Weekly Theme

Weekly Theme for June 1: Through A Child's Eyes

As each of us ages and experiences the chaos of everyday life, most of us can agree that at one time or another we have uttered the phrase, "I wish I were young again" or pondered what ours lives would be like if we knew what we know now back when we were younger. But until that fateful day when time travel becomes reality and we all screw up the space time continuum trying to give our childhood selves unwarranted advice about the future, we'll just have to rely on reminiscing and watching films that take us on an adventure through a child's point of view.

A filmmaker who has made many a film trying to capture the wonder, curiosity and imagination of youth is Terry Gilliam. In Time Bandits we follow a boy that falls into a time traveling odyssey after a traumatic event shocks him to his core. In The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, a young girl whose life doesn't afford her the opportunity to have an imagination is tested when a man whose sole existence is that of defying reality and embracing the fantastical. And of course Tideland, a similar example of a young girl exposed to the harsh realities of life at an early age whose damaged psyche catapults her into a twisted world of fantasy to protect her from the disturbing real world around her.

When discussing films played out through a child's perspective, one cannot avoid mentioning The Wizard of Oz and it's (less than stellar but interesting nonetheless) sequel Return To Oz. The former being all lollipops and poppies, the latter being electro-shock therapy and a secret chamber full of young girls heads. 

Stepping away from fantasy and staying firmly planted in reality, films like Empire of the Sun and Lord of the Flies remind us of the fragility of youth and how easily that youthful curiosity can be brutally ripped out of us.

Personally, I'm a huge fan of these films and love getting that feeling while watching them: imagining how my childhood could have been different and how fun and exhilarating that naivete about everything was.

Yes? No? Join the Discussion and Let Us Know!

Re:Weekly Theme for June 1: Through A Child's Eyes

There are two film that came out over the past few years that seem to fit the topic. I loved them both from a storytelling aspect as well as visually. First is Guillermo Del Torro's Pan's Labyrinth. This was the story of a child living in a world of fantasy in order to escape her own harsh reality.

The second is The Fall. Again, this is basically a children's fairy tale that we are watching unfold through her imaginative eye.

Re:Weekly Theme for June 1: Through A Child's Eyes

Oh yeah, The Tin Drum is a fantastic film that fits the catagory. The main character doesn't age throughout the movie. He stays a child during the rise of the third reich in Germany. Everyone should check this one out.