Audiences throughout the history of film have come to theaters to witness stories that would entertain them. They hope for an experience that will offer some excitement that will spark emotions they rarely feel in their day-to-day lives. This effort to gain excitement has only increased as time has gone on, with people more distracted than ever before, so movies are asked to do more to retain their attention. This has wrongly built up the idea that the primary objective of every movie should be to entertain a viewer, and a failure to do so means the movie is not worth your time.
The emotional potential of movies is immense, capable of going far beyond simply entertaining an audience. Many of the greatest cinematic experiences can be surprisingly subtle while still stirring deep feelings within a viewer. Movies like this don’t force your emotions as much as they cause them to gently rise within you. These films offer an experience more needed than ever before by giving audiences a sense of peace, a feeling so difficult to find in our busy lives. Here are 10 of the most meditative movies ever made.
Still Walking (2008)
Japanese DirectorHirokazu Kore-eda’s filmsalways have a light touch, butStill Walkingmight be his most intimate. It shows an annual gathering of a family in commemoration of anunknown eventwe slowly become aware of as the film progresses. While there are unspoken tensions between certain family members, there is never a grandiose confrontation with two people shouting at each other. It just shows them eating, talking, and doing chores.
The film focuses entirely on the mundane motions of domestic living with exceptional grace, making the experience all the more intimate and relatable. Watching the family interact as any other would with all the joys and frustrations that come from family gatherings is something practically every person can understand. The subtlety of it all draws the viewer deeper in and makes the emotional pay-off have an even greater impact as you have grown to love this family and see those closest to you in each of them. A necessary reminder of the poignant beauty of every family.
Tender Mercies (1983)
Some films have such a gentle way of being that they can become hypnotic in the right hands. Bruce Beresford creates such an effect in his masterful filmTender Mercies.It tells the story of Mac, a once-famous country musician who is trying to start a new life after his alcoholism ruined his previous one. This is made abundantly clear at the film’s opening, when Mac wakes up on the floor of a destroyed motel room after what must be another bender. In his effort to pay the damages to the owner of the motel, Mac meets a widow and her son, who become his path to salvation.
The entire film has a very matter-of-fact nature that has a special magic to it. You see this man heal in real time without any substantial drama to it as he slowly builds a new life and finds hope again. It should also be said the performance of Mac is done by the incredibleRobert Duvall, who won his one and only Oscar for his exceptional performance. It’s a beautiful film that shows the special grace of a second chance.
Mirror (1975)
The great Andrei Tarkovsky is a director whose obsession with time is unmatched.All of his work exemplifies this, with slow-moving characters and long unbroken shots showing how Tarkovsky has always been trying to paint with time itself. Of his many great films,Mirrormight be his most abstract, depicting the dreams and memories of a dying poet given to viewers as a stream of consciousness.
The bold premise gives way to a bizarre dream experience that’s difficult to express in words. It’s a patiently crafted film that weaves in and out of moments without explanation, leaving viewers with many questions but also pure emotion. The premise itself isn’t clear until the film’s conclusion, and even then many viewers may not grasp what has been revealed. It makes for what can best be described as a cinematic poem, a collection of images and events that express complex feelings that make it such a wonderful work of art.
Wings of Desire (1987)
Far too often and far too easily, we forget how incredible life can be. It’s thanks to films like Wim Wender’s life-affirming masterpieceWings of Desirethat help us remember how amazing everything can be. The film tells the story of angels that can discern people’s thoughts and offer comfort to those who are in distress. One of these angels is so taken by life’s beauty that he wishes to become a human and experience it for himself, seeking out the means by which he can achieve this goal.
The entire film is a moving meditation on the overwhelming beauty of being alive, with the angels acting as witnesses to it all. They spend time with a large variety of people from all across Berlin, and each small glimpse into their lives is profound, no matter how mundane they may be. It does so much to make life feel meaningful, with each person having a sacred importance to them. An incredible film that is worthy of the respect it has received from so many.
Related:Best Wim Wenders Films, Ranked
Ida (2013)
Paweł Pawlikowski’sIdais a movie about polarities and self-discovery expressed in a quiet, bleak space. It follows Anna, a young woman who was orphaned as a baby and is about to take her final vows as a Catholic nun, but must first meet with her only surviving relative, her aunt Wanda, so she can learn about her background. Upon meeting with her aunt, Anna is informed that her parents were Jews that were killed during the Nazi occupation of Poland and that they must travel together to reveal the fates of their other relatives.
It’s a strange kind of road trip movie that lives in the bleak world of post-World War II Poland as the two women discover together the sad fates of their relatives. Anna, who also finds out her original name was Ida, is the most challenged by the excursion. Her entire identity is not what she originally thought, and the constant testing from her aunt causes her to question her future life. It’s a poignant but powerful film with an incredible final act that is sure to leave an indelible impression on viewers.
The Tree of Life (2011)
There are many great films that tell stories of characters grappling with existential issues of life’s greater purpose. Most of them take the perspective of someone older whose experience brings up concerns about how they spent the time they had, but Terrance Malick’sTree of Lifetackles the largest questions from a child’s point of view. In a story about a young boy growing up, Malick masterfully explores some of life’s greatest mysteries.
The movie is a unique experience that was crafted in a very naturalistic style. Shot with natural light with a hand-held camera, Malick created a very loose form of filmmaking that allowed the actors with more freedom of movement while keeping the set a peaceful place to match the tone of the film. It makes everything feel real, transcending the bounds of the screen and having a sense of memory. The film is a philosophical marvel, with Malick’s artistic brilliance at full force.
Winter Light (1963)
Ingmar Bergman is one ofthe greatest artiststo work in the medium, having made many incredible films that tackle complex questions of human life. In one of his bleakest films,Winter Light, Bergman makes a profound examination of faith with a priest that has become consumed by his doubts. This becomes more pressing when a struggling member of his congregation comes to him for comfort, which he cannot provide.
The film is perfectly reserved, with a very matter-of-fact way about it that mirrors the priest’s hollow living. Every action and word is another rote gesture that he performs to continue on, so the camera follows suit with dispassionate static shots that simply show what is on display. The setting intensifies these feelings with places that seem to embody the absence of feeling experienced by the characters. It’s a sobering watch that still somehow gives viewers a sense of hope in the hopelessness by its conclusion, which works as yet another example of Bergman’s great artistic talent.
Drive My Car (2021)
In efforts to express healing from mistakes and trauma in film, we occasionally make it seem far too simple. What might be the greatest effort to truly capture the complicated nature of moving on isRyusuke Hamaguchi’sDrive My Car. The movie follows an acclaimed actor who is struggling to not only move on from past grief but refuses to even acknowledge it.
The story is a tragic but ultimately cathartic experience with many people who struggle to make sense of their lives in the wake of terrible tragedy. They heal, but it isn’t immediate or easy by means as they struggle and fight with themselves, with life, and with their past. Hamaguchi is able to capture all the emotions of this complicated issue in the three-hour epic that gives everything the space it needs. It’s a truly masterful film that celebrates life, especially in its hardest moments.
Related:Will Drive My Car Pave the Way for More Haruki Murakami Adaptations?
Au Hasard Balthazar (1966)
It might shock you to know that a movie about a donkey is one of the most profoundly heartbreaking films ever made. Crafted by one of cinema’s greatest saints, Robert Bresson’sAu Hasard Balthazaris a phenomenally crafted allegory of life with the donkey Balthazar acting as a paragon of how it should best be lived, with dignity and acceptance for what you are as opposed to fighting against that which you have no control over.
Just as with any of Bresson’s films, the movie withholds the typically expressive aspects of cinema in favor of extreme restraint. This withholding makes the viewer a more active participant in the experience. When the movie doesn’t make it an easy viewing experience, it causes you to exert more effort in the viewing, which makes you more engrossed and absorb more of the emotion. Bresson’s restraint coupled with the gut-wrenchingly miserable events on display makes the movie a difficult watch, but also more rewarding with a greater emotional response. It’s a true masterpiece of the art form that exemplifies the unique power of cinema.
Tokyo Story (1953)
One of the most celebrated films ever made, championed by those who love movies most, Yasujirō Ozu’sTokyo Storyis a masterfully told story of familial sadness rarely spoken of. It shows the surprise visit of a loving elderly couple to see their children grown children who live in Tokyo. Sadly, they are not met with adoration, but frustrations as the children are far too busy to entertain their aging parents.
It’s a very subtle film that moves gently, choosing to focus on the mundane living of day-to-day life while showing this is what matters most to those who care most. The poor neglected parents are constantly being avoided by their children, but the parents are nothing but understanding, realizing how busy they are in their own lives with their own families while still trying to find any time they can just to be together with them. It’s one of the most moving films ever made with an ending that leaves viewers weeping, which could only be possible with the one-of-a-kind artist that is Ozu.
