What is the most thought provoking movie you've watched?

Windtalkers. I was left with the question "What the hell did I just watch?". Same goes for a few other movies.

The Aviator, to be serious. And Blood Diamond.

Inception is definitely one of the most thought provoking films I've seen. It made me think of an idea similar to that of The Matrix - what if the life I know isn't real? What if I am in a dream or a computer program? Personally for me though, Inception executed this idea infinitely better than The Matrix, which I thought was a mediocre film based on a good idea. Inception also has a wonderful soundtrack.

One question I've been pondering on recently is if I had the chance to live my entire life in a dream, literally the life of my dreams, would I do it? I've not managed to work out the answer yet.

dead man
-- i dug the aesthetic a lot. lonely, miscommunication, black and white wilderness shots were enthralling. and the soundtrack as well. gary farmer was so charismatic.

if anyone would like to discuss it further, pm me. i'd like to have a real conversation about it.

V for Vendetta. Apart from the obvious things about responsibility - although if we watch the news apparently even those are sorely needed lessons for certain people - I think this film is really one of the best, if not the best, among those who try to talk about authenticity and honesty. honesty about oneself, not honesty in the relative moral sense. It has definitely one of the first places in the thought-provoking cinematography handbook.

I have a couple others i could name but i think their tought-provoke potential is largely subjective. 300, for example, is imho a very good take on telling a very old, but still beautiful, tale about that honesty and integrity i mentioned above. The Dark Knight, although to a lesser extent, touches interesting topics.

Good choices so far. Hard to choose one, but i'd say maybe something like:

Taxi Driver
Through a Glass Darkly (or any Bergman film really)
Into the Wild

Maybe some Woody Allen too. Theres a lot out there, keep looking.

The movie Gattaca put a really bad taste in my mouth. But only because of the political ramifications in the plot of the movie, and the fear that such losses of freedom naturally instills within me.

Off the top of my head, Crash and American History X.

THE KITE RUNNER
guns of navarone
SHINOBI - HEART UNDER FIRE

Synecdoche, New York hands down. I won't even pretend like I understood most of the movie though hahaha

Originally Posted by Andonio

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Through a Glass Darkly (or any Bergman film really)
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I agree with this as a worthy addition to the list. As much as I love Wild Strawberries and the Seventh Seal (particularly the latter), Through a Glass Darkly spoke to me in a way that few films have.


For me, the number one thought provoking film is: Brazil. This is largely due to the fact that the film is so well layered thematically that it can provoke thoughts and interpretations on just about any level from psychological, to political, to sexual, to economic etc.