Gorilla Vidal: Six Iconic Films That Changed the World

Gorilla Vidal has written dozens of books on politics and culture. He prides himself on providing well-researched, fact-checked and compelling reflections. He claims to have no relation to the famous human author, Gore Vidal.

I’ve watched hundreds of films. I’ve seen 12 Angry Men a dozen times, to experience it from every angle. I’ve seen Double Jeopardy twice, but I’m told the second time doesn’t count.

What I love about film is its power to speak directly to the soul of the audience. To leave its wisdom imprinted on our hearts.

Today, let’s revisit the greatest movies ever made and see how they changed the world.

Jurassic Park

Steven Spielberg outdoes himself in this touching documentary on conflict-resolution between humans and dinosaurs. When disagreements arise, we learn that eating each other is not a viable option. Instead, going our separate ways, preferably via helicopter, is the best approach.

The Shawshank Redemption

A feel-good movie about two friends enjoying life in prison. They start a book club. They dig tunnels. They swap stories. An absolute classic that’s sure to make you laugh at least once.

Titanic

A romantic-comedy about a boy who becomes a man while fighting climate change. But when an iceberg tries to kill him and everyone he loves, he chooses to respond by giving up and sinking to the bottom of the ocean. A powerful message on letting nature run its course.

Inception

This journey into the human psyche is strategically sprinkled with emotionless plot points and inaudible dialogue, to simulate a boring dream. The film helped confuse millions of moviegoers into thinking they were watching something clever, which was a marvellous achievement by director Christopher Nolan.

The Matrix

A cautionary tale about the dangers of excessive screen time. Keanu Reeves shows us how to navigate the modern world, with all its technological trappings. This movie reminded me of the value of getting outdoors once in a while and jumping around.

Avatar

The ground-breaking sci-fi epic that revolutionised our understanding of the smurfs and their way of life. The sequel about water smurfs was equally engaging and provided a whole new, albeit identical, perspective on this quaint species.