Movies!

Movies! Ah! What would I do without them? As a self confessed movie buff let me attempt to list the movies that have made a lasting impression on me in more ways than one and the defining images or scenes with which I recall these. Some of these are dripping in nostalgia, associated with fond memories of childhood or college and each of them have a unique and sometimes indescribable feelings associated with them.

It’s a purely personal collection in no particular order and I would love to hear from my readers about their own choices so please comment!

Forest Gump—It’s a story on the baby-boomer generation and the events that defined and shaped it. The symbolism in the feather floating around in the opening and closing scenes denoting our destiny is a powerful image and coupled with a stirring background score still gives me goose-bumps when I see it.

Where Eagles Dare—Having been brought up on books of Alistair Maclean (slightly archaic choice as one person suggested),  watching Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton clamber onto the top of the ropeway heading up to the impregnable Nazi castle on their secret mission, still sends a tingle up my spine.

Fly Away Home—Beautifully crafted with exquisite aerial shots, I was lucky to have watched this on the big screen. When the geese finally land back safely it made me feel so wondrous—a true feel good movie if ever there was one.

Born Free—I remember watching this on VHS tape in my childhood but still vividly recall the scene where Elsa the lioness was let loose back into the wild where she belonged and the bitter-sweet emotions of her owners who had raised her since she was a cub. This movie was based on a true story which made it all the more appealing.

Sound of Music—a childhood favorite of many I’m sure, including my Mom! I recall her recounting countless stories about this movie and watching Julie Andrews dance amidst the pristine beauty of the Austrian Alps to the strains of ‘Do-Re-Mi’ still brings back fond memories.

StepMom—An emotionally uplifting movie with brilliant all-round performances; I still can’t decide whose side should I take—Susan Sarandon or Julia Roberts? The lasting memory is of the scene in the restaurant when Susan Sarandon says ‘It doesn’t matter”, to a question from Julia who wonders whether her daughter will ever be able accept her.

Schindler's List—Steven Spielberg’s ode to the Holocaust. Admittedly it was a very difficult movie to watch but a necessary education in history nevertheless. The sight of thousands of ordinary men, women and children being led to gas chambers for execution is a stark image that conveys poignantly the utter desperation and barbarism of those times. In the midst of all those horrors Oskar Schindler is able to save thousands of lives, a tiny beacon of hope in tragic times.

Dead Man Walking—Another difficult movie to watch which asks uncomfortable questions about capital punishment and life in general. With Susan Sarandon at her brilliant best (yes even better than Stepmom) coupled Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s haunting score, it’s difficult not to list this movie here. The scene where Sean Penn says goodbye to his family for the final time is touching to see the least.

Bridge over the River Kwai—A classic David Lean WW2 masterpiece which tells the tale of British POW’s building a bridge in South East Asia only to see it destroyed by their own bombs. The climactic scene of the bridge falling down with the train still on top readily comes to mind.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade—I probably won’t enjoy this as much as I enjoyed this watching as a young child. Adventure, action, humor all rolled into one with catchy theme music to boot--- it was a joy ride all the way. I remember watching this on VHS tape but was spellbound nevertheless.