For decades, movies have been one of the essential components of our global popular culture. During a time when entertainment is both in high demand and great supply, we find ourselves immersed in a cycle of anticipation, enjoyment, and critical review. The line "I can't wait for that new movie to come out" is often followed by "I want to buy this when it's released on DVD" or "What a waste of money!" Films can even help us to improve our personal situations, for they allow us to see new perspectives and similarities with our own lives, spend time with people we care about, and find new ways to experience true joy and happiness.
Movies have such a powerful impact because of the energy which they can channel into us. Though characters and events may be fictional, the emotions and feelings invoked enter our minds with the same power as the ones which we encounter in our own lives. When we root for our favorite character, feel great joy about a scene, or cry in front of a screen, we are being affected by vibes from the given movie.
Indeed, the energy of a film can have positive and negative effects on us. It can inspire us to do better or provide a perceived justification for our imperfection. Movies can bring us in the direction of calm and comfort, or desensitize us and lower our defenses against the evil which we find in our own world. The type of film that we choose to watch can, in practice, contribute to who we will ultimately become.
Unfortunately, many of us have been misled to think that a movie is solely meant for providing entertainment and enjoyment. We want films that stimulate our minds with what is, essentially, the equivalent of junk food. These movies carry a kind of energy which evokes dark and unhealthy emotions in us, such as high suspense, horror, and anger.
The film industry has adapted to the popular demand by producing movies which are designed to disgust, incite, and scare us. Films based on moral value are largely ignored and even held in contempt, while dessert movies with repeating plots and themes gain most of our attention. And while it is true that they can include virtuous elements (for example, the fight between good and evil), this matters little if we only focus on the sugar.
Individually, we are often attracted to unhealthy films by curiosity. Recently, my family and I saw a film that was filled with darkness, manifested in the physical forms of carnage, hatred and the widespread loss of life. After deeply regretting this, we were reminded that our natural inquisitive instincts are very difficult to overcome, and it’s often best not to start such a movie in the first place.
While we are very susceptible to both curiosity and all kinds of energy, we also have instincts of identifying right and wrong. All of us are able to tell when we are watching something we shouldn't be. We can choose to turn a movie off, but more importantly, we can discern between movies of good and evil, and reject the latter. If all of us take advantage of our gifts, we might not encounter as much cinematic filth in the future.
Films don't do us any good when they promote antagonism, pride, and a need for revenge. Rather, we should launch a new revolution in film, one in which sympathy and morality will be restored as key elements. It would be great to experience future generations of film-making, when a movie's potential to turn us towards true happiness and peace can be fully realized.
The future of movies is something which we should all be concerned about, for films will have a great impact on our society's direction. As an integral part of our culture, movies can have a powerful influence on us. Because of this, we need to work to ensure a positive outcome for ourselves and our descendants.
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