids that possess a little TOO much confidence. Even when The Empire Strikes Back ended bleakly with Luke recovering from his duel with Darth Vader, and Chewie and Lando venturing off to rescue Han Solo, the final minute of the movie leaves you with hope (particularly with John Williams’ soundtrack).

But there are some films that venture into the dark side of humanity that are worth watching nowadays. While Schindler’s List depicts the Holocaust, the largest and most extensively documented genocide in human history, it remains a beautiful movie about the transformation of a man who initially sought to make a profit off slave labor, who ultimately liquidates all of his assets to save every person he can and understanding how precious life is. It is a movie about how during the darkest moments in history, the light still shines and there is still inspiration for us when it seems there is none left.

I will certainly be publishing more pieces with this blog. It is a means to avoid doom-scrolling on my phone or computer and the return to my passion when I will need it the most. I encourage all who are reading this to take the time to think of a movie you cherish and to find the time to sit down and share it with those you love.