The Why

A majority of the movie industry has lost the "why". It’s times like now, filmmakers like Nolan, Villeneuve, Scorsese, Tarantino, amongst a small number of others stand out and will be remembered for future generations to enjoy. Their love for the art keeps the passion and vitality of filmmaking alive.

Somewhere along the modern filmmaking way, we started losing the reason why we make movies. Greed has corrupted the love and ambition of storytelling. Writers are afraid to take creative risks, fearing alienation or scrutiny from the audience. This deficiency of love and ambition has proven to disappoint audiences in recent times, whether it is a remake of an original, an unnecessary sequel, or simply a recycled idea. Time is too precious to waste on shitty movies.

Filmmakers now just want to please audiences, but let me explain why that’s a bad thing. Obviously, the goal is to ULTIMATELY please the audience, but part of the art of film is evoking a diverse range of emotions on the journey getting there. Modern filmmaking seems to follow the formulaic, oversimplified way of storytelling, which results in a flood of uninspiring stories. We too often see movies trying to please everyone, which results in nobody being pleased. There needs to be a love for the story, specifically for the one trying to tell it. If they don’t love their work, how can they expect us to? Listen. Everybody has to pay their bills, but laziness is not an excuse for neglecting passion. I will make a note that I am not generalizing all filmmakers; this is simply my analysis on the current state of movie-making as I see it. It’s not about just pleasing the audience, and it never was. As a filmmaker, you are supposed to challenge your audience. Anger them. Sadden them. Not to a point of negativity, or where they start resenting the film, but a good artist knows where to darken the canvas, and when to lighten it. Leave them thinking with a hint, give them the answers, or let ambiguity possess their minds. Filmmaking always has, and must always be, an art. Hopefully, remembering the "why" helps preserve the love and soul beyond the screen.

By Brandon C. Leo