April 5th, 2009 by Cherié

“The Great Escape” : the art of traveling in the cinema.

Being the movie and travel fanatic that I am, it is no surprise that this article would come along. Film and Traveling, two great things to have been created in the planet that we call Earth. Well, besides us of course! When those two, what you would get is the Big Bang and no I am not talking about the Universe. When you watch a movie, you are automatically transformed into another world, another time and place. In fact, in the Great Depression Era, film transformed many into another world, and it was appropriately referred as ” The Great Escape”. Penniless, somehow they scrounged up enough change to go watch the latest film to hit theatres. What makes a movie so compelling that they were willing to spend their last nickel and dimes? One might argue what makes a great film, well here is my two cents. However, not all movies are just solely about traveling. Mainly, its the location that has the ability to make the audience think in awe “Wow, its so beautiful, I want to go there!” The cinematography is so critically important for a screenplay. Of course, there are other elements that makes a great movie, the plot, the actors, etc. The location, the director responsibility is to capture the moment on film, and the location is important. It also creates an atmosphere for a lot of romantic comedies. Like for instance, in the film When Harry met Sally there is a beautiful scene where Harry and Sally are walking in Central Park in New York in the Fall. The vibrant colors in the background added to the scene, it created an enviroment, a serene setting. Now of course, New York is very common in films, especially when it comes to romantic comedies. But, you also have to keep in mind of other locations such as Seattle, Paris, London, Rome, and countless of other locations. Have I convinced you, the reader that the location is just as important to a film just like the screenplay, the actors are? I hope so, and I hope you will check these films out. you wont be disapointed. So, I thought I would compile a list of films that will in turn, inspire you to travel. Enjoy.

California:
Clueless
Sideways
Singing in the Rain

Great Britain:
Pride and Prejudice
Snatch
Sliding Doors
Snatch
Death at a Funeral (Only because it is a fantastic British Film not to be missed!)
Four Weddings and Funeral
Penelope
Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Paris, France and other regions:
Amelie
Love me if you Dare
Funny Face
Marie Antoinette
French Kiss
Chocolat
An American in Paris
Breakfast at Tiffany’s

New York:
When Harry Met Sally
You’ve Got Mail
Moonstruck
On the Town
Devil Wears Prada

Ireland:
Matchmaker
P.S I love you (half the film is in Ireland, so pretty!)
Made of Honor

Australia:
Australia
Crocodile Dundee

Germany:
Run Lola Run
The Downfall
Goodbye Lenin!

Poland:
Everything is Illuminated
Schindler’s List

Greece:
Mamma Mia
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Seattle, Washington:
Sleepless in Seattle

Rome, Italy and other regions:
Roman Holiday
Only You
Much Ado About Nothing
Gladiator
Under the Tuscan Sun

India;
Darjeeling Limited

Africa:
The Ghost and the Darkness
Out of Africa
The Mummy 1 and 2

China:
Lost in Translation
Mr. Nice Guy (any Jackie Chan movies dubbed in English)
Memoirs of Geisha

Other:
Two for the Road
Before Sunset, and Before Sunrise
The Notebook (East Coast)
John Adams; HBO Mini Series *Boston, Massachusetts*
ElizabethTown(Top Favorite, Must watch!)
National Lampoons Family Vacation(with Clark Griswalds, European one is so funny)
Catch me if you can

NOTE:
All movies should have Closed Captioning or Subtitles on the DVD’s or VHS.

There are many more films I cannot think of them all right now. But, any suggestions please do not hesitate to comment, and let me know! I will add them right away. Thanks 🙂