Thursday, April 2, 2015

Beauty

Thursday: Point of View

BEAUTY

Beauty is a quality in a person or thing that exalts the mind or spirit. (Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, 1977.) That's the type of beauty I seek in film, art, music, books.

 Beautiful images in film make my spirit soar. Watching Red Beard (1965) gives the same reaction as listening to exquisite music. The shots are so artistically composed that nearly every frame of the movie could be used as a still photograph in a gallery.

Films with a beautiful message also exalt the mind.  Even when the theme points out pain, injustice, suffering, if it shines a light on qualities such as perseverance, forgiveness, hope, redemption, it can lift the soul. (Consider Life is Beautiful, 1997)

 In his documentary Why Beauty Matters (2009), philosopher Roger Scruton expresses, "Beauty is more than subjective; it is a universal need."… "I think we are losing beauty and there is a danger that with it, we will lose the meaning of life."

 Because film reaches the senses through multiple ways…images, movement, music, dialogue…it is a powerful art. I applaud filmmakers who use that power to exalt and add beauty to our lives.


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11 comments:

  1. Luana KrauseApril 2, 2015 at 5:51 AM

    Trudy, I couldn't agree more! I am a movie buff and one of the many things I love about films is the photography - the lighting, the set, the beautiful images. It's the thing that draws me in.

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    1. TrudyApril 2, 2015 at 5:35 PM

      Sometimes I get so lost in the images and sound, I almost forget to follow the story. haha

      Delete
  2. Luana KrauseApril 2, 2015 at 5:51 AM

    Trudy, I couldn't agree more! I am a movie buff and one of the many things I love about films is the photography - the lighting, the set, the beautiful images. It's the thing that draws me in.

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  3. Suddenly SusanApril 2, 2015 at 6:43 AM

    I'm with Luana ... I really notice things like light, color, etc. when I am watching a film. One of the things I don't like when I'm watching a film or series is darkness. The recent series on Netflix called "The Killing" is filmed in Seattle. It's always raining and it is just generally "dark". I pointed it out to my husband and he hadn't really noticed. It is a dark subject and I think the director has made the darkness very effective because I just couldn't continue watching it due to the darkness. :-)

    I love that you are recommending films here and will be adding these to my list to find!

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    1. TrudyApril 2, 2015 at 5:38 PM

      You might not like Red Beard since it is in black and white, but the filmmakers use of light and shadow is mesmerizing, and you might enjoy that aspect.

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  4. S. L. HennessyApril 2, 2015 at 10:24 AM

    I applaud those filmmakers as well!

    Good luck with the 2015 A to Z Challenge!
    A to Z Co-Host S. L. Hennessy
    http://pensuasion.blogspot.com

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    1. TrudyApril 2, 2015 at 12:57 PM

      Thanks for commenting! And thank you for the work you do with the A to Z challenge.

      Delete
  5. AnonymousApril 3, 2015 at 7:53 AM

    Beautifully put! :)

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  6. AnonymousApril 3, 2015 at 12:37 PM

    Such a fun A to Z challenge. I can't wait to read more and see where you take us. :)

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    1. TrudyApril 4, 2015 at 5:23 AM

      Thanks! This is my first year doing the A to Z challenge. I'm enjoying it.

      Delete

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