Profound movies that make you think?
 

The best movie I think, is one that makes you think, and change the way you look at things. A movie that is not disturbing in a horrific way necessarily but certainly in a mentally disturbing way. I haven't seen many of these types of movies but I have seen a few and loved the ones I have seen

I really liked The Butterfly Effect I thought it was cool how it showed how the grass is not always greener and how love cannot be forced.

Requiem for a Dream was amazing because it showed the absolute obliteration of the american dream

American Beauty was incredible, I love the whole "I cannot remain upset for long, because there is so much beauty in the world" concept, when the movie ended I just sat there thinking how awesome the movie was. :)

Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

I will admit that Fight Club was VERY enjoyable. I know it's a cliché, but as a high-school sophomore it really did help me on my path to questioning the status quo.

Solaris (the original) was absolutely fantastic. I think I would have enjoyed Citizen Kane had everyone in history not ruined the ending. American Psycho, besides being the most enjoyable movie experience you'll ever have, manages to evoke amazing questions about the nature of being.

And Darby O'Gill and the Little People made me wonder why Sean Connery didn't sing more.

I have always said that American Beauty is the last great American film. There's so much about the film that is done right. Technically and emotionally, the film is above the rest.

I think the theme of getting back what you think you've lost (as personified by the youthful Angela Hayes character) is what resonates for most people.

off the top of my head: Crash, Higher Learning, I Am Sam, The Other Sister and Pay It Forward and Nell

All of these movies made me stop and think about how I see people. They are also some of the few movies that pulled me into them to the point were I started talking during them (which is not something I do - unless I know a movie well enough to quote it). They pulled at my anger and at my heart, making see things I never really paid any attention to, and they gave me a "real" reason to look at them.

I know these are not some of the "best" made or acted movies, but they had that "Profound" effect for me.

depends what you mean by Made You Think because the movie PRIMER is the movie that made me think the most ever. It's a great but confusing movie!

but like others have said, fightclub and movies like that definitely had an impact overall... Falling Down probably had the most effect on me when I saw it. Awesome movie!

KPAX left me staring at the screen for a good while after the credits stopped. It was one of the few movies that completely wowed me.

American History X made me think a lot about the state of racism in the States and is my favorite movie ever.

Crash (new one) had the same effect on me as American History X.

The Butterfly Effect was just great and hit home since at the time I thought a lot about the consequences of changing the past.

Pay it Forward was great in the concept it presented. The world really would be great if this happened. However, it also makes me think how many people has sacrificed themselves for the greater good.

The one that got me thinking was The Usual Suspects. Trying to piece together the what was true and what wasn't from Kevin Spacey's character was what made it that much better.

Where's Keiser Soze when you need him?

The Namesake
Amelie

There's another one I saw recently, but I can't remember the damn name.... :mad:

I agree on American History X and Crash, too..

Syriana, Valley of Elah, and Stop-Loss.... it makes me think out out of touch Hollywood is with small-town America.

The Matrix trilogy was really deep! //laughs//
 

I have to agree with American History X, it really brought racism forward for me. American Psycho is on my favorites list- best comedy ever.

I would have to say that few movies made me think, other than inform me on issues I before had not considered.

That said, Mothman Prophecies, while scaring the hell out of me, really makes me wonder just what is there in our immediate universe. Similarly, there were taped lectures of Ian Xel Lungold presenting the Mayan Calendar and supposedly what the calendar meant to the Mayans. At first watch, the lectures blew my mind again as to what is there in the universe that we no longer perceive.

My Name is David
Rain Man
American History X
A Beautiful Mind
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, more than the book, actually.
Primer, most definitely
Das Experiment
Girl, Interrupted
Manic
thirteen

I think the first ones are pretty standard, but the last three for actually portraying mental illness as it exists. With a little Hollywood flair to keep people interested, but more real then in previous generations.

Crash - people listed this, but its true!

Monsieur Ibrahim - coming of age story for a boy in a Paris ghetto who befriends a Turkish man who practices Sufism and they go on a spiritual journey.

Children of Men - Oscar nominated...shoulda won...nuff said.

Baraka - Stunning visuals and sounds in this film with no plot (or is there?) or dialogue by filmmaker Ron Fricke. Go around the world without having to leave your living room!

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was filmed mostly at the mental hospital in Salem Oregon where I lived at the time. Settle down- I lived in the town, not the hospital. My dad, who worked for the state, got my brother and I part time jobs moving stuff around, mostly lights. My brother was 15 and I was 13, wouldn't fly these days, labor laws etc... I had a blast and was paid a whole $15 a day. I was shocked when I got my check and they keep some out for taxes.

Years later I found myself working at the juvenile correctional center next door. Small shit stuck in my head that won't go away.

Anyway back your regularly scheduled thread...

I'd say my list would have to include:

Schindler's List

My Family

The Shawshank Redemption

I agree with American History X and Pay it Forward.
Fight Club was an interesting one, but have not seen it in a while, but I watched this almost religiously in high school.

American Beauty again. A beautiful film in all ways.
Sophie's Choice remains stunning and upsetting.
Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Days of Wine and Roses
Pieces of April
most recently, The Savages

Im a sociologist. Many films have left me awestruck in some manner whether it be the writing, film, acting, editing, story emotion, art, in other words the work, but these films are just a few of many that consistently wallop me hook, line, and sinker with the whole thingamabob.

Primer, for sure. I'm shocked so many people mentioned it--I thought it was way too tiny to be known at all!

Memento wasn't exactly profound, but it certainly made me think. I remember walking out of the theater thinking, "I need to write this down!"

tarkovskii's solaris
chris marker: la jetée, sans soleil
jean rouch: les maitres fous
michael haneke: seventh continent

Without a doubt, the movie that made me think the most afterwards was After Life. This excellent Japanese movie is simply impossible to stop thinking about after seeing it.

This is kinda silly, but the other day my friends & I held "HestFest" and watched Charlton Heston movies.

We watched Soylent Green, and the comparison of it with yesterday, and today was actually pretty striking in regards to governance and food.

Lost in Translation often leads me to reflect upon the nature of human relationships. I love that movie; I enjoy that it is a deep character study.

The Battle of Angiers (Gillo Pontecorvo)
The Bicycle Thief (Vittorio De Sica)
Grizzly Man (Herzog)

American History X
Fight Club
The Life of David Gale
Schindler's List
American Beauty

Every time I can, I recommend The Life of David Gale to one of my friends because it seems that no one I know has seen it and I just found it so powerful in so many ways. I always warn them that it disturbed me a bit though, and was also quite depressing. I think it speaks volumes about it, though, that I so loved the movie when I got that reaction from it. Also, kinda interesting that Kevin Spacey seems to be in so many "make you think" movies, huh? :D Same goes with Edward Norton too, I guess.

Have you seen the actual Zimbardo experiment tape? Das Experiment is VERY different from that in many ways, exaggerating the things to kinda Hollywood-ize (German Hollywood?) it. But even though the actions are not as extreme in the actual experiment, it is somewhat more disturbing to see it actually happen, and see how quickly the people changed when placed in certain roles/

In no particular order...

Fight Club
2001: A space odyssey
Barry Lyndon (<^just for the beauty in each scene...)
Dr Strangelove
Koyaanisqatsi
V for Vendetta (silly, but whatever)
Citizen Kane
A Clockwork Orange
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind
The Great Dictator
Full Metal jacket
Trainspotting
Glory
Untergang (Downfall)
La Femme Nikita ( <3 Luc Beson)
Le Fabuleux Destin D'Amelie Poulain (The fabulous destiny of Amelie Poulain) or just "Amelie"
Mar Adentro
La Mala Educacion
Trois Couleures: Rouge, Blanc et Bleu (Three colours: red, white and blue(liberte, egalite, fraternite(?))); Blanc/White is my favourite. Fantastic.

....aaaaaaaaand I kinda wanna say The Big Lebowski and Donnie Darko, but...

Ahh, i did mention them. *shrugs*

Some great movies so far. I love these threads that lead to new film discoveries. :)

I remember watching all three and feeling like I had to choose a favorite, but couldn't. All three really stayed with me for quite a while. I think it's time to re-view those. :thumbsup:

Maybe it's because I'm sitting in Poland and dreaming of leaving right now that I have more of an affinity with Blanc... :thumbsup:

1971 - Jerry Schatzberg: The Panic In Needle Park

Al Pacino...Kitty Winn ...Raul Julia...

Full Metal Jacket
Illustrated to me how tough the environment could be to morality of a person and how it could remove the boundaries which tend to be assumed are natural (raping the children, and shooting the higher ranks).

American history X
I only watched circa 15minutes, but that was enough. I saw the part with the curbstomp. It is permanently etched in my mind, and I can't even believe that people would be capable of coming up with such an attack. I mean, who thinks of stuff like that?

Memento.
Just the thought of never being able to have memories, which are something I often delve into to re-enjoy past experiences when I'm upset, or just to raise a smile. :)
Also ways of storing memories without your mind (such as the tattoos).

The Number 23. Starring Jim Carey.

Think about it, this is post #28.
2+8=10
the date is 4/30/08
4 +30+8=36
Now take 3+6+1+0 and you get 10
Add 13 to 10 and what do you get, what? You got it - 23

Kinda weird isn't it.

Hey PlanG, you ruined my whole 23 thing. Gee.

Sorry mate, should have thought before I posted :p

Just had a look at the film. Sounds an interesting concept. However, on rottentomatoes it's average review is 8%, which isn't too high :orly:

Worth a watch, or is it only the concept that makes you think; not the film?

When you watch the first time the plot takes you for a nice ride, there are some plot twists and some suspense. Then watch the extras on the DVD, Carey gives some clues about what he really thinks, while staying in the "23" mode. After you watch a second time, you realize the movie is kind of like a parody of movies of the movies of this genre, and not to be taken too seriously. When you do that you get a different appreciation of the movie.

It is certainly worth a rainy day or a Saturday night with a friend and a few glasses of wine. Afterward, I bet you spend a lot of time coming up with "23" stuff. That's what makes you think. Then if the math becomes to taxing, you can give up at 10 and always add 13, which is the real creepy number.

Cheers. Think I may rent it out with a mate over as you said. Sounds like it could be fun.

Tarkovsky's Solaris had me thinking about what Others -- human and otherwise -- really are to us. I was on the edge of my seat. On top of that, the scenes of 1970s Tokyo as city of the future are fun.

I've liked some of the other movies on this list - the Three Colors movies are some of the best I've ever seen.

I just thought of another - Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring. It's an amazing Korean film, one of the most calm, thoughtful, meditative movies I've ever seen. I promise - if you can handle a movie that's all soul, intellect, gorgeous visuals, and little action, you will LOVE this one.

wait, mixedmedia isn't here yet? :surprised:


Cinema Paradiso

1. Pay It Forward


2.-6.: Chasing Amy, Boondock Saints, Life is beautiful [La vita è bella], butterflyeffect, The game

Patch Adams (Robin Williams)

"The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada"
Shot in Texas, it has the same look and feel as "No Country for Old Men," but none of the nihilism. It is directed by and stars Tommy Lee Jones.

It will make you think about the nature of love, the banality of evil, and the possibility of redemption. This movie will stick with you forever.

My buddy recommended to me Waking Life. I have yet to see it (can't find it in video stores), so anyone here see it?

Amazon's got it. I might give it a whirl.

The Kite Runner

Oh Man! That was a GREAT movie. We ended up buying it.

I just watched Like Water For Chocolate, not life changing, but simply beautiful.

Profound Films That Make You Think
 

I Love these kinds of films they are meaning full and can really make a impact on you.I watch so many of these kinds of films so I am sure I have forgotten to name a bunch that I have seen so all add to this list later but for now here is a list of some of them.
Schindler's List
Titanic,
Saving Private Ryan,
Forrest Gump
Life Is Beautiful,
It's A Wonderful Life
Pay It Forward
The Pianist,
Charlotte Gray (with Cate Blanchette and Billy Crudup)
The Human Comedy

I am going to start this off with a childhood favorite.

Milo and Otis (the nature of friendship)
Fight Club (friendship, life, death, ethics)
Primer (just a great brain teaser)
Requiem for a Dream (importance of self-control, every teen in America should watch this movie)
Amelie (joy of positive pranks)
Old Boy (joy and futility of revenge)
Fido (friendship between boys and pets, Anthropomorphism)

I agree with those who listed the original Solaris (1972).

Yes. When I saw this movie the first time, it blew me away. It's one of the few movies I actually purchased on DVD. There are fewer than a dozen in that mix. I don't tend to rewatch movies.

I derived my username from this film. I wouldn't say this has a plot, but it's more of a documentary based on themes that hinge on stark juxtaposition (nature/human...human/human) and perceptive bliss via stunning filming techniques and editing. And the scope is incredible: it was filmed at 152 locations in 24 countries. The soundtrack plays a huge role as well. It's one of those few films that doesn't require words, whether it be narration or dialogue. There is much one can get from the film, and most would benefit from multiple viewings. (Yes, this is another film I've acquired on DVD.) If you ever get a chance to see it on the big screen, please do.

Baraka is sublime.

This film had the same feel to it as did The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke. By this I mean the somewhat spacious character study. If you haven't seen it, you should check it out.

A friend and I were actually just having our own discussion of this earlier this week, funny this thread should pop back up.

On my list was:

8mm - it was not a fun movie to watch but it really asked a lot of questions

Hamburger Hill - History tops the movies every time

Requiem for a Dream



I'll have definitely have to check this list out! Lots of titles I've never heard of.

In chronological order ...

The Unbearable Lightness Of Being (1988)
Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
Naked Lunch (1991)
Pi (1998)
Englar Alheimsins (2000)
Vanilla Sky (2000)
Primer (2004)
The Machinist (2004)
Sunshine (2007)
Antichrist (2009)
Freakonomics (2010)

When I was a kid, I had a neighbor that lived next door who had been in Vietnam.
When he came home he had problems that were too complicated for us kids to understand, so we always went out of our way to avoid him.

Fast forward a few years, I start watching movies like:
Birdy
In Country
Forrest Gump
This Park is Mine
and this one movie with Robert DeNiro and Kathy Bates (I forget the name)

All dealt with the different problems soldiers had when returning from Vietnam.