The first color-tinted films of the early 1900s were not very long, averaging only about eight minutes. Then, in the 1920s, the film industry started using Technicolor and began to make lengthier motion pictures. In 1928, The Academy Awards for motion pictures was created to celebrate movies, actors, producers, directors, etc. The movie Wings won the best picture that year and many great movies have been produced since that time: All Quiet on the Western Front (1930); Mutiny on the Bounty (1935); A Space Odyssey (1968); Titanic (1995); Babel (2006). I’ve always enjoyed a good movie; a chance to be immersed in a different world as if suspended in time. I especially appreciate viewing blockbuster historical films in a movie theater with a big screen and all-around sound.
Due to the Pandemic, I have not been to the movie theater in quite a while. So, today I decided to go see Top Gun: Maverick. Usually, I travel to a bigger metro center to see a movie because the theater in my small rural town is, well, outdated, overused with that strange, dark odor. But Maverick has been out for a few months already and most of the modern cinemas have moved on to newer hits.
I chose a matinee thinking it wouldn’t be busy and sure enough I had a whole row to myself with only about a dozen other people in the cinema. For two hours I was completely engrossed in a world of highly trained Naval pilots flying at Mach speeds, trying to outfox the enemy, while also struggling with the usual personal and interpersonal aspects of being human. My heart picked up speed at some of the dramatic stunts. It felt like I too might’ve been in the cockpit. It was wonderful to once again be swept away into a different world and have my worries and to-do list disappear for a bit. A chance to unwind, escape, laugh, cry, and feel energized and awake. Glad to be healthy, alive, and thankful for the opportunity to watch a movie once again on the big screen.
How did you find solace this week?
Sharon
© 2022. Sharon Kreider. All Rights Reserved
