5 Films That Changed Your Life

Inspired from this thread

Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire - I didn't know films could be this poetic and elegiac. It has had a profound effect on me.

Hugh Hudson's Chariots of Fire - One of the most inspiring films that I have ever seen.

Julian Schnabel's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Also an incredibly inspiring film. Also one of pure artistry.

Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha - Truly an epic piece of filmmaking. Awe-inspiring.

Ridley Scott's Blade Runner - I don't know what can be said about this film that hasn't already been said. It's incredible, it's perfect, it's timeless.

Honorable Mentions:

Ingmar Bergman's Fanny & Alexander
Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line and Days of Heaven
Robert Altman's Short Cuts
Dario Argento's Suspiria
Aleksandr Sokurov's The Russian Ark
Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon
Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ
David Lynch's Eraserhead and Mulholland Drive
Sofia Coppola's Lost In Translation
Alain Resnais' Last Year At Marienbad

Part of it is that I'm a filmmaker myself, so they've definitely changed me as far as craft/technique go. As a person, they've changed my view on what constitutes art. They've transcended their medium and become pieces of (visual) art worthy of being put alongside a Monet or Picasso, and/or become thoughtful commentaries on the human condition. They've also proven that film is the highest artform we have.

I still need to see Russian Ark. Was it actually a good film, or is it just the gimmick?

By 'gimmick' I'm going to assume you meant the technical achievement of the film being done in one 90 min. SteadiCam shot. That was what drew me to it originally. Other than that, it has such a unique structure, almost like it's half narrative and half documentary. It's a brilliant little film.

none of the following have necessarily changed my life, but there are elements, lines, or themes from each of them that really resonate with me.

the shawshank redemption - i've historically been a pessimist, but i love the message of hope and patience that this movie is about. "get busy living or get busy dying" has become an important phrase for me.

edward scissorhands -- that there is a beauty in being different that isn't always visible to everyone; that acceptance and tolerance is the key to seeing that beauty. also, that mediocrity and conformity can be more ugly than something or someone that looks different.

the matrix -- i like the idea of questioning one's reality, and that things aren't always as they appear.

adaptation - "you are what you love, not what loves you" is another line that really resonates with me and gives me peace.

life is beautiful - i don't plan on having children, and this film for some reason helped solidify that decision for me.

Fight Club - The first movie I saw which addressed my anger at the world (and, once I was able to admit that I was so angry, I was able to actually DEAL with it.)

The Blair Witch Project - laugh all you want, this movie was the first one which got me interested in not only horror but, more importantly, awakened an interest in local folklore which has yet to die (and, in fact, is still one of the driving forces behind my writing and my quest to get my PhD in local history)

O Brother Where Art Thou - One of the first movies I saw which really showed to me that mythology was still being worked with by modern artists. I love myth, and it was great to remember that it is still relevant to modern society. Also its one of the few movies that almost makes me cry. And the MUSIC (okay, this also was a major kick in the ass when it came to my love of traditional American music)

Transformers: The Movie - The 1985 movie, not the Michael Bay version (which, I'll admit, I liked). I first saw the movie when I was about 6 or so, and I think it was the first time I realized that heros can DIE! God, great movie.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: Important not only because it was one of the first movies I saw in the theater with my Dad (but that IS important). Indiana Jones was one of my first heroes as a kid and I can honestly say that if it weren't got Dr. Jones, I really doubt that I'd be working to be a History Professor right now. It got me interested in history, archeology and even the Bible. God, great stuff! Sadly, as i t turns out, being a Professor does NOT mean that you get to go around fighting Nazis and ancient Evil all the time but, screw it, I still love it

Honorable mention

Monty Python and the Holy Grail - When ever I was pissed off and/or depressed in High School, I'd throw this movie in and laugh my ass off. It prob'ly saved me from becoming an angry, bitter bore during those years.

Mystery Science Theater (the entire series) - same reasons as above

The Power of Myth - Not an actual movie, hence why its not listed in the main list, just a series of interviews with Joseph Campbell one of my heroes (and, honestly, the only one besides my Father who ISN'T a politician). God I love Campbell, and I love myth.

I can't necessarily say many, if any, movies have changed my life in the way plays, books, and music have. The only one I can think of that would probably qualify is Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, which I saw before I ever saw or read the play.

I think this is a great question. I made a statement tangential to this in the 'Five albums that changed your life' thread.

Microscopically, one's life could be said to be changed by each moment, but that's not really what is being discussed.

Have any films altered my day-to-day behavior or outlook? Possibly. You know, I really can't name them, though I certainly can name films that I 'felt' at some visceral level.

♠ I've said this before, but everything I need to know about life I learned from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Entire essays have been written about Ferris Bueller's guide to life, and to this day my life philosophy stems greatly from that movie. From the art of the clammy hands to not believing in -ism's, no movie is more packed full of useful information.

♠ The only other movie that has influenced the way I live and the things I say as profoundly is The Big Lebowski. I probably quote that movie more than any other, because it's really useful for just about every situation. You'll notice a lot of similarities between Ferris Bueller and The Dude, as far as their outlook on life, so it shouldn't be a surprise that I am a disciple of both.

♠ Back to the Future is probably the movie I've seen more than any other, and incited my interest in both science fiction and classic rock at the tender age of four. I ultimately grew up on both, and to this day they're two of my most favorite past times. On that same note, the soundtracks of Forrest Gump and Stealing Beauty were most influential to my musical tastes, and the latter introduced me to Bertolucci.

♠ Dr. Strangelove taught me that the world is a pretty fucked up place, and we just have to laugh about it sometimes, so we don't cry about it. Kubrick has been the most inspirational director overall in my life. Kurosawa is up there as well.

♠ Rain Man was a very influential movie for me for personal reasons. Good or bad, it's had a large impact on my life.

And I guess that's five. I didn't pick films that influenced me artistically, as Cassiel seems to have done, but movies that have shaped my life in one way or another. There are also movies that in and of themselves are meaningless, but where I was at the time, themes, or events that transpired when I saw them make them meaningful to me.

Honorable mention:

♠ WarGames got me interested in computers, the only field I've ever worked in. It should honestly probably be higher on the list, since my entire life has revolved around computers for the better part of 20 years, and this movie is primarily to blame for that, but one Matthew Broderick vehicle is enough.

I actually liked that movie a lot when it came out. I think it really was groundbreaking for horrors movies, even if it lends itself well to parody.

1. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) - This movie got me interested in the horror genre and played some part in cultivating my interest in Eastern Europe. The movie came out right about the time when I was getting interested in history, so it gave me a geographical place to focus my reading.

2. Lolita (1997) - This movie got me interested in Nabokov, who remains one of my favorite authors. My appreciation of Nabokov also introduced me to a number of other authors, with whom Nabokov has been compared. I actually used a few lines from Nabokov's the Defense for the best man's speech at my brother's wedding a few years back.

3. Arthur (1981) - This movie definitely had an effect on shaping my sense of humor.

4. Harold and Maude (1971) - The movie helped shaped my outlook on life, as weird as that may sound.

5. Star Wars (the whole series) - I don't think pop culture since the 1980s would have been the same without Star Wars. I owned an R2-D2 shirt when I was a kid too. My brother had a C-3PO one... loser. Of course, he also had a Darth Vader shirt and I played with ewok toy figures, so I guess it all evens out on some level.

1) twin peaks Fire walk with Me - use to watch it way before I watched the show ,loved the abstract surreal that is is.....made me really interested in making movie myself....opened my mind to what film can be
2)Escape from NewYork - watched this over and over again when young....I wanted to be Snake Plisken
3)Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome - again watched this so many times ...that I incorporated it into my life....
4)Bitter tears of Petra Von Kant - introduced me to Fassbinder ....wow could he write,and it all takes place in one room
5)Godfather part 2 -The first one is a classic but this one is special,I felt a real kinship with it...why I do not know...it is a flawless film ,and actually quite anti-hollywood for its time....another one which got me interested in wanting to make films....I have to add apocalypse Now in here as well..... watched it so many times...I became Kurtz

Going back to Thistle's question, I think that for me, it's more a change in my life as a filmmaker. They've all inspired my aesthetic sense. Though I will say that Chariots of Fire makes me want to take up running again and attempt the Olympics.

Star Wars

Pink Flamingos

Yojimbo

A Clockwork Orange

I'm actually @a loss to think of a fifth on the same scope as these.

-TM

I was just talking to a friend of mine today about this film. I love that Scorsese played Van Gogh in that one segment.

Dreams got me interested in Kurosawa, my parents rented it when I was about 10 or so and I saw it and it blew my mind. It's not my favorite Kurosawa film, which would probably be Rashomon or Madadayo but its influence is certainly notable.

1) The Graduate- Because it's a perfect film, and it's also a film that introduced me to the hilarity of subtle awkwardness. I think I was able to enjoy reading Catcher in the Rye more because I'd seen The Graduate beforehand.

2) Swingers- Because, as cheesy and lame as it may seem, I learned a lot about what it meant to be a whole person from the movie. It helped teach me how to be comfortable in my own skin, and there was a time in my life when I desperately needed that. Sometimes I still do.

3) Ghostbusters- Because I've spent more time watching this movie than any other in my life, and because I dressed up like Peter Venkman for three consecutive Halloweens when I was a kid.

4) Stargate- Because this movie marked the end of my first love, which marked the beginning of so many other wonderful things. Incidentally, It's still hard for me to get through this, though I think that has more to do with the fact that it's not very good than any emotional attachment to it.

5) The Hard Way- Facilitated my first kiss. That's upheaval right there, folks. Thank you, Michael J. Fox and James Woods!

No Michael Clayton? No ...And Justice For All?

The exact same thing applies for me with Antitrust. Totally unremarkable movie, but I saw it on an emotional night dealing with my first love, one of the few times I've cried. To this day I own but can barely watch it. This is pretty much what I was referring to earlier.

V for Vendetta- I loved the message-stick to your principles and dignity, when everything goes to hell, they're all you'll have left.

Glory- Amazing movie about the first black unit to be used for combat (instead of manual labor) in the Union during the Civil War. Also gave me a historical jumping off point when I visited Fort Sumter (in Charleston).

The Land Before Time (The first one) Yes, you read that right. I was 3 when I first saw it and looking back, realize it was kind of dark for a kids film (witnessing the death of a parent, being orphaned, looking for food to keep from starving, fending off predators). First time I saw adult themes mixed in with a kid's movie.

same goes for
The Secret of Nimh

Alien-Saw this for the first time ten years ago? When I watched it I thought-hey girls can kick ass too!

I'd already bought in when I'd seen those movies!

If we're looking for lawyer movies, I'd go with A Few Good Men or Inherit the Wind. But really if anything, the movie that most made me want to become a lawyer was All the President's Men, which isn't even a lawyer movie to begin with.