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What should we be watching?
Young Film Critic winner James Kyne
Last year's Young Film Critic winner James Kyne writes about the cinema experience and young people. You can find out more and enter this year's competition at www.youngfilmcritic.org.
When we go to the cinema we all make a choice. The choice is not over which film we are going to watch, who we go with or even the age-old conundrum of salt or sweet popcorn. The choice is in fact how we engage with the film we are watching. From a young age it is vital that we learn to participate with the pictures in front of us, that we learn to move away from simply being passive viewers and that we learn to truly immerse ourselves with the characters and worlds we are presented with. I believe that one of the most effective ways of engaging with film is to step outside of our comfort zone; if we can open ourselves to new ideas and viewpoints surrounding a film then the whole experience becomes a more enriching and worthwhile one.
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
One area that is for many people out of their comfort zone is the world of European and International film. When surrounded as we are by the current plethora of brilliant British films it may be difficult to escape this pattern and open up to international film. Whether it be blockbusting Hollywood giants or niche independent European films, with the assortment of film across the globe it is unquestionable that audiences will be able to engage with films in ways they have never done before. In the last decade we have seen great European successes with releases such as dark fantasy film Pan’s Labyrinth, drama thriller The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and war drama The Pianist. Each of these has become a success in its own right yet all have undoubtedly broadened the horizons of those who have engaged with the films.
The Pianist (2002)
On top of international film, an ever-present feature of modern cinema is book-to-film adaptations. These films provide an exciting way for audiences to interact and explore the film beyond its face value. Looking at a film with reference to the book from which it came can provide a new insight to the film for the audience. I recently met bestselling author Michael Morpurgo who had much to say on novels being adapted to the big screen. He believes that as long as the film is faithful to the spirit of the novel from which it is adapted then this is what matters and he rightly pointed out that both books and films are simply mediums of telling a story and the fact that this story is told is what is important.
So, whether it is book adaptation or international film that broaden our view on the films we watch, that in itself is the most important thing – that we step outside of our where we are comfortable with film and are prepared to become active viewers as an audience.
-Posted on Wednesday 14th November 2012