betasam's Journal: Moods and Movies

I find that watching movies has a profound effect on moods. It does depend a great deal on the film, the actors, the film-maker and the medium you're watching it on. It also depends on the time you're watching the movie. I just saw Hamlet(1990) starring Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, Helena Bonham Carter and a few other well known names. It seems to hold Mel Gibson's best performance in quite a long while. Although a shortened version of the play (which in full would've been 4 hours of which there is a version too), it was made well enough that the effect of the tragedy didn't weigh heavily upon me. I simply enjoyed the delivery of Shakesperean English by the actors. I would some day want to watch the 4 hour version rather than sit and read the full play (although I do have access to the text.)

The best part I liked was to have watched a tragedy and not have felt sad but thoughtful, which was something the film-maker could achieve by choosing the method of delivery. After all it wasn't just jests that saved the play, nor Shakespeare alone. I see Peter Jackson's films with a huge uplifting mood (commenting on the Lord of the Rings series and hoping to see The Hobbit, not related to his King Kong version.) I believe that well made movies, with even a condensate of a message can have a strong impact on moods of people. In an age where people use little means of entertainment save movies, games, books and television with a few outdoor people (but a smaller percentage) - balancing their moods in a highly stressful environment should be looked into as a strong option. While film-making is definitely an art in its own, and has to have its freedom to express varying moods, upliftment and balance seem to be the asking of the times. Until humans begin to create a balanced and less stressful environment owing to Robotics or alternate energy resources many cannot afford to enjoy truly artistic cinema or mood spoilers. Of course this is one reason why you can choose to watch what you watch today and humour also sells well both in Movies and Television. The all powerful years of the media are here, and like all former ages, this too will be gone only to be replaced by something else.