Day 16- Movie 13. The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (1992)

There are some movies we love, some we hate, and some that exist in that strange gray area in between. The Hand that Rocks the Cradle is one of those movies. The film isn't exactly an enjoyable experience- the movie sets out to make you feel uncomfortable, and it achieves this goal. The story revolves around a family who hires a nanny to help with a newborn infant. The nanny, however, has very bad intentions- to destroy the mother and take over the family herself. There are so many disturbing scenes in this movie. This isn't done with blood and guts, but on a much more psychological level.

I was impressed with how the nanny psychologically manipulated everyone around her. These were the most disturbing parts of the film. The movie does a great job of showing how small, seemingly insignificant mental pushes can get people to believe and do the craziest things. It's not easy to watch one person undermine the sanity of another. This is portrayed very effectively in the film.

This is a hard movie for me to wrap my head around. On the one hand, it wasn't exactly an enjoyable viewing experience. However, that's not what the movie set out to do. The Hand that Rocks the Cradle wanted to make the audience feel uncomfortable- to make you question how easy it would be for someone to manipulate you. These are not fun topics, but they are fascinating ones. I don't believe that every movie you watch should be an enjoyable experience. Some movies set out to make you feel discomfort- some set out to scare you, disgust you, or make you sad. I believe it's a mistake to think all good movies have to be enjoyable. Movies can have many different goals, but they all revolve around two things- 1. To make you think. 2. To make you feel.

This movie made me feel- made me feel uneasy and uncomfortable. Those aren't the most pleasant emotions, but it achieved it's goal. And, whether I "liked" it or not, I have to appreciate the effectiveness of the film. For that reason, I would give this film a solid 7/10.

What do you think about that? Are movies supposed to entertain and provide enjoyment, or do they have other motivations as well? Is there a movie you can think of that you didn't exactly "like," but have to admire for its effectiveness?

I'll give you one other example- Dogville. When I watched this movie, I hated it. It was an attempt at experimental film making, and I was wholly unprepared for the film. The movie is 3 hours long, and I was bored and miserable for the first 2 hours and 40 minutes. And then, something shocking happens at the end that made me rethink the entire film. While the viewing experience was miserable, it suddenly all made sense, and I was awed and amazed at what the film was able to achieve. I had to give that film a good score, because it was a very effective movie- a hard, difficult movie to watch, but it achieved what it wanted to achieve (which was completely opposite of what I was hoping to get out of the film). The film simply didn't care about my preconceived notions- it was determined to tell its story its way. I have to applaud that.

I'd be interested in other movies you didn't "like," but were so good anyway that you'd have to recommend them. I wonder if I'm the only one who has noticed films like this...