Grateful for the Cinematic Arts

I am grateful for the cinematic arts, the motion pictures of Man. Whereas a book enchants with words, a film captivates with pictures and sound. And like a book, a movie can stir in its audience feelings of rage, disgust, ecstasy, love, etc. And like reality, a movie depicts—or better said, reflects—Man’s best and worst qualities. Through its actors and actresses, a film reflects our own vanity, jealousy, generosity, compassion, etc. Movies are both extensions of our bright imaginations and realized machinations.

Movies lend us a point of view, perhaps that of the director, screenwriter, or producer, but it is nevertheless a lens, one that refracts and bends perception. While what we see on screen is not real, a movie does show us a world that is not only conceivable but also has been conceived, for all stories stem from reality. So, in many ways, movies teach.

The comedies made me laugh. The tragedies made me cry. The dramas made me feel. And the cinema made me dream.

I am grateful for the cinematic arts.