Can you ignore the message in a "message movie", and just enjoy a good film?

[Sigblaster]

They're also called "social problem films". Some people complain that they won't watch certain films, because they are produced to subtly "indoctrinate" people to a certain point on the political spectrum. Some of them even beat you over the head with the message. It's that obvious.

Now, I'm not so weak in my beliefs that I can be swayed by a film. Any changes in my beliefs come from a bit of self-reflection, and thinking for myself. I have changed my own beliefs over the years, but it came from introspection and taking a broader view of what liberty actually is.

On great example of a "message movie" is District 9. I love this movie. I understand the message. The setting and themes are not lost on me, but it does not get me fired up into taking action about anything. It's just a really good story, with great special effects. Oh, and awesome weapons and technology. I've watched it many times, and I'll watch it again, and ignore the message. I think the trick is to get lost in a good story, without getting snared into thinking about the "message".

Another example is Avatar. Coincidentally, another 2009 movie. This one, they do beat you over the head with the message. I didn't really like this movie. The characters and story didn't resonate with me, and the effects were too cartoonish for me to suspend my disbelief. Even with disregarding the message, I didn't really find it to be a compelling story.

I'm sure some of you can come up with some more good examples of ignoring the message, and enjoying the movie. I'd also like to discuss movies where you just can't enjoy a film because of the message.

 

[churchmouse]

Avatar wore me thin about halfway in. The effects were stellar but the message was irritating.

District 9's message escaped me. Thankfully. I liked the movie.

 

[Route 45]

I was gonna say Dances With Wolves, but you already mentioned Avatar, which is Dances With Wolves in space.

 

[churchmouse]

I was gonna say Dances With Wolves, but you already mentioned Avatar, which is Dances With Wolves in space.

I walked out on DWW.

 

[Route 45]

I walked out on DWW.

Por que?

 

[shibumiseeker]

I haven't watched many movies in the last few years. Mostly not as much time, but I see so very few really well made movies that aren't trying to beat you with their message. I don't care if I happen the agree with the messaging or not, I am firmly against indoctrination. I'm also against giving even more money to large production houses and actors that make money off of guns but portray them in a negative light and campaign against gun rights.


There are a few though that I would require a child, if I were to have one, to see. Gattaca, American History X, Amistadt, The Crucible, are among those.

 

[Sigblaster]

Avatar wore me thin about halfway in. The effects were stellar but the message was irritating.

District 9's message escaped me. Thankfully. I liked the movie.

I think District 9's message was so subtle, because it was about Apartheid and racism, and a little classism thrown in. And since it was set in South Africa, it's so removed from the American experince, the message is easily missed. People who already have strong views on that situation might be encouraged to mobilize to take action in some direction, while others just find themselves captured in the simple story, and can sympathise with either Wikus or Christopher Johnson (a strangely appropriate name for an extraterrestial).

I'm glad you enjoyed the movie, and missed the message. And how bad do you want one of the weapons from that movie, like the AMR-B05, where you can just explode a bad guy.

 

[Sigblaster]

I haven't watched many movies in the last few years. Mostly not as much time, but I see so very few really well made movies that aren't trying to beat you with their message. I don't care if I happen the agree with the messaging or not, I am firmly against indoctrination. I'm also against giving even more money to large production houses and actors that make money off of guns but portray them in a negative light and campaign against gun rights.


There are a few though that I would require a child, if I were to have one, to see. Gattaca, American History X, Amistadt, The Crucible, are among those.

Gattaca is another one of my favorite movies, and it happens to have a message that I agree with. No matter how humble your start in life, if you want to succeed bad enough, and work hard enough, and even cheat the system a little, you can get to where you dream to be.

Ok, I know that wasn't the message that the movie was pushing, but I think they accidentally sent a message they didn't mean to send.

 

[johny5]

I walked out on DWW.

I probably would have done the same, had I not fallen asleep...

 

[churchmouse]

I think District 9's message was so subtle, because it was about Apartheid and racism, and a little classism thrown in. And since it was set in South Africa, it's so removed from the American experince, the message is easily missed. People who already have strong views on that situation might be encouraged to mobilize to take action in some direction, while others just find themselves captured in the simple story, and can sympathise with either Wikus or Christopher Johnson (a strangely appropriate name for an extraterrestial).

I'm glad you enjoyed the movie, and missed the message. And how bad do you want one of the weapons from that movie, like the AMR-B05, where you can just explode a bad guy.

In my travels down life's path I have met a few really stellar individuals from South Africa and their family's. My racing efforts has been very interesting in who I have spent time with. These people were very professional and even keeled. They earned my respect. Their stories on how the entire apartheid thing came to be puts a different perspective on this outside Nelsons involvement. So yeah I caught a drift of that in the movie but the entire scenario kept me involved.

 

[Tombs]

There is a great deal of difference between the type of messaging we have today and the type of messaging in District 9 or even Avatar. Those movies created their own situations, and own drama to think about. It's just that you can draw parallels to the real world with it.

Modern messaging is more about being too lazy to create their own story, and simply trying to push one of the current day political agendas into the film, portraying anyone who disagrees as evil.


A good example would be Star Trek, then and today. In TNG they simply showed men wearing skirts, they didn't write a story about why men would wear a skirt, or their political beliefs, it was just there.
In modern Star Trek, they'll have a hyper flamboyant character making out with another same sex character, and involve multiple episodes over the ordeal.

In old Star Trek, Kirk just kisses a black woman.
In new Star Trek, we'll get multiple episodes talking about how white people are effectively evil.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Gattaca is another one of my favorite movies, and it happens to have a message that I agree with. No matter how humble your start in life, if you want to succeed bad enough, and work hard enough, and even cheat the system a little, you can get to where you dream to be.

Ok, I know that wasn't the message that the movie was pushing, but I think they accidentally sent a message they didn't mean to send.

I think it was the message intended. The cautionary note of society saying your genetics being your destiny and the sub rosa fight against that.

Another couple movies I put in with those is Breaker Morant and Dr. Zhivago, though both of those are painfully slow by modern standards. Still excellent commentaries on sociopolitical events. I probably wouldn't force any putative child I might have to watch them as it might put CPS on me for boring a child to death. I had to watch "Citizen Kane" when my mother was earning her first Masters Degree (library science) and had to watch it for a class. I think I was 7-8 at the time.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

Frozen II is full of garbage ideology, but some of those songs are so dang catchy.

 

[churchmouse]

Frozen II is full of garbage ideology, but some of those songs are so dang catchy.

So was F-1 if you have to sit through it as many times as I have.......

 

[Route 45]

I probably would have done the same, had I not fallen asleep...

I thought it was a good movie. But I really love the west and that period of time in our history. I found the story interesting, if a bit formulaic.

I see a lot of people say that Unforgiven is too slow, and it ostensibly has an anti-violence message. I thought it was an excellent movie and really showed that people are not either 100% good or evil, unlike a lot of formula westerns from the 50's and 60's with a good guy, a bad guy and a love interest. I didn't take the message as "anti-violence." I just saw reality. Despite the movie not being the typical shoot-em-up western, I am always ready to watch it again.

 

[avboiler11]

District 9 was a fantastic film, as was Elysium. Definite messages there, but IMO neither film was preachy though Elysium more visceral than D9.

Also liked Avatar, though I thought its message was somewhere north of Elysium. Still a good flick.

The Star Trek reference above is also valid.

Its probably easier for science fiction to straddle this line; the modern version of BSG did this a lot with allegories to the Iraq War and GWOT.

 

[rob63]

Jojo Rabbit was a recent message movie that I really truly enjoyed. It probably helped that it is pretty easy to not like Nazis, and I didn't make connections to modern politics the way some people to the left of me did. I also tend to like that style of dark comedy.

I think if the message is subtle and the movie is good otherwise it is pretty easy to ignore the message, but if it is hitting you over the head and there isn't much else to the film then it becomes unbearable. 5 minutes worth of decent story line turned into 90 minutes of propaganda is tedious. 90 minutes of good film with 5 minutes of propaganda is fine. A subtle message that makes you think is far more enjoyable than something overt regardless of the message.

I just watched Mississippi Burning yesterday. I had never seen it before and I think it surely was intended as a message movie about the evils of racism. However, the racism portrayed was so extreme that I think it has become more of a hopeful movie illustrating how much things have changed in the last 50 years. I think that is kind of an interesting thing that a message movie can morph into something else with the passage of time.

 

[Ruger_Ronin]

So was F-1 if you have to sit through it as many times as I have.......

You have to let it go.....

 

[wtburnette]

Depends on the movie and the message. Most that are done subtly I can still enjoy. If the movie just keeps bashing me over the head with it's woke message, I probably won't even go to see it, but if I do I'll likely not enjoy it. I've noticed most films and TV shows are very anti-captitalism and the bad guy is often some rich business owner who'll do anything to make more money. Look on Hulu or any of the other streaming sites and you can find at least a half a dozen shows where the "corporation" is an evil entity trying to take over the world or something like that. Some of these shows aren't too bad, but I feel like all together I'm just getting beat about the head and shoulders over this message. I heard there was a guy trying to start up a conservative movie studio. It would be nice if we start getting movies where the bad guys are idiot leftists destroying the world with their moronic policies...

 

[johny5]

I thought it was a good movie. But I really love the west and that period of time in our history. I found the story interesting, if a bit formulaic.

I see a lot of people say that Unforgiven is too slow, and it ostensibly has an anti-violence message. I thought it was an excellent movie and really showed that people are not either 100% good or evil, unlike a lot of formula westerns from the 50's and 60's with a good guy, a bad guy and a love interest. I didn't take the message as "anti-violence." I just saw reality. Despite the movie not being the typical shoot-em-up western, I am always ready to watch it again.

'Unforgiven' may be my favorite movie.

"Deserve's got nothing to do with it!" One of the greatest moments/lines in all of cinema!