Great Movies and Shows for People Who Want to Get into 'Art' Film
Getting into the world of art film can be really really difficult. The first problem, many times, is that a lot of art films (especially older ones) can be unbelievably long and even more unbelievably boring for all but the most enthusiastic cinemaphiles. The second problem is that art films are just really freaking hard to find. Sure, you can find plenty of lists of all these obscure films and maybe, if your lucky, find a few at your local library, but then you put it in only to find that it's some experimental film with no dialogue or no real plot. And what sane person wants to watch that?
So my goal today is to give you a list of some of my favorite art films that are both pretty easily found and easy for a normal person to get through. I'll focus on giving you movies and shows that should be easy to find on Netflix or Amazon and which conform to more standard structures.
Be warned, not all of these movies are family friendly. Some themes may be too intense for younger audiences and some language and sensuality is unavoidable, so do your research before-hand. However, such material is used purposefully by most of these to reinforce a theme, so for audiences able to appreciate that, these movies should be fine.
hero
DIR: Zhang Yimou
DP: Christopher Doyle
Okay, perhaps this is a bit indulgent of me, but my first choice is Hero, Directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Jet Li (you may have seen him in the Expendables series). It follows a man called Nameless (Li) as he is granted an audience with the King of China. Nameless claims that he has killed the three assassins pursuing the King and tells the story of how he did so. As the story unfolds it becomes clear that all is not as it seems.
This film is absolutely breathtaking and the fight choreography is excellent. It is in Chinese (Netflix doesn't have an English dub, so this isn't for haters of subtitles), but, in my opinion, it's totally worth it. The film explores the value of honor and justice and what it means to be heroic. This is a seminal work of Chinese film-making and, while it may not be as influential as Seven Samurai, it is much easier to watch. So, if you want to get into some good Chinese film check this out.
The Secret life of Walter Mitty (2013)
DIR: Ben Stiller
DP: Stuart Dryburgh
Based on the Short Story by James Thurber
While The Secret Life of Walter Mitty definitely takes a major departure from the original 1947 feature, starring Danny Kaye (Which I adore, by the way), it shows a spryness that essentially no other reboot or remake has demonstrated to date. Some may call it sappy or say it goes too far off the rails, but I say that it embraces the inner adventurer that every incarnation of Mitty has had, with a fresh perspective and modern face lift. The cinematography here is great and Ben Stiller's performance demonstrates that he is capable of rising above the like of the Night at the Museum franchise. It may not go down in the books as one of the greats (it's not the least predictable movie ever), it's certainly an excellent film to introduce you to the world of modern cinematography. And hey, if you like this version, definitely check out the original one. It's even more surreal and definitely worth a watch if you can find it.
Sherlock
Created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gattiss
If you haven't seen, or even heard of, Sherlock, yet, stop reading this and go watch it. I mean it. Right now! I know this is a fairly mainstream TV show for a post about introducing people to art film, but Sherlock really does deserve it. The cinematography is sleek and the way they communicate the seminal detective's thought process is mind-bending and delightful. Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange and Star Trek: Into Darkness) and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit Trilogy) work splendidly on screen. This also serves as an excellent introduction to the wonderful mind of Steven Moffat, who has proven himself (both in Sherlock and the new Doctor Who) adept at reviving old stories with ingenious new twists.
The Prestige
DIR: Christopher Nolan
DP: Wally Pfister
Most people already know Christopher Nolan's movies, if not his name. He directed The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, and Interstellar along with the upcoming film Dunkirk. Nolan has brought a more accessible form of Neo-Noir storytelling back into the mainstream and, even if a movie about feuding magicians in the age of Tesla and Edison sounds like the last place you'd find a Noir film, The Prestige fits the bill.
I've always admired Nolan for being able to weave together genres that seem incompatible to create a compelling narrative. He doesn't disappoint here. To explain the blend of narratives would be to spoil the intrigue of the film, so I'll only say this: expect something trippy. As I said, the film follows two magicians (Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale) who engage in a battle of wits, trying to outsmart each other in the pursuit of the ultimate magic trick.
o brother, where art thou?
DIR: Joel & Ethan Coen
DP: Roger Deakins
While most people know the Coen Brothers for Fargo or The Big Lebowski, they've been actively directing several other excellent works. O Brother, Where Art Thou? is an adaption of Homer's Odyssey in which a verbose prisoner escapes a chain gang with two other prisoners chained to his heels and makes his way across the South in an attempt to get home to his wife. George Clooney plays the eccentric lead perfectly, blending southern charm and sheer verbal excess to no end of hilarity. Roger Deakins, as always, demonstrates his insuperable command of a camera. The film has a unique color grade (this is the first film to be graded digitally) that really pulls you into the story and the songs (Songs? Yeah, just wait til you see what they do with that) are surprisingly endearing. It's definitely worth a watch.
Anna Karenina
DIR: Joe Wright
DP: Seamus McGarvey
If you thought a dude from northeast Ohio was too cool to put a romance movie on this list, you were very very wrong. This movie is beautiful. Just indescribably beautiful. It all takes place within a theater. No really, all the scenes (okay, except one weird one) happen within one giant theater set. It's awesome. There are some really great long takes and awesome editing and don't even get me started on the costumes. Whoever designed all the dresses and suits was a genius. Oh yeah, and the plot's not bad either. But hey, it's a romance movie, what do I care? Just go back to the horse race! (Yes, that's right. A horse race in a theater).
Okay, but seriously now, the story is well crafted, which is to be expected from an adaption of Russian literature. I haven't read the original, but I've heard some people say that it takes some liberties with the messaging, which is to be expected I guess. But overall this movie is just wonderful. Go watch it, please. It's worth it.
So that's it for now. There's my unordered list of some of my favorite art films that are pretty easy to find and easy to watch. I hope you enjoy them and I hope it will bring you into the wide world of cinema. If you want to see some more stuff about art film, I've included some great YouTubers that produce video essays about cool films below.
