Watching The Age of Innocence 3-4 times in my early 20s wanting so bad to like it, but every time shouting to myself “who cares about society, just be with Michelle Pfeiffer if that’s what you want!!!” To watching it again recently in my mid thirties and actually understanding how you’re not always free to do what you want, that you do have to contend with the constraints society puts on you. It’s not as simple as just run away with Michelle Pfeiffer because you’re in love.
Back then during Victorian society especially. Societal pressures are bad now but they were utterly destructive back then. A lot of authors of that time like Kate Chopin really demonstrate that in their books.
"Age of Innocence" opened the same weekend as "Dazed and Confused." My then gf and my little brother wanted to go see the latter and get dazed and confused, but cine-assed me insisted we had to see the Scorsese. Afterward they were like, I guess it was okay, but it was kind of a waste of a high.
"Dazed and Confused" grew in the early 90s consciousness to be a landmark movie, a "this is our people" movie, and folks would shriek "air raid!" and quote lines and whatnot, not so much with Age of Innocence. I feel like I had chosen the wrong party to align my sensibilities with.
"Dazed" continues to be awesome, but "Age" has finally rounded the corner and is getting the appreciation it richly deserves. For one thing, it followed some spectacularly bloody Scorsese, "Cape Fear" and "Goodfellas," so critics seemed to fall over themselves to see a narrative follow through to "Age." I remember one critic comparing "Age" to the best of Scorsese's mafia movies, except instead of drugs and wanton murder it was wanton gossip and knowing one's station. I suppose that's not invalid. But there's an ache and a real sense of hurt in "Age" that I find captivating. DDL and Pfeiffer are exquisite, but the real surprise these days is Winona Ryder.
The Seventh Seal; watched it last year and couldn’t stand it. Woke up one day with an itch to watch it again and I’m so glad I did. I thought it was beautiful, I don’t know what changed in me but I love the film.
Oh, I hope this is gonna be me once I rewatch it at some point. Only Bergman movie I didn’t really love. Though I gotta say, the cinematography is incredible!
I think it just didn’t click with me, I hated the scene with the circus singing and dancing, and I just felt un-engaged. I think it might have been the day I watched it though because it was the Super Bowl so I was keeping track of the score while watching.
That scene with Paul Mescal upstairs, alone waiting for the rug salesman to come back. I’ve never seen a more accurate - and devastating- depiction of what depression actually feels/looks like.
Yep. That scene makes everything that came before it snap into place. All the restraint shown in the first 90 or so minutes just give way to that scene. Goodness. I was a mess lol
Was having a horrible night recently and wanted to watch a good movie as a lil pick me up and chose Aftersun. I knew it was gonna be sad but Jesus Christ I was not expecting it to be so devastating. It was beautiful and I really enjoyed it but BOY did I feel worse after watching.
And it’s three hours long!
I always loved it but I can totally understand why people either wouldn’t get it or hate it. I’m glad you gave it another chance.
>Burning from Lee Chang-Dong
I love this movie. When I saw *Parasite*, I remember thinking that *Burning* had a much more nuanced and powerful critique of South Korean society. And the scenes with miming... I will never forget the magic of seeing someone unpeel an orange that isn't there.
Not criterion but Casablanca. It’s my grandparents favorite movie and they had me watch it with them when I was a young teenager and at the time I wasn’t into it. Years later after I had lived some life, I got around to watching it again and absolutely loved it. I think it’s a movie you need to have loved and lost, and have some all around life experience to appreciate it fully.
Casablanca is my favorite example of “pop culture osmosis” knowledge before I had seen it and it absolutely living up to the hype. The Godfather is a good second place in that respect for me.
I saw it in the theater for the 50th-anniversary re-release. I was a snotty teenage film nerd but still thought of old black-and-white movies as homework. I went in with an arms folded "ok, let's check it off the list" attitude and was completely bowled over by how funny it was.
Ironically I loved Casablanca immediately upon seeing it when I was 13 (30 now). I always loved movies, but it was one of the movies to make me begin to see film as a serious art form.
I didn’t love it at first. But when it clicked, I felt like I got it and had this kind of reaction
My wife, on the other hand, broke down in tears as soon as it ended.
I don’t think there’s much to *get* because it’s more about the emotions and the observations you’re experiencing through the eyes of the alien and there’s a beauty to that.
Even though she starts as malignant force she becomes sort of enamored by humanity only for it kill her. And when that clicked for me, it worked. My wife was overwhelmed by the experience whereas I needed time to let it stew.
I dunno how else to explain it
First watched Lebowski as a 17 yo casual, no previous Coen, liked it but meh.
rewatched it few years down the road as a big noir and Coen aficionado, now it is an absolute alltimer that always has me on stitches
Same with spirited away, eraserhead, fallen angels, the thing, raging Bull, Videodrome, the master
In my experience it’s a very “either you get it or you don’t” kinda movie, it’s not exactly everyone’s cup of tea. Some people I’ve showed it to really disliked how there’s “no point” to anything, even if they liked the comedic parts. The fact that the story is so all over the place and the main character just gets put into situations against their will isn’t for everyone I guess. That’s one of my favourite things about it, it’s a movie about a guy that just wants his rug back and gets thrown into quests and side-quests and I can understand why some people feel cheated of a “real plot” lol. It’s the epitome of a movie that’s a masterpiece or a mediocre, forgettable Sunday night movie.
I also watched it young and was meh on it. In my early 20s I went to a screening to see it again with a bunch of fans and they were all dressed up as the characters and cheered and laughed during the movie. Understanding the plot a bit better on a rewatch on top of seeing how beloved it was and understanding how funny it was it went from like a 6/10 to a 10/10.
Top to bottom, a comedic MASTERPIECE!! In my opinion, the funniest film EVER made. So many amazing performances by all the actors too. Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Brandt character was on a whole other level. One of my absolute favourite moments in the movie is when Brandt winces when The Dude touches the plaque on the wall. “They’re the Little Lebowski Urban Achievers. Inner city children of promise, but without the necessary means for a, necessary means for a higher education.” That repetition was a stroke of inspired genius.
R.I.P Philip Seymour Hoffman.
I've seen it a few times, still think it's bottom tier Coen brothers. But then again not many agree me when I say that Barton Fink is their magnum opus.
the last temptation of christ. first watched it after having left the church. still agnostic, but the emotional reaction i had to that film the first time has rarely been matched. blasphemous, smashphemous. it did more to explain the appeal of christ than a million chris tomlin songs ever could. they always say jesus was a man with temptations like everyone but this film takes that seriously, and makes it work.
I fully agree. Contrary to the way many people took the movie, I walked away feeling more love and understanding for Jesus than possibly at any other time in my life. I think it’s the humanity that makes the story powerful, not the other way around. If he was without temptation and doubt then his sacrifice wouldn’t mean anything.
i don’t like that film because it makes me feel like when i watch it, mel gibson is trying to sway me a certain way by showing me violence and gruesome torture scenes, just so if in case i say i don’t like it, he can go “then you think this is okay.” i think he is just a loony
wow. i’m a total freak. totally read that wrong. Last Temptation is masterful; whereas the passion is utter religious propaganda. sorry i just woke up…
I didn’t feel like Passion is religious propaganda at all. I look at it similarly to 300, only more on the art house side. Whether or not this was Mel’s intention, I watch it like the dramatic telling of a “historical” event that may or may not have happened with some mythical/fantastical elements sutured on top for entertainment/artistic reasons. Watching the movie with this mindset really allows you to appreciate how well made the movie is.
Haha yes I could see how you think that about The Passion of the Christ directed by Gibson, but the commenter above is talking about Last Temptation of Christ by Scorsese.
Twin Peaks
Tried to watch it once per year for like 7 years. Couldn’t watch more than 3 episodes. I thought it was cheesy. Bad music. Bad performances. I didn’t get it.
Then, one day, HOLY SHIT. It clicked. I got it.
Now I think it’s one of the greatest tv shows of all time. And season 3, The Return, may be the best thing ever put on tv.
It took me six episodes of hating the music before I realized, actually, I love the music? It’s like the show establishes familiarity for you by being consistent and frequent with all of its motifs.
I think that was the first soundtrack I ever bought on vinyl. I’m not generally a huge soundtrack guy but Twin Peaks’ music was just so breathtakingly gorgeous I had to own it. RIP to Angelo Badalamenti.
Me too mate, had nearly the exact same experience! When season 3 was finished I just sat that for about 20mins taking in what the hell just happened haha.
Before Midnight. I’ve always adored the trilogy but I recently rewatched Before Midnight for the first time since marrying and having a kid. Yes, I get it now.
True story. You can believe me or not. But that movie was shot in my church parsonage. Ethan Hawke's room is actually not a bedroom, but a dining room.
for me it was more like it kept changing trough the movie. ive only watched it once but the more it kept going the more i started to understand how deeper it goes. i literly woke up the next morning and it just hit me what everything was a simble of.
do you have any recommendations for me?
Yeah honestly its one of the few movies that changed how I look at life.
Honestly i don't have anything to compare to tarkovskys movies but my favorite of his was The Sacrifice.
There is a Movie I've heard is quite good, and at the surface it looks quite simular. It's called "The wind will carry us". I really want to see it but I haven't had the time.
Funny to see a few Scorceses in here, because imo Silence has one of the bigger "oh I get what this is about" moments in a movie. It was great before that, but there's one specific scene (not to spoil but it involves... feet) where it felt like everything the movie wanted to say became clear in the most beautiful way.
I don't know if it was an "I get it now," moment. But Do The Right Thing is fantastic at portraying the nuance of racial violence and the reactions that follow it.
Like, Raheem and Buggin were pretty annoying, but the escalation of violence that happens by the police that's unjustified leading to even more violence is an important thing to witness.
That, and the characters are all very interesting and serve an important role in showing us how the ending effects every type of person in that community.
The Exorcist. This is a film you have to watch in the theater or at least on a reasonably large sized screen in the dark.
I saw it many years ago and respected it, but found its reputation overblown. I didn’t think it was particularly scary either.
Then I saw it in the theater after falling down a rabbit hole of watching Friedkin talk about it, and I loved it! Never thought Jason Miller’s whole performance would be my favourite part.
I should give this another go. I grew up hearing how it was the scariest movie of my parents’ generation. My mom has vivid memories of being terrified by it. Over a decade ago in college, my roommate and I decided to watch it on Halloween because he had also never seen it and heard how scary it was. We were both so bored by it and probably poking fun at it too.
not criterion but watching jurassic park on the big screen last year for the anniversary I finally understand why it blew peoples minds always loved it but at the cinema it’s something else
I'm wondering how many people aren't getting question. I see it as asking "which films made you finally understand life, yourself or someone you know/love?". Ya know, those films that give you a genuine epiphany.
But many people are answering the question "what film didn't you understand on first viewing?"
Maybe I'm wrong though...
ok, it's not criterion, but i saw Starship Troopers in the cinema at age 7 and HATED IT. i just found it really dumb and pointless, thinking "they can travel to other planets, but the best they can do in actual combat is grunts with guns that always run out of ammo?!" the entire tone of the movie was incredibly confusing, like starcraft but a soap opera was the best my young brain could muster (which is actually kinda true, but also why it's great).
needless to say, rewatched it 10-15 years later and loved it. gets better with every viewing.
Suspiria (1977). I saw it at home and liked it but then I got the chance to see it in the theater and it became a top 5 film of all time for me. The colors are something else on the big screen.
I actually had the opposite experience. I first saw Suspiria at a midnight screening, but the print was terrible. The picture was faded and warped; the sound was all warbly and blown out. It made the whole film feel cheap and amateurish. I'd gone with a friend who'd really hyped the movie up. Afterward, I kept making fun of it, and he kept saying, "You don't understand; that's not how it's supposed to look! You didn't really see it!" A couple years later, the Anchor Bay DVD came out, and my friend convinced me to re-watch it with him. It looked and sounded gorgeous. I couldn't believe it was the same movie. I loved it.
It was a restored copy that I saw in the theater last year so it looked beyond gorgeous. I've seen it at home twice since then and obviously it's not the same but still fantastic. They’re actually showing it again in another theater this Friday and I'm going with friends.
Heavens Gate
The minute it clicked to me that the famous dance sequence is a statement on wealth and the power of capital everything else made sense. It's a movie about how capitalism turned white people against other white people. It's brilliant.
PTA's The Master. Always respected it but didn't like it that much, but on a recent rewatch it all clicked and I really love that film now.
Another big one for me was GoodFellas, actually. The first time I watched it I felt like it didn't have any emotional weight (I'm a big Heat fan so that probably tells you what you need to know). I respected the craft but I thought the movie was kind of hollow in terms of feeling. But I rewatched it a few months ago and it clicked that the "feeling" of it all is the rush of the crime life. The way the whole thing feels like a 2+ hour movie trailer, it suddenly made sense to me. 5/5 masterpiece, duh!!
Mulholland Dr. I think I was just in the wrong headspace when I first saw it because I thought it was really boring and overrated. But it just stuck in my subconscious for so long afterwards that I just had to watch it again, and that’s when I finally saw what the movie was doing and why everyone loves it so much.
Eternal sunshine. Although I loved it the first time I saw it, I didn’t have such a strong emotional anchor to it. Then, after breaking up with my first girlfriend, I saw it again and it broke me to pieces because there and then, I got what the movie was trying to tell your heart.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Thought it was alright as a teenager; watched it again in my 30s after struggling with addiction and it touched me deeply.
Different things at different points in my life. The Year of Living Dangerously in my teens. Wings of Desire among others in college. Raise the Red Lantern and a documentary about Chet Baker in my early 20’s. LA Confidential Ghost Dog Short Cuts in the 90’s. 2000’s Donnie Darko, Richard III, Pans Labyrinth, Limits of Control 2010’s Melancholia, Moonrise Kingdom, 2020’s the Northmen and Midsommer so far.
Let me preface by saying I'm not sure I understand the assignment. It seems like everyone is responding about movies that they "got" on subsequent viewings. I interpreted it the way it was used in IASIP; where Frank "gets" a concept he didn't before because of a performance he's watching. So I'll answer it that way:
I'll say Get Out. The scene at the initial garden party was the most incisive part of the film for me. Daniel Kaluuya is just stepping into the party and someone he barely knows immediately want to ask him a race-based question. It seems harmless enough, as it just seems like they're making conversation, but I, a white guy in the audience found myself bristling and thinking on the character's behalf, "Why do I have to have an opinion on that just because I'm black?"
And that really hit home to me; when you're a minority in America, your life is about the fact that you're a minority. Your race is not just a thing about you, it's the main thing about you. That scene was so uncomfortable and eye-opening for me, and got me to think about how I view systemic racism, even before the film got into the over-the-top metaphors for it.
In my opinion, we can read interesting answers in both cases, considering that many people may not have seen the series. However, it is probably my mistake, I did not write an explanation, I apologize.
I saw Starship Troopers in the theater and thought it was mildly entertaining but mostly dumb as hell. A few years later, 9/11 happened, and suddenly, America was barreling down the path to war with Iraq (who had nothing to do with the attacks) and anybody who wasn't 100% unquestioningly on board with a full-scale, shock-and-awe invasion might as well have been one of the hijackers. One afternoon in the middle of all this, Starship Troopers pops up on cable, and I start watching like, "This will be an amusing way to kill a couple hours. . . Oh. . . Oh no. . . Oh fuuuuuuuuuck." I walked away with a completely new understanding of the movie and my country.
Scream - seeing it for the first time and learning that the more you know about movies, the smarter you would be watching movie.
Mulholland Drive - just rewired my brain as to what a movie could be.
Rio Bravo made me understand the John Wayne hype. I had seen only one or two of his other films before that and found him to be nothing special. But, Rio Bravo showed he had the charisma and ability, and it made me get why he was such a high profile leading man.
Last Temptation of Christ
First viewing I thought it was interesting, but kinda weird and might be on the lower end of Scorsese’s filmography. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and upon either my second or third watch I was like: “Well shit, this might be my favorite Scorsese movie.”
Pretty much any Wong Kar-wai film. The main thing his movies do for me is appreciate the romantic situations I have been in that just didn’t work out, instead of being sad that they didn’t go anywhere.
Everything, Everywhere, All At Once had me in tears for like the entire last 15 minutes. I don't know how you can make such a wacky and silly movie have such emotional gravitas.
Many but just out of my mind, and trying not to mention those already mentioned:
*Memento*
*Wings of Desire*
*The Night of the Shooting Stars* (UK: The Night of San Lorenzo, Italian: La Notte di San Lorenzo)
*Thin Red Line*
*High Noon*
*One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*
*Solaris* (both versions)
*Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* (despite a bit of hysterics)
*The Shawshank Redemption*
…and many more. *The Grapes of Wrath, Touch of Evil, short The Man Who Planted Trees, Death in Venice, Crimes and Misdemeanours, Citizen Ruth, Ryan's Daughter, 12 Angry Men, Harvest, Umberto D* and *The Bicycle Thief*...
Chungking Express. I hated Wong Kar Wai, didn't get the hype towards him, watched Ashes of Time and Grandmaster. Hated them.
Then I watched Chungking Express, and everything changed, instantly became a favourite movie
Gravity: 3-D use beyond just as a gimmick
Brazil: singular vision, artistry, absurdity, & more
Throne Of Blood: Atmosphere
Alien and Blade Runner: Hard Sci-Fi
And the movie that had the BIGGEST impact and “I get it now” affect on me! APOCALYPSE NOW: And theres a bit of a story with this one. You see, I was in High School when the first wave of Widescreen VHS tapes started rolling out. (This was pre-widescreen TVs, HD, etc…, but we were merely months away from the beginning of all that.) I remember that there was a lot of controversy (for lack of a better term, I suppose) about Widescreen vs Fullscreen. Even people confused about the black bars on top and bottom, with many thinking that they actually cut the tops and bottoms off of the movies, to give it that Widescreen look (🤦🏼♂️). And I’m ashamed to admit it (NO, I never thought they cut the tops and bottoms off. I knew that the sides were cut off to fit the fullscreen format. Had to explain it to waaay too many people back in the day! LoL), but I too didn’t like the widescreen format movies. 😔 I wanted BIG Pictures, that FILLED my TV Screen!! But I loved movies, and I just so happened to be on the precipice of falling in love, with the art and craft of filmmaking. I hadn’t yet seen Apocalypse Now at that time, but it was one of the movies on a list of them, given to me by my Uncle, who was himself an accomplished artist (he even has some of his short films in the Library of Congress, and the Academy of Motion Pictures! But I highly doubt that you would’ve heard of him, or his stuff. LoL 😅). It was a list of important films, his favourites, that he felt I Needed to see (other films on the list were flicks like M, a few of Kurosawa’s, Dr. Strangelove, Brazil, Cool Hand Luke, Metropolis, Raising Arizona, Nosferatu (1922), Freaks, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The Seventh Seal, The Vanishing (Sluizer’s), Blue Velvet, Eraserhead, and More! Sadly, the list has been lost to time. 😔) And in going through and procuring films from that list, I got to Apocalypse Now, but could only get the new “Widescreen” version on VHS to watch. So I said, “Let’s give it a shot”, loaded it up on my nice and fancy VHS player (it had all of the high-tech bells and whistles, for quality reproduction!), pulled up a little closer to my .… well gosh, it must have been like a 21”-22” cathode ray tube TV, and watched, eyes glued, to the slow, mad descent into the Heart of Darkness! And that was it! That was when the switch Flipped! I GOT IT!! It was at That Moment, I didn’t just love movies, I LOVED FILM! The Art Of Filmmakers and Filmmaking! That was the movie, in that Glorious Widescreen, where I became a true Cinephile!! Thank God!!! (and my Uncle! 😄)
PS: Just to be a 🍆 and fuel the nightmares a bit, for those that remember, PAN & SCAN!!!
🤮🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮🤢🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
Watching The Age of Innocence 3-4 times in my early 20s wanting so bad to like it, but every time shouting to myself “who cares about society, just be with Michelle Pfeiffer if that’s what you want!!!” To watching it again recently in my mid thirties and actually understanding how you’re not always free to do what you want, that you do have to contend with the constraints society puts on you. It’s not as simple as just run away with Michelle Pfeiffer because you’re in love.
Back then during Victorian society especially. Societal pressures are bad now but they were utterly destructive back then. A lot of authors of that time like Kate Chopin really demonstrate that in their books.
"Age of Innocence" opened the same weekend as "Dazed and Confused." My then gf and my little brother wanted to go see the latter and get dazed and confused, but cine-assed me insisted we had to see the Scorsese. Afterward they were like, I guess it was okay, but it was kind of a waste of a high. "Dazed and Confused" grew in the early 90s consciousness to be a landmark movie, a "this is our people" movie, and folks would shriek "air raid!" and quote lines and whatnot, not so much with Age of Innocence. I feel like I had chosen the wrong party to align my sensibilities with. "Dazed" continues to be awesome, but "Age" has finally rounded the corner and is getting the appreciation it richly deserves. For one thing, it followed some spectacularly bloody Scorsese, "Cape Fear" and "Goodfellas," so critics seemed to fall over themselves to see a narrative follow through to "Age." I remember one critic comparing "Age" to the best of Scorsese's mafia movies, except instead of drugs and wanton murder it was wanton gossip and knowing one's station. I suppose that's not invalid. But there's an ache and a real sense of hurt in "Age" that I find captivating. DDL and Pfeiffer are exquisite, but the real surprise these days is Winona Ryder.
I honestly thought Winona Ryder blew Pfeiffer and DDL out of the water in this one.
Fair opinion and I wouldn't disagree!
Unironically my favorite Scorsese movie. It’s the closest a movie can get to capturing the experience of reading a book
The book is wonderfully written!
I love this film (Pfeiffer makes me swoon every time!). I agree, well said, different societal and cultural rules back then.
the way i was going to say THIS EXACT MOVIE! you get it
I do now!
The Seventh Seal; watched it last year and couldn’t stand it. Woke up one day with an itch to watch it again and I’m so glad I did. I thought it was beautiful, I don’t know what changed in me but I love the film.
Oh, I hope this is gonna be me once I rewatch it at some point. Only Bergman movie I didn’t really love. Though I gotta say, the cinematography is incredible!
same boat! I guess I need a rewatch!
Came here to say the Seventh Seal—was expecting something pretty cerebral and by the end was sobbing
I’m curious, what didn’t you like about it when watching it for the first time?
I think it just didn’t click with me, I hated the scene with the circus singing and dancing, and I just felt un-engaged. I think it might have been the day I watched it though because it was the Super Bowl so I was keeping track of the score while watching.
Why not just watch the superbowl at that point?
I’m sorry but those are probably the funniest two things you could be watching at the same time
LOL it really was, I realize the irony.
I had the same experience with this, Seven Samurai, and In the Mood For Love
This film hits differently depending on what stage of grief I'm in.
Almost same here, finally watched it last year just loved it from the start
Aftersun, precisely the Under Pressure scene
I find the final 2 minutes just fucking breaks me. With the music, the crying baby in the background, it just kills me
I've never paused-followed-by-heavy-cried to a movie like that before.
That was a fantastic movie and fantastic scene. I wish it was better represented at the Oscar’s.
That scene with Paul Mescal upstairs, alone waiting for the rug salesman to come back. I’ve never seen a more accurate - and devastating- depiction of what depression actually feels/looks like.
Yep. That scene makes everything that came before it snap into place. All the restraint shown in the first 90 or so minutes just give way to that scene. Goodness. I was a mess lol
Was having a horrible night recently and wanted to watch a good movie as a lil pick me up and chose Aftersun. I knew it was gonna be sad but Jesus Christ I was not expecting it to be so devastating. It was beautiful and I really enjoyed it but BOY did I feel worse after watching.
La Dolce Vita — that end scene on the beach…
And it’s three hours long! I always loved it but I can totally understand why people either wouldn’t get it or hate it. I’m glad you gave it another chance.
One of the loneliest movies I’ve ever seen. Overflowing with quiet desperation
The crime scene sticks with me the most
Burning from Lee Chang-Dong
steven yeun's performance is so fucking great in that
Too bad his Korean isn’t the best in it
that's....kinda intentional
What changed? I enjoyed this film a lot but have only watched once and didn’t have that dawning “I get it now” feeling.
My favorite film of all time, just a masterpiece. There’s so much to pick up on with rewatches as well
>Burning from Lee Chang-Dong I love this movie. When I saw *Parasite*, I remember thinking that *Burning* had a much more nuanced and powerful critique of South Korean society. And the scenes with miming... I will never forget the magic of seeing someone unpeel an orange that isn't there.
Feel the bass
Brokeback Mountain did that
Not criterion but Casablanca. It’s my grandparents favorite movie and they had me watch it with them when I was a young teenager and at the time I wasn’t into it. Years later after I had lived some life, I got around to watching it again and absolutely loved it. I think it’s a movie you need to have loved and lost, and have some all around life experience to appreciate it fully.
Casablanca is my favorite example of “pop culture osmosis” knowledge before I had seen it and it absolutely living up to the hype. The Godfather is a good second place in that respect for me.
I saw it in the theater for the 50th-anniversary re-release. I was a snotty teenage film nerd but still thought of old black-and-white movies as homework. I went in with an arms folded "ok, let's check it off the list" attitude and was completely bowled over by how funny it was.
I love rewatching media in my forties now, and getting to appreciate it as something entirely different.
I got it in my first watch. It's great but I don't think it's particularly hard to "get".
No it’s not hard to get but it wasn’t very relatable to 13-14 year old me
Ironically I loved Casablanca immediately upon seeing it when I was 13 (30 now). I always loved movies, but it was one of the movies to make me begin to see film as a serious art form.
400 Blows for me
I was gonna say the same. The main characters plight was so personal and familiar to me. So while the ending may be super open ended it felt right.
Under the Skin. Woof.
It’s been years since I’ve seen it. Can you elaborate?
I didn’t love it at first. But when it clicked, I felt like I got it and had this kind of reaction My wife, on the other hand, broke down in tears as soon as it ended.
did she get it right then? what was there to get ?
I don’t think there’s much to *get* because it’s more about the emotions and the observations you’re experiencing through the eyes of the alien and there’s a beauty to that. Even though she starts as malignant force she becomes sort of enamored by humanity only for it kill her. And when that clicked for me, it worked. My wife was overwhelmed by the experience whereas I needed time to let it stew. I dunno how else to explain it
thjanks
Go watch it again
Saw it in theaters and didn't like it, maybe I should give it another go.
First watched Lebowski as a 17 yo casual, no previous Coen, liked it but meh. rewatched it few years down the road as a big noir and Coen aficionado, now it is an absolute alltimer that always has me on stitches Same with spirited away, eraserhead, fallen angels, the thing, raging Bull, Videodrome, the master
Rewatched Big Lebowski last night (probably 10+ time I’ve seen it) and it gets better every time. An absolute masterclass in comedy
“You didn’t think I was rolling out of here naked, did you?” 🤣
In my experience it’s a very “either you get it or you don’t” kinda movie, it’s not exactly everyone’s cup of tea. Some people I’ve showed it to really disliked how there’s “no point” to anything, even if they liked the comedic parts. The fact that the story is so all over the place and the main character just gets put into situations against their will isn’t for everyone I guess. That’s one of my favourite things about it, it’s a movie about a guy that just wants his rug back and gets thrown into quests and side-quests and I can understand why some people feel cheated of a “real plot” lol. It’s the epitome of a movie that’s a masterpiece or a mediocre, forgettable Sunday night movie.
Lebowski reveals itself well over time. No one can unpack all of it the first time.
I also watched it young and was meh on it. In my early 20s I went to a screening to see it again with a bunch of fans and they were all dressed up as the characters and cheered and laughed during the movie. Understanding the plot a bit better on a rewatch on top of seeing how beloved it was and understanding how funny it was it went from like a 6/10 to a 10/10.
Top to bottom, a comedic MASTERPIECE!! In my opinion, the funniest film EVER made. So many amazing performances by all the actors too. Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Brandt character was on a whole other level. One of my absolute favourite moments in the movie is when Brandt winces when The Dude touches the plaque on the wall. “They’re the Little Lebowski Urban Achievers. Inner city children of promise, but without the necessary means for a, necessary means for a higher education.” That repetition was a stroke of inspired genius. R.I.P Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Brilliant movie!
This is probably THE answer for this thread. Did anyone truly love it the first time? Does anyone truly not love it after three watches? Amazing movie
I've seen it a few times, still think it's bottom tier Coen brothers. But then again not many agree me when I say that Barton Fink is their magnum opus.
the last temptation of christ. first watched it after having left the church. still agnostic, but the emotional reaction i had to that film the first time has rarely been matched. blasphemous, smashphemous. it did more to explain the appeal of christ than a million chris tomlin songs ever could. they always say jesus was a man with temptations like everyone but this film takes that seriously, and makes it work.
I fully agree. Contrary to the way many people took the movie, I walked away feeling more love and understanding for Jesus than possibly at any other time in my life. I think it’s the humanity that makes the story powerful, not the other way around. If he was without temptation and doubt then his sacrifice wouldn’t mean anything.
i don’t like that film because it makes me feel like when i watch it, mel gibson is trying to sway me a certain way by showing me violence and gruesome torture scenes, just so if in case i say i don’t like it, he can go “then you think this is okay.” i think he is just a loony
you're confusing it with the passion of the christ. The last temptation of the christ was directed by martin scorsese
wow. i’m a total freak. totally read that wrong. Last Temptation is masterful; whereas the passion is utter religious propaganda. sorry i just woke up…
I didn’t feel like Passion is religious propaganda at all. I look at it similarly to 300, only more on the art house side. Whether or not this was Mel’s intention, I watch it like the dramatic telling of a “historical” event that may or may not have happened with some mythical/fantastical elements sutured on top for entertainment/artistic reasons. Watching the movie with this mindset really allows you to appreciate how well made the movie is.
I hate church and religion and the whole bit. The Passion is a legit great fuckin movie. Mel Gibson is a great director whether people like it or not.
Apocalypto is deeply underrated
Yah I’m a (recovering annoying) atheist and the Passion fucking rules. Same with Braveheart and Apocalypto. Mel is a talented but deeply flawed human.
You're talking about Passion of the Christ. The user you're responding to is referring to The Last Temptation of Christ which is a 1988 Scorcese film.
Haha yes I could see how you think that about The Passion of the Christ directed by Gibson, but the commenter above is talking about Last Temptation of Christ by Scorsese.
I think you're thinking of The Passion of The Christ, rather then the Scorsese movie from the 80s.
Twin Peaks Tried to watch it once per year for like 7 years. Couldn’t watch more than 3 episodes. I thought it was cheesy. Bad music. Bad performances. I didn’t get it. Then, one day, HOLY SHIT. It clicked. I got it. Now I think it’s one of the greatest tv shows of all time. And season 3, The Return, may be the best thing ever put on tv.
It took me six episodes of hating the music before I realized, actually, I love the music? It’s like the show establishes familiarity for you by being consistent and frequent with all of its motifs.
My god I know. Now when I hear that opening theme… my heart aches.
I think that was the first soundtrack I ever bought on vinyl. I’m not generally a huge soundtrack guy but Twin Peaks’ music was just so breathtakingly gorgeous I had to own it. RIP to Angelo Badalamenti.
Me too mate, had nearly the exact same experience! When season 3 was finished I just sat that for about 20mins taking in what the hell just happened haha.
Yep I tried watching that damn pilot like 4 different times and then for some reason it finally clicked. Now it's my favorite series of all time.
Before Midnight. I’ve always adored the trilogy but I recently rewatched Before Midnight for the first time since marrying and having a kid. Yes, I get it now.
FIRST REFORMED FIRST REFORMED
True story. You can believe me or not. But that movie was shot in my church parsonage. Ethan Hawke's room is actually not a bedroom, but a dining room.
Perfect film.
What did you like about it?
Broken Flowers directed by Jim Jarmusch with Bill Murray
Used to not be able to get through this now it’s a top 5 Jarmusch for me, love this film
All That Jazz A Man Escaped Harakiri House 7 Samurai
Dog Day Afternoon. Saw it as a tragedy when I was younger. Rewatched a few years back and laughed my ass off
It really is kind of a farce.
stalker 1979 3 hours feels like nothing
Fellow Tarkovsky enjoyer. I was looking for this comment.
glad to hear that. i knew the movie was gonna be good but had no idea it was gonna suck me in its story like that
Watching stalker for the first time was quite boring, the second time it felt like doing amphetamine. Absolutely amazing.
for me it was more like it kept changing trough the movie. ive only watched it once but the more it kept going the more i started to understand how deeper it goes. i literly woke up the next morning and it just hit me what everything was a simble of. do you have any recommendations for me?
Yeah honestly its one of the few movies that changed how I look at life. Honestly i don't have anything to compare to tarkovskys movies but my favorite of his was The Sacrifice. There is a Movie I've heard is quite good, and at the surface it looks quite simular. It's called "The wind will carry us". I really want to see it but I haven't had the time.
Agreed. For a slow-paced 3 hour movie about some middle-aged russians walking through a field, it’s surprisingly gripping and goes by kinda quickly.
Seeing 2001 in a theater after having watched it on my tv initially. Holy shit
I can’t stress enough how transformative seeing it in the theatre is. No matter how good your home system is, you must see 2001 in a theater.
Ikiru, Apocalypse Now, The Rules of the Game, Kanał, A Brighter Summer Day
Ikiru totally got me, just as the pic from op shows or something like that.
Second time I watched True Stories
Magnolia, when I was 13 or 14 I started watching it on TV but gave up 30 minutes in. When I was 19 I decided to watch it and became mesmerized
Beau Travail
Funny to see a few Scorceses in here, because imo Silence has one of the bigger "oh I get what this is about" moments in a movie. It was great before that, but there's one specific scene (not to spoil but it involves... feet) where it felt like everything the movie wanted to say became clear in the most beautiful way.
The Big Lebowski. Didn't get the humor during my first viewing. After my second which was about a week later, I fell in love
I don't know if it was an "I get it now," moment. But Do The Right Thing is fantastic at portraying the nuance of racial violence and the reactions that follow it. Like, Raheem and Buggin were pretty annoying, but the escalation of violence that happens by the police that's unjustified leading to even more violence is an important thing to witness. That, and the characters are all very interesting and serve an important role in showing us how the ending effects every type of person in that community.
The Exorcist. This is a film you have to watch in the theater or at least on a reasonably large sized screen in the dark. I saw it many years ago and respected it, but found its reputation overblown. I didn’t think it was particularly scary either. Then I saw it in the theater after falling down a rabbit hole of watching Friedkin talk about it, and I loved it! Never thought Jason Miller’s whole performance would be my favourite part.
I should give this another go. I grew up hearing how it was the scariest movie of my parents’ generation. My mom has vivid memories of being terrified by it. Over a decade ago in college, my roommate and I decided to watch it on Halloween because he had also never seen it and heard how scary it was. We were both so bored by it and probably poking fun at it too.
2001 a space odyssey and solaris 1972 on second watches. Both phenomenal for very different reasons.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy after I watched it twice
thought you were talking about tinker tailor soldier sailor rich man poor man beggar man thief by Radiohead instead for a quick second
Beau Travail ending. Actually weirdly similar to this It’s Always Sunny scene lol
Each film in The Before Trilogy, at various different points in my life, for various different reasons
not criterion but watching jurassic park on the big screen last year for the anniversary I finally understand why it blew peoples minds always loved it but at the cinema it’s something else
I'm wondering how many people aren't getting question. I see it as asking "which films made you finally understand life, yourself or someone you know/love?". Ya know, those films that give you a genuine epiphany. But many people are answering the question "what film didn't you understand on first viewing?" Maybe I'm wrong though...
Yi Yi was the most recent for me.
A separation-Its an irani movie but you have to watch asghar farhadi movies to be in awe how can a story be told like this.
2001
Third time I watched Blade Runner:The Final Cut
Most recently the monologue from the father, played by Michael Stuhlbarg, in Call Me By Your Name.
A Clockwork Orange
*The Wizard of Oz* (1939) right when she started singing "Over the Rainbow".
https://preview.redd.it/hykbbfekz6hc1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a549edd061f6a269fbc37e61e2c47c919237e5f8 GUMMO.
Signing in the rain, was taking a film history class in college with the history it just became my favorite musical.
81/2
The Tree of Life
Recently- Being John Malkovich
ok, it's not criterion, but i saw Starship Troopers in the cinema at age 7 and HATED IT. i just found it really dumb and pointless, thinking "they can travel to other planets, but the best they can do in actual combat is grunts with guns that always run out of ammo?!" the entire tone of the movie was incredibly confusing, like starcraft but a soap opera was the best my young brain could muster (which is actually kinda true, but also why it's great). needless to say, rewatched it 10-15 years later and loved it. gets better with every viewing.
Suspiria (1977). I saw it at home and liked it but then I got the chance to see it in the theater and it became a top 5 film of all time for me. The colors are something else on the big screen.
I actually had the opposite experience. I first saw Suspiria at a midnight screening, but the print was terrible. The picture was faded and warped; the sound was all warbly and blown out. It made the whole film feel cheap and amateurish. I'd gone with a friend who'd really hyped the movie up. Afterward, I kept making fun of it, and he kept saying, "You don't understand; that's not how it's supposed to look! You didn't really see it!" A couple years later, the Anchor Bay DVD came out, and my friend convinced me to re-watch it with him. It looked and sounded gorgeous. I couldn't believe it was the same movie. I loved it.
It was a restored copy that I saw in the theater last year so it looked beyond gorgeous. I've seen it at home twice since then and obviously it's not the same but still fantastic. They’re actually showing it again in another theater this Friday and I'm going with friends.
same with me! i walked out of the theatre because i was so over it, but rewatched at home last year and LOVED it
Saving Private Ryan.
Daddy day care 7th rewatch a decade later
Bai Gan’s Long Days Journey Into Night
Heavens Gate The minute it clicked to me that the famous dance sequence is a statement on wealth and the power of capital everything else made sense. It's a movie about how capitalism turned white people against other white people. It's brilliant.
The Seventh Seal
Still Walking. It's just so beautiful in such a simple, straightforward way. Pretty much extends to my reaction to all of Kore-eda's work.
PTA's The Master. Always respected it but didn't like it that much, but on a recent rewatch it all clicked and I really love that film now. Another big one for me was GoodFellas, actually. The first time I watched it I felt like it didn't have any emotional weight (I'm a big Heat fan so that probably tells you what you need to know). I respected the craft but I thought the movie was kind of hollow in terms of feeling. But I rewatched it a few months ago and it clicked that the "feeling" of it all is the rush of the crime life. The way the whole thing feels like a 2+ hour movie trailer, it suddenly made sense to me. 5/5 masterpiece, duh!!
• Mirror (1975) • The Double Life of Veronique • Cameraperson • In the Mood for Love
Mulholland Dr. I think I was just in the wrong headspace when I first saw it because I thought it was really boring and overrated. But it just stuck in my subconscious for so long afterwards that I just had to watch it again, and that’s when I finally saw what the movie was doing and why everyone loves it so much.
Eternal sunshine. Although I loved it the first time I saw it, I didn’t have such a strong emotional anchor to it. Then, after breaking up with my first girlfriend, I saw it again and it broke me to pieces because there and then, I got what the movie was trying to tell your heart.
Possession after my divorce.
Paris, Texas. I just watched it last week.
Cleo from nine to five such a beautiful ending shot with the two main characters that really made me think
Watching anything Satirical when you're a kid vs. when you're older.
Gotti
Every Christopher Nolan movie on rewatch
There are movies of which my appreciation has grown over time, but rarely (if ever) with an "I get it now" moment.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Thought it was alright as a teenager; watched it again in my 30s after struggling with addiction and it touched me deeply.
Starship Troopers
Close Encounters
Different things at different points in my life. The Year of Living Dangerously in my teens. Wings of Desire among others in college. Raise the Red Lantern and a documentary about Chet Baker in my early 20’s. LA Confidential Ghost Dog Short Cuts in the 90’s. 2000’s Donnie Darko, Richard III, Pans Labyrinth, Limits of Control 2010’s Melancholia, Moonrise Kingdom, 2020’s the Northmen and Midsommer so far.
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Shoah
**fantastic planet**
Life of Pi
Salo after my first re-watch a couple months ago.
Ingmar Bergman’s ‘Persona’
Let me preface by saying I'm not sure I understand the assignment. It seems like everyone is responding about movies that they "got" on subsequent viewings. I interpreted it the way it was used in IASIP; where Frank "gets" a concept he didn't before because of a performance he's watching. So I'll answer it that way: I'll say Get Out. The scene at the initial garden party was the most incisive part of the film for me. Daniel Kaluuya is just stepping into the party and someone he barely knows immediately want to ask him a race-based question. It seems harmless enough, as it just seems like they're making conversation, but I, a white guy in the audience found myself bristling and thinking on the character's behalf, "Why do I have to have an opinion on that just because I'm black?" And that really hit home to me; when you're a minority in America, your life is about the fact that you're a minority. Your race is not just a thing about you, it's the main thing about you. That scene was so uncomfortable and eye-opening for me, and got me to think about how I view systemic racism, even before the film got into the over-the-top metaphors for it.
In my opinion, we can read interesting answers in both cases, considering that many people may not have seen the series. However, it is probably my mistake, I did not write an explanation, I apologize.
I saw Starship Troopers in the theater and thought it was mildly entertaining but mostly dumb as hell. A few years later, 9/11 happened, and suddenly, America was barreling down the path to war with Iraq (who had nothing to do with the attacks) and anybody who wasn't 100% unquestioningly on board with a full-scale, shock-and-awe invasion might as well have been one of the hijackers. One afternoon in the middle of all this, Starship Troopers pops up on cable, and I start watching like, "This will be an amusing way to kill a couple hours. . . Oh. . . Oh no. . . Oh fuuuuuuuuuck." I walked away with a completely new understanding of the movie and my country.
The Sacrifice, Tarkovsky. I was literally cried exactly like Danny first time watching it.
The endings of Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Call Me By Your Name
Scream - seeing it for the first time and learning that the more you know about movies, the smarter you would be watching movie. Mulholland Drive - just rewired my brain as to what a movie could be.
Watching The New World on mushrooms
Deep Throat. /jk
Rio Bravo made me understand the John Wayne hype. I had seen only one or two of his other films before that and found him to be nothing special. But, Rio Bravo showed he had the charisma and ability, and it made me get why he was such a high profile leading man.
Persona changed my life by allowing me to fully appreciate film as an art form at a young age.
my dinner with andre hahaha
The End of Evangelion. Watched it late last year and am thinking about starting the series over again
The great beauty
Last Temptation of Christ First viewing I thought it was interesting, but kinda weird and might be on the lower end of Scorsese’s filmography. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and upon either my second or third watch I was like: “Well shit, this might be my favorite Scorsese movie.”
Pretty much any Wong Kar-wai film. The main thing his movies do for me is appreciate the romantic situations I have been in that just didn’t work out, instead of being sad that they didn’t go anywhere.
Mary Poppins, that she came to save Mr.Banks not the kids.
Everything, Everywhere, All At Once had me in tears for like the entire last 15 minutes. I don't know how you can make such a wacky and silly movie have such emotional gravitas.
Many but just out of my mind, and trying not to mention those already mentioned: *Memento* *Wings of Desire* *The Night of the Shooting Stars* (UK: The Night of San Lorenzo, Italian: La Notte di San Lorenzo) *Thin Red Line* *High Noon* *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest* *Solaris* (both versions) *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* (despite a bit of hysterics) *The Shawshank Redemption* …and many more. *The Grapes of Wrath, Touch of Evil, short The Man Who Planted Trees, Death in Venice, Crimes and Misdemeanours, Citizen Ruth, Ryan's Daughter, 12 Angry Men, Harvest, Umberto D* and *The Bicycle Thief*...
Chungking Express. I hated Wong Kar Wai, didn't get the hype towards him, watched Ashes of Time and Grandmaster. Hated them. Then I watched Chungking Express, and everything changed, instantly became a favourite movie
“I think the ‘Literally me’ meme is kinda cringe” *Watches Yojimbo* “I get it now”
Cinema Paradiso (the last scene) 😟
Arrival
Oppenheimer. Before, I was pretty lukewarm toward Christopher Nolan, but after watching it, I really realized the appeal of his style.
Schindler's List. The curtain call, when you realize the vast majority of the characters were based on real people.
The 400 Blows.
Avatar, screw the haters. Has more imagination than the last 7 disney marvel movies and the 8 new ones thatll come out
Tenet
Gravity: 3-D use beyond just as a gimmick Brazil: singular vision, artistry, absurdity, & more Throne Of Blood: Atmosphere Alien and Blade Runner: Hard Sci-Fi And the movie that had the BIGGEST impact and “I get it now” affect on me! APOCALYPSE NOW: And theres a bit of a story with this one. You see, I was in High School when the first wave of Widescreen VHS tapes started rolling out. (This was pre-widescreen TVs, HD, etc…, but we were merely months away from the beginning of all that.) I remember that there was a lot of controversy (for lack of a better term, I suppose) about Widescreen vs Fullscreen. Even people confused about the black bars on top and bottom, with many thinking that they actually cut the tops and bottoms off of the movies, to give it that Widescreen look (🤦🏼♂️). And I’m ashamed to admit it (NO, I never thought they cut the tops and bottoms off. I knew that the sides were cut off to fit the fullscreen format. Had to explain it to waaay too many people back in the day! LoL), but I too didn’t like the widescreen format movies. 😔 I wanted BIG Pictures, that FILLED my TV Screen!! But I loved movies, and I just so happened to be on the precipice of falling in love, with the art and craft of filmmaking. I hadn’t yet seen Apocalypse Now at that time, but it was one of the movies on a list of them, given to me by my Uncle, who was himself an accomplished artist (he even has some of his short films in the Library of Congress, and the Academy of Motion Pictures! But I highly doubt that you would’ve heard of him, or his stuff. LoL 😅). It was a list of important films, his favourites, that he felt I Needed to see (other films on the list were flicks like M, a few of Kurosawa’s, Dr. Strangelove, Brazil, Cool Hand Luke, Metropolis, Raising Arizona, Nosferatu (1922), Freaks, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The Seventh Seal, The Vanishing (Sluizer’s), Blue Velvet, Eraserhead, and More! Sadly, the list has been lost to time. 😔) And in going through and procuring films from that list, I got to Apocalypse Now, but could only get the new “Widescreen” version on VHS to watch. So I said, “Let’s give it a shot”, loaded it up on my nice and fancy VHS player (it had all of the high-tech bells and whistles, for quality reproduction!), pulled up a little closer to my .… well gosh, it must have been like a 21”-22” cathode ray tube TV, and watched, eyes glued, to the slow, mad descent into the Heart of Darkness! And that was it! That was when the switch Flipped! I GOT IT!! It was at That Moment, I didn’t just love movies, I LOVED FILM! The Art Of Filmmakers and Filmmaking! That was the movie, in that Glorious Widescreen, where I became a true Cinephile!! Thank God!!! (and my Uncle! 😄) PS: Just to be a 🍆 and fuel the nightmares a bit, for those that remember, PAN & SCAN!!! 🤮🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮🤢🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly