The start to this new year, for many of us, has not been ideal. Stuck inside, with limited social interaction, January has felt like a blast from the past, a reminder of what isolation truly feels like. In this isolation, (while procrastinating my end-of-term work), I found some solace in film. The medium has helped me through a lot, and I intend to provide some magical movies that are sure to keep you hooked to the TV and help you find some escape from our disappointing reality.
“They would say you could become cops or criminals; today what I'm saying to you is this: When facing a loaded gun, what's the difference?”
The Departed is a 2006 Drama directed by Martin Scorcese. Filled to the brim with intense, yet impactful acting by Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio, the film is a modern classic. It transports you to another world: the projects of South Boston, full of crime and with two groups of people: the hunter and the hunted. Each character feels so genuine, so real, that you almost forget that you are the audience. We meet the two main characters, Leonardo DiCaprio as Billy Costigan and Matt Damon as Colin Sullivan. From the beginning, they are presented as foils to each other, one embracing the ways of the Irish mobs in the ruthless jungle of the Southie projects, and one electing to leave it all behind. While they might not know it at the time, both of them share the same connection to Frank Costello (played by Jack Nicholson), the ringleader of the Irish Mob. Fate, however, elects to twist their threads and coincidentally, they both graduate from the Police Academy to become Massachusetts State policemen. Despite their similar situations, their actions couldn’t be any more different. Colin solidifies his position in the department, acting as a mole for Frank’s mob, while Billy infiltrates Frank’s mob as an undercover cop. In this twisted game of cat and mouse, both teams double down on uncovering the “rats” in their entourage. Beyond the sensational acting, and the hard-hitting emotional beats, this movie deals with larger themes, making the audience question the very definition of loyalty and morality.
“Hope is a good thing, perhaps the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”
The Shawshank Redemption, a tragic tale of a wrongfully convicted criminal not only touches the heart, but also sheds some light on the impacts of prison and one’s perspective of himself. The 1994 Drama, directed by Frank Darabont, stars Tim Robbins as the main character; Andy Dufresne. Andy, a mundane banker, lived a quiet life – that is until he was convicted of murdering his wife. Swiftly whisked away to prison, Andy couldn’t accept that his entire life had crumbled in the span of a few days. Unaware of the harsh reality of prison, Andy kept to himself, alone in his cell. His constant reflection yielded no fruit and he was pushed to accept the reality he was facing, as an innocent man in one of the harshest prisons in America. The story progresses as Andy slowly inches out of his shell, making friends with some of the inmates, and finds some happiness in such a gray place. Poised to make the prison a place of true rehabilitation and not an eternal tomb, Andy seeks to create a library and actually help the inmates achieve their dreams. However, he soon loses hope, as he realizes that the inmates aren't the only criminals in this horrific institution. In the right circumstances, Andy discovers, a man will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, regardless of any morals or social status. But, in the darkest of times, he finds the courage to hope again. The audience follows along on this rollercoaster of a journey: losing hope when Andy does before regaining it when he finds peace and the purpose of his life.
By Dhruv Raval
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