Chaucer and the movies

First off, before I start, welcome to 2005. It's great to be here, I guess.

For my initial post of the new year, I have decided to do something different. I may get halfway through this post and realize it's the last one I'll ever do in the genre, but then again, maybe not. ANYWAY...

"And which of you that bear'th him best of all,
That is to say, that telleth in this case
Tales of best sentence and most solace..."
- Geoffrey Chaucer, "Prologue of the Canterbury Tales"

I've decided that the criteria set before the travelers in their game of story-telling is the best definition of the purpose of films. Because the words "sentence" and "solace" are not used in the same sense today as they were when Chaucer was writing, the sentence is basically the meaning of the tale, and the solace is the entertainment factor. So, essentially, the inn-keeper in TCT wanted the most entertaining story that also had the best moral or that taught the audience the most about themselves and the world around them.

And I believe that films need to be judged by the same criteria. This is not one of those bitter condemnations of Hollywood that some people love to go on and on about. Every major movie ever made falls under at least one of the two categories. Sure, most try to incorporate both , but the typical film, no matter where it's made, is either made to entertain or teach.

Stereotypical "Sentence" film of 2004: Fahrenheit 9/11
Stereotypical "Solace" film of 2004: Dodgeball

I can't stand the people who think that movies made for the sole purpose of entertainment are stupid. Similarly, the people who think movies that teach are boring or too hard to follow are lame as well. If a person wants to truly experience the joy of cinema, there must be a balance between the two.

And that balance is what makes great movies so great. They connect with the audience beyond face value, but still have a certain something that rings true with the common man with little to no introspection. That is why great films can easily cross cultural borders, language barriers, and gender gaps.

Keep this in mind during the upcoming awards season. I have found that while some films that get nominated fall into both categories, many critics and film groups focus more on the meaning then on the entertainment. Case in point: Halle Berry winning the Oscar for Best Actress in 2002 for "Monster's Ball." I'm sorry if any of you liked that movie, but frankly, I thought it blew. Apparently the Academy focused on the themes of racial tension and the death penalty, failing to take into account the most awkwardly disturbing sex scene in a non-porn film. Some call it "realistic" and "sexy"; I call it "disturbing".

Finally, since I'm going back to school next week and I've already paid my Blockbuster Online subscription for this month, I was hoping some of you could give some suggestions as to movies that fit both categories.

Also, I have no idea if this post is remotely coherent, so please let me know if I should post others like this or go back to the old way of things. Thanks.