There are many different films that I like. But among those I value the most and left impressions in my life are noticably many of a sort I struggled to describe in the past. Since I write about Films here almost as much as I talk about them I thought an attempt at a description of what films I enjoy might be relevant to the blog.
I don't know why - and I'm not interested in analysing why - but I enjoy watching heavy family dramas. I mean real dramas, not just films that are less comedy than drama. Films that manipulate the tear glands right. It doesn't have to be about a whole family either. The absence of one or a dysfunctioning family works as well. Story components that often work well for the sort of drama that I mean are injustice, unfair treatment, underdogs that don't get theit wishes fulfilled, life circumstances outside of someone's reach, tragedies. Child characters are easy to write into several of these circumstances. And it's easier to provoke strong empathy for them. Similarly, sad things that happen to them are usually more sad. For example a child of a heroin-addicted single mom doesn't choose its life circumstances. It's unfair, it's sad and circumstances are more likely to lead to another tragic event on top of the difficulties inherent the child's fateful situation. Love stories can also create strong feelings and evoke tears. But the best ones still use tragic story elements to get there. ("Oh, would they only know...") Sickness, death, child abuse, mental illness and accitents are resourceful and, in my opinion complementary and seldom extreme enough, story elements for dramas.
It might sound weird to enjoy watching other (fictional characters') misery as entertainment because crying feels good. And it sounds just as weird to me when I say it like that. But when it comes down to it, that's what it is that puts a film on my list of relevant, good dramas. Tragic situations with tragic developments and tragic outcomes. Scenes specifically written to pull at your heartstrings. My heartstrings let themseves be pulled by such scenes, even when the story seems excessively sad or annecessarily tragic to some. A film where you're not surprised that it doesn't have a happy ending is the sort of dramna that I enjoy. A film where you're not surprised by the fact that it doesn't have a happy ending but by how suprprisingly tragic it is has a good chance to maske it on my list of favourite films.
It's not that I enjoy seeing the misfortune or pain of others. It hurts to watch some movies. And when I learn that the movie was actually based on a true story it can hit even harder. But in some weird way, the distress caused by a tragic drama, making me not touch dramas at all for weeks or months or making me have bad dreams, and the excitement from watching a tragic drama, making me want to watch more, are the same feeling. The difference lies in my (current) ability to cope with the feelings.
This post is some sort of confession. I don't always feel comfortable explaining what sort of drama stories I'm looking for most. I put this reluctance aside for a few moments for writing this post. Maybe this will help me in the future to explain better what I'm looking for or what I like to watch. And if not, at least now you know and can recommend relevant media when the opportuunity comes.