There is something to be said about watching a movie inside a theatre with a crowd of individuals; that communal camaraderie, that collective consciousness, that feeling of energy when laughter erupts from hundreds at one time. There is something to be said about it because the movie theater would not exist without that inexplicable feeling we have when we watch film together, in a large room, from a large screen—especially today.
The digital age has created a plethora of options for movie watching. There are DVDs, the internet, and home computers to name a few. We can sit in the comfort of our homes; get up and go to the toilet at our convenience; even make dinner and carry on conversations without disturbing a stranger sitting next to us.
This was the first year in which I have seen all of the best picture Academy Award nominees before the award ceremony. And I will admit, the first year—in a long time—that I’ve been to the cinema six times. I just don’t go to the cinema anymore. I’m too busy. But now that I’ve returned to the big screen, I’ve become reacquainted with that special feeling that comes when sitting in a dark room, in front of a large screen, eating popcorn, and letting the world of cinema take me to a place unlike television or the computer.
Carl Jung theorized that there is a collective unconscious that pervades humanity, a singular part of the unconscious mind common in a society, culture, or even the entire human race. Couple his theory with that special feeling that comes with sitting in front of the silver screen and perhaps we know, deep down, that Carl Jung may be right.
Of course there is a simpler answer. The environment of the cinema is more conducive to the escape. The big screen, the quiet room, the darkness, all provide a better experience for the viewer to jump into the reality presented on the screen; and therein lies the shared unconscious.
If you are like me and rarely get to the cinema (again, with the exception of this year), or even if you haven’t been to one at all, make this a New Year resolution. Go once! Go! And experience something our digital world may be loosing the battle over.
Copyright © Tyler Gant 2009
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