Hi guys. You’ve probably have realized that I’ve been away. Well, it wasn’t just about home errands and work, and Ramadhan. I have recently at loss, losing someone that have taught me the earliest value about kindness. It’s my father. You never know when someone’s age ends.
To remember him in the context of movies, I decided to make this post. My father loved art and movies, and in each of these movies there’s pieces about him.
There have been numerous movies about father roles, whether about their greatness and minuses. Also, about losing them over death. I don’t want to make a post about sadness, but rather about the wisdom or message about losing a father.
Like in real life, fathers have their personalities, whether they are good or bad, or even annoying. But their presence (or perhaps absence) never without a purpose. Here’s my version Top 5 Movies About Father Loss (may contain spoilers).
Elizabethtown (2005)
Cameron Crowe, the director, once responded about the movie’s bad reviews; “It was a pure thing for me – it’s for my dad. The memories he left behind”. I come to notice that Elizabethtown was filled with life lessons. What I loved about the movie, despite its minuses, was all the wisdom behind a death. It gathers all the people who love the person, who once didn’t get along (in the movie, the mother and the people from the husband’s hometown). It also opens and connects new relationship between the son/child to their parents relatives or friends. It also about how time won’t wait, when you’re too busy with your own thing but your parents gets old and before you know, they leave just like that. All left is regret. But more importantly, it’s about knowing your priorities and your roots, and your old man in ways you never see before.
The Departures / Okuribito (2008)
In Okuribito, Daigo, the main character have no choice but to work as encoffineer. He had terrible experience about his father who leave his family when he was a kid. But later, his job and his father’s mistakes comes to one point where Daigo couldn’t bear to let go of all of his anger towards his father. Okuribito really shows how parents can take miserable life choices and the child can hold grudge and anger until they grow up. But it will be much more painful when the anger and grudge blinds you to the fact that there’s no chance to make it up and make apology/apologized him. This movie sends drama to its peak where you couldn’t not cry.
Big Fish (2003)
Character difference can set two people apart, and it is enable to happen on father and son. In Big Fish, Will and his father did not get along since Will is a realistic man when his father is a man full with fantasy. Often differences happens to make life more colorful, why reject the things that did not represents us but rather accept it and move on? I must watch Big Fish once again, since all the imagination did not moved me but perhaps it will be better on second viewing.
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
Perhaps our real father is absent in our life. But usually if you’re lucky, there’s someone else who would fill the role. They might do the role better than the real father. In Cinema Paradiso, Salvatore the kid always helps Alfredo, the film operator in the cinema. Between their jobs, Alfredo becomes his father in a way and even motivates him to be a filmmaker. When Salvatore did become a famous filmmaker and come back to his hometown, Alfredo has already died. You can always tell when a person did something out of love, they never want anything in return. That was Alfredo for Salvatore. This movie also represents love to the cinema world.
Le Grand Voyage (2004)
This movie is about a son have no choice but to drive his father to Mecca for religion obligation. Perhaps because of the same spiritual background, I find Le Grand Voyage to be the most touching movie about father loss. I can still remember how my eyes was all wet watching this movie. You never know when your parents will be gone, if you know that you’ll do chores and help them without complain. Sure, parents can test your patience, but the old man probably deserves to be finicky after all of his sacrifices to you. After watching this, you probably should call your old man and spend time with him.
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This is for my dad. Hope he’s in much better place.
