The film industry is loved for the vibrant entertainment it offers the world; the rich storylines, the action-packed movie sequences, the inspirational fashion and ideas.
A number of movies have served as such a powerful source of inspiration, they’re single-handedly responsible for starting new trends. Here are 3 memorable Canadian movies that inspired a different way of thinking, a new ‘theme’ in film, or a new popular trend.
The Grey Fox (1989)
An epic cowboy-themed film written around the true story of Bill Miner, a stagecoach robber. The man is famous for pulling off the very first train heist ever, on 10 September 1904. After spending significant time in prison, Bill is inspired to attempt a train robbery in response to watching a film. After a number of failed attempts, he finally managed the successful heist in 1904, after which he managed to outsmart the legal forces pursuing him, and he settled down in a small town where he fell in love with a woman named Katherine Flynn.
The movie is rife with all the best action shots the cowboy genre has to offer. It’s no surprise that the cowboy theme has subsequently spilled into many forms of entertainment and has become one of the most popular game themes, with recent titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2 exploring what is possible in this genre on the current generation of consoles.
Cube (1997)
Few people realise that this famous movie was made in Canada. It’s a horror in which a group of people wake up in a cube-shaped room. To escape they must navigate through a series of deadly obstacles. Naturally, there are a few gruesome scenes which give the survivors clues as to what they can and can not do. If the storyline seems cliche, it would be because it’s been reused a number of times. The ingeniousness of the story has been borrowed for films like The Maze Runner and even the infamous horror, Saw.
Jesus of Montreal (1989)
Jesus of Montreal – a moving story about an actor who is commissioned to put on a play in the church gardens, by the Roman Catholic Church. The actor is to put a passion play, telling the story of Christ. Through the casting of his play, and as the storyline progresses, striking similarities between the main character, Daniel, and Jesus, begin to emerge. Daniel is determined to put on the play according to the research he performed into Jesus’ life. In the end, the work of art he created is embraced and praised by critics. The church, however, felt disdain and distanced themselves from the controversy it created.
Through a series of events at the end, Daniel is injured and requires urgent medical attention. His friends take him to a Catholic hospital where is neglected. They then rush him to a conventional hospital where he is declared brain dead – the punch being that they could have saved him had he arrived 30 minutes earlier. The film inspired much thought around sexism, religion, celebrityhood and the culture surrounding advertising and media. A number of films took inspiration from this one, starting a trend in thought-provoking material.
The Profound Influence of Movies
It’s hardly surprising that the screen’s reach goes further than the neat rows of seats in the cinema theatre – it inspires true emotion in the viewers. The sensations we experience when we watch the movies often spill over into our lives, bringing about change through influence.