For many students, films and videos are the best way to understand something, and it’s no surprise: many people are visual learners, and their brains tend to learn information through images. At the same time, watching a movie is an enjoyable experience that elicits deep emotions within us. If you are puzzled about how to find time for movies in your tight college timetable, you can try out essay services for students.
The movie you choose matters, as you can spend an hour on a silly comedy or use it more wisely by watching a more profound picture. Here are 5 influential movies that evoke various deep emotions and can teach, inspire and motivate.
Peaceful Warrior (2006)
Victor Salva
Based on Dan Millmans’ 1980 novel “Way of the Peaceful Warrior”, this movie tells the story of a young university student and gymnast named Dan (Scott Mechlowicz) who aspires of winning a National Championship competition. But Dan is not doing too well: not only is he often restless and unfocused, but his strive for success has made him very self-centered. One day, Dan encounters a stranger who seems to know exactly what he’s going through, and who ends up becoming a mentor of sorts for the young boy. Dan would later start calling the man “Socrates” (Nick Nolte), as the most important lesson he teaches him is how to control his own mind and become at peace with himself. While the film may be a little too philosophical for some, it still contains a great list of lessons to learn, touching on topics of self-control, mindfulness, life changes, and more. Whether you are an athlete, a computer science student, or graduated from college long ago, everyone will find this film interesting.
Hawking (2004)
Philip Martin
Theoretical physicist and cosmologist Steven Hawking needs no introduction: even if you’re not familiar with physics and science, chances are you’ve heard his name. But this BBC television drama shows you a new side of the scientist, depicting his early years as a PhD student at Cambridge University, when his research began to take shape and his illness to manifest. Nominated for a BAFTA in 2005, the film is a profound portrayal of a hero who accepts severe illness and adapts to the situation by finding himself in the field of theoretical physics. Watch it for the true story of a genius and Benedict Cumberbatch’s emotionally affecting performance in one of his first leading roles.
3 Idiots (2009)
Rajkumar Hirani
If you’ve never seen a Bollywood movie, let 3 Idiots be the first one you watch. This film revolves around two friends named Farhan (Madhavan) and Raju (Sharman Joshi) who went to university together in Delhi and then meet again years later, to look for Rancho (Aamir Khan), a long-lost friend and roommate. But Rancho was much more than that to Farhan and Raju, as he was also the one who inspired them to really experience life and challenge the very notion of education. 3 Idiots is an entertaining, quirky film about friendship and the meaning of life, made all the more enjoyable by its cast’s performances and an unpredictable screenplay.
Nobody Knows (Dare Mo Shiranai), 2006
Hirokazu Kore-eda
Acclaimed Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda is known for a very specific type of family drama, where ordinary life is shown with all its imperfection and ultimately used to send a message about humanity and challenge societal expectations. Nobody Knows (Dare Mo Shiranai) is one of his most lauded films, and it also won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2004. The movie depicts the life of a twelve-year-old boy named Akira (Yûya Yagira), whose life dramatically changes when his mother leaves him and his half-siblings on their own in a small apartment in Tokyo. Nobody Knows was inspired by the Sugamo child-abandonment incident of 1988, when a mother left her young, unregistered children to fend for themselves, leaving the oldest in charge, and was later found guilty of child abandonment. The film is a fictionalized account of these events, focusing first and foremost Akira and his half-siblings – Kyōko (Ayu Kitaura), Shigeru (Hiei Kimura) and Yuki (Momoko Shimizu) – as they attempt to survive not only without their mother, but in an apartment that they occupy illegally, with almost no money, and having had very contact with the outside world. Seen from the point of view of the children, Nobody Knows is another masterpiece from Kore-eda, who shows us a slice of life and teaches us a lesson about the resilience and courage of children.
Whiplash (2014)
Damien Chazelle
Before he became known for La La Land, writer-director Damien Chazelle brought us Whiplash, a gem of a movie about a hard-working, gifted young drummer named Andrew (Miles Teller) who enrolls in the conservatory and achieves his dream of learning from music instructor Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), who’s considered to be the best in his field. But Andrew soon finds out that Fletcher is also ruthless, vindictive and unfair – the kind of teacher who won’t hesitate to demean and ridicule his students while, at the same time, exploiting them to make himself look better. Damien Chazelle tends to explore the same themes in his films, showing us that achieving our dreams is not as rewarding a journey as it’s often made up to be: not only does it require sacrifice, but it often deprives you of the very thing that makes you human. Watch it for the truly gripping, unpredictable tale of a complex relationship between a teacher and a student, and haunting performances from J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller.
Good movies can influence your personal life and give you critical thinking skills, and the educational movies listed above will surely inspire you and motivate you, as well as being entertaining watches you’ll want to revisit from time to time. Get your popcorn ready and turn into new horizons without leaving your coach!
