What makes a great movie?

Hello everyone,
My name is Wasim I'm a college student from London who needs help with a media assignment writing about what makes a great film. I just need all your opinions and views on what you all think that makes a film as great as it can be. Your help would be much appreciated and if you can email me. Thank you.

Wasim

My thoughts:

- Ones that make you nervous, anxious, scared, that make you cry, or smile, or laugh out loud. As I type this I'm watching "It's a Wonderful Life" - it gets me everytime. Even now I'm barely keeping myself together.

- One where you don't think about the popcorn you're eating, the people around you in the theatre, or anything like that - you're totally focused on the movie.

- One in which you have to see all of - you wouldn't be able to walk away from it before it ended.

Hope that helps.

One where you never have the urge to look at your watch during the movie.

One where you actually care about the characters in the film in some way.

One where you never lose your suspension of disbelief. The second there is a moment where I realize while watching the film that it is just a movie, it ceases to become a great film to me anymore (it can still be a good film, but not "great")

You nailed it with that last one! The first few times I saw "The Apostle" with Robert Duvall, I just didn't think of it as a movie at all. After maybe 3 viewing it hit me, and totally blew my mind.

I'm trying to think of a movie I've seen where I've been so into it that I don't realize it was just a movie, and I can't think of any movies that do that for me. There are movies that I think are great movies. Like American Beauty, Forest Gump, and some more. Although I never really get as into the movie as you all seem to. I guess thats my loss.

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One where the actors don't merely "recite" their lines but rather become the character to such an extent that it's all too real (a couple of Al Pacino's, Dustin Hoffman's and De Niro's movies are a good example);

One where you can empathize with the characters in some way;

One where you feel happy when you come out of the theatre if it's a comedy, sad if it's a drama or scared if it's a horror movie. I'm not the kind of person who gets absorbed into a movie unless it's a particularly good one...One such movie that got me recently was "The Green Mile", I was fighting myself not to start crying, and I probably would have if I wasn't with a friend! (There were LOTS of sobs going around the theatre!) Another such movie is "La Dolce Vita" (Life is Beautiful, the Italian movie with Roberto Benigni that got a few Oscars two years ago)...

hmmmmm this is a tough question...

I would have to say, aside from being entertaining,.... any film that leaves an impression -- a film that influences my thoughts on society in general.

An example is Fight Club (which I can relate to, well, I'm sure a LOT of people can relate to, if you're a "drone in the corporate world")

A great movie leaves an impression. It forces you to reflect on yourself, and the world we live in. And it won't go away until you've given it that consideration.

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Films become one of my favorites if they manage to do more than impress...they need to make me feel wonder. Reverting me to an almost childlike wonder because it's just so dazzling is a sure fire way to make me consider a film as being great. Since greatness is relative, I can call some films great while others look at me like I'm crazy. It doesn't matter what the popular consencus is...all that matters is how I feel.

The last five films that I've seen that I'd consider great...

Pickup on South Street (1953, Samuel Fuller)
Closer (2004, Mike Nichols)
Sin City (2004, Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966, Sergio Leone)
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968, Sergio Leone)

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Drew Barrymore.

If you wanna see what makes a movie great this day and age watch this.

Great Choice Slay .

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IMO, what makes a movie great is when you're still thinking about it and discussing it long after the credits roll.
Story, is the most important thing for me, it has to have a good story that involves you and makes you believe the actors could be real people in real situations. Character developement also helps, too many movies go for special effects and the wow factor without concentraiting on the basics.
Everyone has different opinions on movies, and what is a great movie to you might be an average or poor movie to someone else, personal preferences will always influence your opinions and views regarding movies.

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Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbour?

Thanks, man. Wasn’t hard.

Unless you can’t stop talking about how much it sucked.

Films that suck get the silent treatment from me, much like an ex-girlfriend, but without the bunny boiling bit!!!
My ex looks a little like Jennifer Connely, but obviously not enough!

I was laughing nonstop for about ten minutes after Cursed for that reason. Nevermind talking I could barely breath.

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"Like all dreamers, Steven mistook disenchantment for truth."

But the trailer makes it look sooooooooooo good!
Were you howling with laughter?
Or am I barking up the wrong tree?
Oh, look, it's a fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuull moooooooooooooooooooon out tonight!

I consider a movie great when I watch it and say, "I couldn't have written that."

And writing makes a movie.

When I see a really good movie, one that I really like, I always say, "That was a great story."

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Music is very, very, very important. I can't think of one great film with a crappy soundtrack or a boring score.

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Being able to watch the movie numerous amounts of time without it getting old or boring. That's the most important thing of all.

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Sorry if I mispell alot of words, I painted my keyboard black to match my computer and monitor and theres no letters on the keys anymore. I'm too lazy to spell check sometimes.

Story - something compelling with a good arc and a satisfying resolution.
Acting - invested, honest, sympathetic portrayals of each character
Directing - careful focus on the storyline, balanced with enriching detail that heightens our understanding of the story
Production values - all supportive of the story, nothing distracting, a world should be created
Meaning - a truly great film will deepen the viewer's understanding of Life, by balancing all the above so that people are inspired to think about something in a new way.

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