The Game-Changer

Albert Einstein once said that, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” He also said that his wild bohemian hairstyle was a “magnet for chicks.” Sadly, he wasn’t a genius about everything. However, he was an expert on using his own imagination and developing a vision of something that hadn’t been discovered yet. This is the definition of innovative leadership – creating a path somewhere that didn’t exist before.

     Often times it’s just one person with a passionate new viewpoint who becomes the leader. History has shown that one person can declare a war. One person can reinvent the way we look at science, and one person can change an industry.

    The game-changer in the movie industry was Charlie Chaplin. A hundred years ago, Chaplin came fresh from vaudeville to start his film career at the legendary Mack Sennett studios in Los Angeles. The rest, as they say, is history! When Charlie arrived on the scene the Keystone Cops movies were all the rage in motion pictures, and their style was cookie-cutter. The Cops movies were predictably filled with nonstop action that always concluded with a big elaborate chase sequence. Producer Mack Sennett adamantly believed that audiences would be bored otherwise. His equation was simple: comedy equaled constant movement which equaled captivated paying audiences. All action had to be fast and furious – which meant running and climbing on top of rooftops and streetcars, jumping into rivers and diving off of piers. There was no time for nuance in a Keystone Cops movie.

     Chaplin disagreed with the Keystone Cop model. In fact, he detested the status quo in filmmaking at the time and set out to challenge it. Charlie was a theater success, and he argued that,“Humor is humor, whether in films or on the stage.” So when he got his chance, Chaplin displayed his superb acting technique, stagecraft and subtle pantomime, which he brought from the theater. He was the first successful silent star to bring emotion to the movies. By contrast, he stood out as the innovative genius that he was. Audiences LOVED him because there was nobody else like him in the movies. Chaplin had the unique ability to evoke tears as well as laughter in his work, and that was the key to his craft and to his success. He used to say, “All I need to make a comedy is a park, a policeman and pretty girl.”

     You can’t beat an innovative leader with a simple plan.

     

The Redemption Of The Shawshank

Is The Shawshank Redemption the BEST movie of all time? According to the users of the Internet Movie Database web site it is. I know what you’re thinking, “online computer nerds didn’t join forces and elect Star Wars as the best movie?” Unbelievable as it seems, they didn’t. IMDB put it to a vote, and the gritty prison movie with the surprising touch of humanity actually came out on top! Holy friggin’ Obi Wan Kenobi!

      Who would believe Shawshank as the best movie ever?  Not a bad distinction for a movie that was a flop at the box office when it had its original theatrical run in 1993. Some might argue that it wasn’t even the best movie to come out that year. Pulp Fiction kicked ass in 1993, and Forrest Gump picked up nearly all of the awards that same year too.

      IMDB had classic films like Citizen Kane, Casablanca, Sunset Boulevard and The Third Man ranked comparatively low in the same poll. Maybe that says something about younger movie fans who have a tendency to resist older films on the basis that they’re shot in black and white. There seems to be that prejudice that way, but who knows.

     Quite possibly, Shawshank’s high ranking might be due to the movie’s great acting performances, great script, great direction, great cinematography, great musical score and it’s great “escapist” twist ending. Frankly, I love the movie! Most men I know feel the exact same way. In fact, in all my years, I have NEVER met a single man who doesn’t enjoy The Shawshank Redemption. It’s the kind of movie that compels men to stop what they’re doing, sit down and watch it every time it’s on. Interesting, huh? What could be the reason? Maybe it has something to do with the prison movie genre. Movies set in prison have always been a longtime favorite for men in general. Let’s face it, you going to argue with Steve McQueen going vertical on his Triumph motorcycle in The Great Escape? Don’t even think about it!

      Nevertheless, that’s not the reason The Shawshank Redemption beats them all and wins in the poll. At first glance, it’s a prison movie that deals with the big themes of despair, hope, abuse of authority, institutionalism and freedom, but in the end the movie works because of the strong friendship between its two main characters. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman play two lifers who become loyal, trustworthy friends, and that is something not seen very often in movies about men. Competition and opposition usually define the relationships that men have in most movies. Shawshank is so uniquely special in that way. The characters of Andy and Red are best friends. No bullshit.

     As far as the IMDB poll, everybody needs to decide for themselves. The Shawshank Redemption was voted the best movie of all time, and it probably deserves it. For me, it’s just the best movie of all time for friendship.