Okay, so the title is a little bit of a grabber, but the question is a serious one. I've seen parts of Schindler's List over the years -- I remember that it was allowed to run uncensored on network television, and had a special sponsor (I think it might have been Ford) that allowed for little "breaks" rather than typical commercials, to show the appropriate level of seriousness for the subject matter. Anyway, I've never seen the entire film from start to finish in one sitting.
My lady friend and I have a copy, and naturally would like to see it. We've wanted to for some time, actually, but as the weeks become months, we realize we're never in the mood for what figures to be a very sober, depressing film...and a very long one, at that. We know we wouldn't feel comfortable eating during it (eating while watching movies at home is one of our most common pastimes), and that we probably wouldn't want to do a whole lot immediately afterwards, which turns the viewing -- whenever it happens -- into a fairly major commitment. And all for something that's bound to make us feel terrible.
I image there must be others who feel this way. So what do we do with movies that are not so much enjoyable, but that feel "necessary"? We all know they have value, but it seems impossible to partition the film's cinematic value, and any benefits great films bestow on the viewer, and the subject matter, which would seem to overwhelm these things.
Put another way: is it possible to enjoy these kinds of films, or are they not really films at all, but a necessary italicizing of certain historical events?
And, more tangibly helpful: when and how did you see the film, and how did it effect you during and immediately after? I'm thinking more of the non-cinematic ways in which it influenced you, rather than thoughts on the quality of the film itself.
My lady friend and I have a copy, and naturally would like to see it. We've wanted to for some time, actually, but as the weeks become months, we realize we're never in the mood for what figures to be a very sober, depressing film...and a very long one, at that. We know we wouldn't feel comfortable eating during it (eating while watching movies at home is one of our most common pastimes), and that we probably wouldn't want to do a whole lot immediately afterwards, which turns the viewing -- whenever it happens -- into a fairly major commitment. And all for something that's bound to make us feel terrible.
I image there must be others who feel this way. So what do we do with movies that are not so much enjoyable, but that feel "necessary"? We all know they have value, but it seems impossible to partition the film's cinematic value, and any benefits great films bestow on the viewer, and the subject matter, which would seem to overwhelm these things.
Put another way: is it possible to enjoy these kinds of films, or are they not really films at all, but a necessary italicizing of certain historical events?
And, more tangibly helpful: when and how did you see the film, and how did it effect you during and immediately after? I'm thinking more of the non-cinematic ways in which it influenced you, rather than thoughts on the quality of the film itself.