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There is something fascinating about how easily a movie can capture our full attention and take us on a ride of enjoyment, but the question is posed: are movies made solely to take us on that ride, or are some directors actually trying to say something important to the viewers?Simply put, both.

However, it seems recent filmmakers more often aim for the entertainment side, and in effect, films of our generation have become melodramatic.

Most moviegoers don’t want to think. Just as the news we consume has become short snippets of information waiting to be eaten and digested, the movies that sell and make the big bucks tend to feature big-name actors and explosions.

Movies now tend to follow linear plots such as: “this is the bad guy, we have the whole movie to kill him,” “I’m a superhero and I have to complete these tasks,” or “we’re stuck in a house and three strangers are going to stare at us for two hours before they finally kill us.”

It’s up to viewers to question whether or not their money is going towards something productive.

However, even with my qualms in current film, there is still a wide line between movies that are made to portray a message, and movies made purely for entertainment (and most likely, solely profit.)

A perfect example of a recent movie that accomplishes both tasks of entertaining and teaching, is ‘V for Vendetta.’

While viewing this movie it is hard not to be entertained by the artsy images that shoot across the screen, or the exciting action scenes.

However, it is even harder to ignore the blatant political satire behind the images, there to tell viewers to be skeptical of media and government.

The cliché statement that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” becomes alive again as people decide what they want out of a movie, on an individual level.

In the case of ‘V for Vendetta,’ one viewer will enjoy the fight scenes and especially enjoy not having to think too much about a movie, where another viewer will have pleasure appreciating a filmmaker set on portraying a message.

Movies themselves can also show a great deal about society itself.

The movie ‘Hancock,’ for example, features an African-American man and a Caucasian woman as superheroes (presidential candidate Barack Obama and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton perhaps?).

The idea is obscure, and I highly doubt Tony Smith had this in mind, but society is reflected nonetheless.

For anyone who wants a little more of a brain workout of the next movie you see I have a few suggestions: ‘A Clockwork Orange,’ ‘2001,’ ‘Waking Life,’ and ‘I Heart Huckabees’ (or any Wes Anderson film, really).

These movies may be boring and/or confusing upon initial viewing, but at least you will walk away convinced it wasn’t made purely for entertainment.

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