Today, I accidentally came across this video on Twitter and felt deeply moved after watching it. It's a mashup that evokes empathy, as the author combines explanations of why people love movies in various languages with clips from classic films. It made me start thinking about why I love movies as well.
In fact, my "love" for movies is quite atypical. I am well aware of the immense joy I experience when watching movies. When I was a child, my favorite way to watch TV was not through television channels, but through cable TV's movie on-demand service. At that time, I simply felt that the length of a movie was neither too long nor too short, allowing me to fully immerse myself in a captivating story. After the movie ended, I didn't delve deeper into what was behind the movie. Just like listening to music, I may not know which movies have great directors or have any special taste in movies. I simply enjoy the time spent watching movies.
The reason why movies bring me enjoyment, I believe, is because they can simultaneously occupy my visual and auditory senses. Listening to songs or podcasts can only occupy my sense of hearing, while my eyes may wander and the songs or podcasts may become background music for other activities. Reading books, comics, or looking at photos can only occupy my sense of sight, while I may be listening to music or hearing various noises from the real world. Movies, on the other hand, are different. When watching a movie, both my visual and auditory senses are fully engaged, allowing me to temporarily escape from the real world to the greatest extent possible. This place of escape is a story world based on the real world, where unimaginable dreams can come true, courage that is desperately needed in the real world can be obtained, and pain in the real world can be soothed. In short, we can temporarily separate ourselves from the headaches of reality. When we enter this world, we don't need to remember our identity, personality, gender, interests, or any other attributes that categorize us. In this world, all we need to do is forget everything and listen to a story, see different scenery in this world, and experience the growth or downfall of characters in this world.
Apart from escapism, what is more important to me about movies is that they provide me with unique experiences. These experiences are not only visual and auditory, but also encompass the entire form and emotions. Our limited lives can only be lived once, but through movies, we can see the lives of various people. In movies, we can experience their lives alongside the characters, feel their emotions, and resonate or be inspired by their lives. In this dimension, movies expand my life and allow me to experience the world from a broader perspective.
Lastly, movies have a low entry barrier. Whether you are a film enthusiast or just an ordinary person, whether you are in a group or alone, as long as you step into a movie theater or open a screen and put on headphones, you can easily immerse yourself in the world of movies. It can be a spiritual enjoyment for film enthusiasts, or a simple pastime for ordinary people. It can be a catalyst for joyful gatherings with friends, or a safe harbor for solitude. The vast majority of people can easily appreciate it, and everyone can gain different insights from it.
However, I have been watching fewer and fewer movies recently. I often say that I am busy, but in reality, the time I spend watching YouTube videos consecutively can exceed the length of a movie. Ultimately, it's my restless mind that has changed. I feel that movies are too long and that several short videos of ten minutes or so can stimulate my nerves more simply. So fortunately, I came across this video, which instantly reminded me of the various wonders of movies. I always say that I should calm down slowly, so why not start with watching a classic feature film this weekend?