In a conversation with the Associated Press, acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese stated that “cinema is gone.” Although Scorsese has had an unrivaled career as a director and film enthusiast, I sadly feel that he is incorrect. Film in the 21st century has been just as inventive, creative, and vivacious as it ever was.
Film is an artistic medium that has been around for over 100 years. Near the beginning of cinema’s history, technical achievements were taking place, such as moving from silence to sound, or from black and white to color. The new century may not have seen technical advances as drastic as those, yet the barriers being torn down in recent times have been creative ones.
The following are some films that exemplify that the 21st century has seen an abundance of incredible movies: ones that will stand the test of time with their rich originality and intense artistry.
“Certified Copy” directed by Abbas Kiarostami
The Iranian master filmmaker ventured out of his country to the Italian countryside, making a film that is a feast for the eyes and for the mind. The movie revolves around two art connoisseurs discussing the validity of art copies in comparison to the originals. What ensues is a bizarre and intriguing love story of people and ideas. This film proves that some modern-day cinema can have intellectual validity.
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“It’s Such a Beautiful Day” directed by Don Hertzfeldt
Animation is not just for kids. Hertzfeldt broke all the rules with this masterpiece. With simplistic animation combined with deep themes of death, the meaning of life and decay, this movie is a shining example that film is still evolving and evoking new emotions.
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“Amour” directed by Michael Haneke
After Woody Allen’s 1977 classic “Annie Hall,” romance films began to copy the same formula seen in the orginal. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, they fall out of love, and then they fall back in love, cue end credits. But Haneke’s Golden Palm-winning masterpiece “Amour” showed a new image of love: one in old age and filled with pain.
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“Dogville” directed by Lars von Trier
What is a movie supposed to look like? Von Trier’s “Dogville” challenges any conception we have of how a film is made, having been created without a set and nearly completely with a handheld camera. The story of an American town during the Great Depression focuses more on its content and originality than a glamorous production.
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These films are living proof that the modern age of cinema is not one to look down upon, but one to be proud of.
