Warning: overly elaborate introduction ahead. If you so desire, simply scroll to the *** symbols to get to the crux of the matter. I won’t be mad.
Sometimes we just want to be inspired. Sometimes we want a medium to cajole us into creativity. We want all that latent energy that was stored away, subconsciously accreting verve and passion, to burst forth into a flurry of productivity. We want our intense emotions to be put to use, instead of letting them dissipate into an easily alterable and forgettable memories.
Us depression fighters are like that: this need comes natural to those who experience the wide gamut of emotions. We needlessly overthink, overfeeel, overact, overreact, over-everything. There are moments where we wish we were as passive as cows, a peaceful and unassuming existence. And then there are moments where we are secretly content that we feel something, anything.
Okay, I know, this is getting so long-winded that I may be tying myself into a knot here. So to cut to the chase: we want a medium to help us comprehend our emotional energy, make it real, tangible, and present it in a agreeable and understable way, so as to help mold and hone this energy into something we can use for ourselves.
For the time-conscientious student, the answer is cinema.
Am I still tying knots? Here, then, I’ll just hand it to you: we want to watch movies that “get” us, that bring us out of misery (or at least help us comprehend it) and give us the drive to do the things we are actually excited to do.
Not to say I haven’t enjoyed drivel like Meet the Spartans. And I mean really enjoyed. Maybe more than I should have.
And, come on, that penguin…
But I’m not here today to talk about guilty pleasures, or mindless blockbusters, or schlock.
I’m here to present to you films that not only act as interpreters for strong sentiment, but also as guidance counselors and motivational coaches that direct you towards creative expression and give you enough creative drive to use those sentiments in a productive capacity.
*** So here it is, the list of inspirational films that no depressed student should do without.
An aside: these films are not so much comedies, or “feel-good” movies, or exactly “happy” in any immediate way. They’re not even traditionally deemed as inspirational, in the most basic sense. Their artistry, however, riles both heart and mind, and is a great catalyst for converting more emotionally volatile times into drive and creativity.
Fight Club
The Inspirational Message: Sometimes it’s not a bad thing to lose everything. It gives you a fresh perspective, renewed energy to seek greater heights, and provides you the necessary momentum to get you to your next peak.
Pulp Fiction
The Inspirational Message: Let’s reel back a bit to a more meta vantage. The script is unbelievable, the writing is at once gritty, organic and poetic and leaves you creatively pumped.
Exit Through the Gift Shop
The Inspirational Message: Banksy does what he does out of love for the arts and the immense power they carry in their messages. His verve is infectious.
Stalker
The Inspirational Message: Stalker manages to elicit a gamut of reactions from its viewers, from scared shitless to deeply introspective to confused to enthralled, and does it all without us ever seeing the danger directly. A powerful work of fiction.
Fellini 8 1/2
The Inspirational Message: Our obsessions can become our greatest muses and our most foul demons. Also, creativity is never a sole entity: it draws from out life experiences, good and bad. If you’re missing either of those, you’re only getting half your mind’s worth.
Amélie
The Inspirational Message: Again, looking at this from the angle of the theatre seat. It’s fine to create something strange. Strange and different can work infinitely better than tried and true, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet is an excellent example.
“Love is in the details; God is in the details, the strange. Amelie is enamoured with the little thing. She is captivated by an author’s quotes, she makes two people come together, she finds love through the games she plays. She overcomes her solitude through small details and through them finds a connection with another person.” Quote by Elena Gladoun.
Children of Men
The Inspirational Message: When there is nothing left of a resource, whether it be oil or children or time, fear sets in and incites violence and hatred. Never dwell on loss, only on abundance.
Before Sunrise
The Inspirational Message: A single spontaneous decision can change your entire life.
“Within the chaos of spontaneity, life, negativity, love still exists in a imperfect form there is still a glue.” Quote by Elena Gladoun.
Almost Famous
The Inspirational Message: Take initiative. You want to get your articles or short stories printed in big publications? Don’t have a network that can hustle you in? Create the opportunity of a lifetime by reaching out voluntarily, write the articles for free, get your name out and get noticed.
Wild Strawberries
The Inspirational Message: Someone you could never relate to can give you the clairvoyance to look at life in a completely different way.
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Aleksandr Smechov, Baruch College.
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