Some cinephiles remember a particular moment that made them fall in love with cinema. Others have a list of movies that triggered them to explore further. For me, it’s the latter. Still, the reason why I love movies is that my mother is also a cinephile. She’s the person who introduced me to the world of cinematic storytelling.
A question many people ask is – Why do you love cinema? The answer isn’t simple. However, crucial facts include entering a new world, enjoying a well-told story, experiencing emotions via characters, etc.
Here are the films that made me fall in love with cinema, or at least the most important.
The Three Musketeers
One of the first movies that made me fall in love with cinema, if not the first, is The Three Musketeers.
I know, it’s not a fantastic film and far from a masterpiece. However, it’s the first film I obsessively watched as a kid on a VHS cassette that didn’t have the first few minutes. For years, I didn’t know how the movie begins, but I knew every other detail since I watched it a million times.
This film immersed me in a new world, full of exciting characters, heroes, villains, and storytelling. It was the first time I realized what a movie is. The Three Musketeers probably drove my parents insane since they also had to watch it a zillion times.
The Great Water
I still think The Great Water is too complex to be part of the Macedonian educational high school system. On the other hand, it did trigger me to explore deeper and discover a more underground side of worldwide cinema. It may not be the first, but it’s certainly one of the most significant political films from Macedonia.
It was a shock to watch such a film at 16. However, it was also the first time I saw art in movies. By exploring themes of ideology, suspension, struggle, identity, dogma, and rebellion, it taught me that movies can be much more than just having fun.
Gladiator
A cult classic, Gladiator remains one of the most-watched movies of all time. There isn’t much to say about Gladiator since it’s massively famous, except that I’ve also watched it many times.
In hindsight, I realize I didn’t watch it just because it’s an excellent film. Another reason is its Odyssey-like power, heroic tale of one man, and the realization that such a story isn’t just about bravery. Moreover, it’s also about love, loss, freedom, empathy, etc.
Bal-Can-Can
Bal-Can-Can is undoubtedly the most significant Macedonian movie when it comes to comedy. It was a refreshment regarding domestic humor in cinema, not only in dialogue but also in style, acting, directing, and storytelling.
This movie was so popular that I remember people standing in our local movie theater because there weren’t any more free seats. Another memory that bonds me to it is my aunt taking me to watch it.
Young and Healthy as a Rose
There are several movies that made me fall in love with the Yugoslav Black Wave. However, the first one was Young and Healthy as a Rose.
Although at the time, I didn’t know I was watching a Black Wave film. Nevertheless, I was more than impressed and not surprised that it was banned when released. It remains one of my favorite films ever.
Shadows
Even though Before the Rain is his best movie so far, the first Milcho Manchevski film that I saw was Shadows. It didn’t make me fall in love with the horror genre, but it became one of the movies that made me love cinema even more.
Through this film, I learned there are excellent movies in the fantasy genre, and such that also have a deeper meaning. It interestingly explores themes of death, love, the mythical, etc.
The Silence of the Lambs
Undoubtedly, a well-known movie, The Silence of the Lambs, taught me who Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster are. Like many on this list, this is also a movie that you watch again for countless times. We’ve seen it numerous times with my mother, and it still remains an attention-catcher.
Aside from being a legendary film, it’s significant because it showed a more modern style in this film genre.
Tattoo
Tattoo is one of the movies that made me love cinema, but also did the same for many other people from the Balkans. It’s a cult film in Macedonia, and people quote lines from this movie, even today.
By addressing all marginalized people through the main character, impressive dialogue, and excellent cast, Tattoo remains a cultural good. Moreover, it gave confidence to Macedonian cinema that it could also create great movies. Watching it in a theater for the first time with my father, even though we’ve seen it on TV, makes it additionally important.
We Are Not Angels
Another legendary film, We Are Not Angels, is also a movie from which people quote lines for decades. This urban comedy remains popular, even though it premiered years ago, in 1992.
Through this film, Srdjan Dragojevic was able to introduce a new, authentic humor into Serbian and Balkan cinema. There isn’t another film-school graduation piece that has had such success in ex-Yugoslavia as this movie.
The Godfather Trilogy
Last but far from least, The Godfather Trilogy is probably on everyone’s list of movies that made them love the cinematic artistic expression.
Arguably, it’s the perfect film regarding every aspect, including directing, writing, acting, editing, music, costumes, and everything else. It was the first movie that made me feel like I was enjoying a perfect story without even a single plot hole.
And that’s it, we’ve come to the end of this article about movies that made me fall in love with cinema. I hope you enjoyed reading, and feel free to comment below which movies made you become a cinema lover!
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