There are certain films I’ve seen in my life, and while I’m watching them, I realize I’m watching something different. Something that, most likely, will be timeless. I remember watching the films Braveheart, The Matrix, Saving Private Ryan, & The Lord of the Rings, and thinking, “This film is unique. I haven’t seen anything quite like it.” I understand that many action films use similar sequences to The Matrix, but when it came out nothing had been quite like it. When I first saw it, I echoed the words of Keanu Reeves, “Whoa.” Saving Priavate Ryan, likewise, changed war films forever.
Regardless of what you think about any of these movies, they are timeless. They are considered to be classics and will, most likely, remain that way for quite some time.
When discussing the timelessness of films, we typically don’t think about summer blockbusters. Try and name a few blockbusters that came out just last summer. It can be slightly difficult. What about summer 2010? Can you name any blockbusters? Films like Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Captain America: The First Avengers, Super 8, & Cowboys and Aliens were all the hype last summer…until they came out (one was enjoyable). Chances are, none of those films will live on to be a timeless film.
Ridley Scott, however, may change things this summer. Many of you know that his sci-fi,action,horror, Prometheus, comes out today. There has been a great deal of buzz surrounding this film for quite some time. Is it a prequel to the Aliens franchise? Is it a sequel to the Aliens franchise? Does it have anything to do with the Aliens franchise? While it has been revealed that there will be overlap with the Alien films, it has not been revealed exactly how much overlap there will be.
Pushing all that talk to the side, critics and fans alike, are just excited to see Scott return to a genre he helped define. Although the science fiction genre doesn’t typically supply many timeless films, Scott created two that are on the top of most everyone’s lists – Blade Runner and Alien. These films remain classics and have been a blueprint for the genre.
Therefore, the question is, Will Scott do it again? Will Prometheus join the list of timeless sci-fi films? That is yet to be determined, but one thing we do know is that it will be a challenge, even for a seasoned filmmaker like Scott. If this were Michael Bay no one would be having this discussion, but the bar for Ridley Scott is high. Before the film even received much press, the fact that his name was attached to a sci-fi project garnered enough attention. The pressure is on.
What is it about this notion of timelessness? Should films strive to be timeless or not? Is it okay to make a film that will be enjoyable as a summer blockbuster? Is there anything wrong with knowingly making a film that will be forgotten? What is it about films that remain timeless? How is a film remembered for so long? How does a film resonate across generations? What truth do certain films convey that allow them to connect with audiences for such a long time?
Reel Thinking 