We have all loved cinema since it was invented. The beautiful visuals, the well-written stories, music and characters. Everyone can relate to films in some way.
However, many common movie-goers feel that today’s age of cinema has lost its magic. Some believe that cinema is not as good as it was, and this is because we are getting more remakes, prequels and sequels.
These are the types of films we saw last year. But contrary to my previous statement, I believe that last year’s films easily felt like old cinema, containing all of the elements that made people fall in love with cinema at its core.
There are three films from last year that truly felt like old cinema, “Dune: Part Two,” “Wicked” and “Nosferatu.” Each of these films adapt old cinematic elements all movie lovers appreciate.
In spite of “Dune: Part Two” being a sequel, its storyline has proven to be more than just a blockbuster movie. The film had beautifully creative visuals that modern cinema lacks due to continuous use of green screen for visuals.
Secondly, the story of the film may be a continuation of the first film, but the second film works to set up the main story of “Dune,” adding more context and detail to the first film’s adaptation of the novel. Film wise, the story is very impactful and effective which I believe modern cinema has been lacking. Most modern film stories felt generic, but the story of “Dune: Part Two” depicts tragedy and morality.
“Dune: Part Two” allows audiences to question if the protagonist, Paul Atreides, is the actual hero of the story. Especially with what Atreides needs to do in order to fulfill a prophecy, leaving audiences to feel truly impacted by the film.
“Wicked” may be a prequel, book adaptation and depiction of the beloved Broadway musical, but this film still remains one of the most talked about films in the world. Not only does this film bring movie lovers back to the land of Oz, but it is one of the most well-written films in modern cinema.
Despite its lack of coloring, the visuals of the film are still beautiful. The practical effects used by production makes moviegoers feel like they are in Oz. Since this film is a musical, the music sequences were phenomenal. The singing and the choreography of every musical sequence doesn’t disappoint.
However, the main thing that makes this film feel like old cinema are the characters. Specifically, the main characters Elphaba and Glinda are characters audiences can connect or relate to in some way.
Like myself, I relate to Elphaba because I’ve felt like an outcast for as long as I can remember. In the film, Elphaba is an outcast because she’s different from everyone else, and that really hit home for me.
Nosferatu is a remake of the original film that came out in 1922. But this film was scarier than the original and the visuals were unbelievably incredible, which really captures the tone of the film.
The score of the film is also scarier than the original allowing audiences to really feel the intensity of the film, just by listening to the music.
But the main reason this film feels like old cinema is because of the villain Count Orlok. Since this is a vampire film, Count Orlok lives up to this characterization because he is a pure evil vampire. I feel like modern cinema in the past has had too many sympathetic villains rather than villains that are just pure evil, which was refreshing to see in this film.
As a movie-goer myself I do believe that modern cinema is starting to feel like old cinema again. Yes we are getting a bunch of remakes, sequels and prequels, but these films are starting to bring all the elements of film together that made us fall in love with cinema in the first place.
Peter Caram is a columnist. Contact him at [email protected].