Forrest Gump

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Myself

I haven't seen this since I was a kid. I had always liked it just fine but man, I got so much more out of it now, I'm so glad I decided to get the bluray and watch it through. Jeez it's a good film. Even with a commentary track on it still got me.

It's such an incredible achievement, pretty much everything about the film should not work. At least that's what you are always taught. To have a passive main character, with a series of episodic events happening around him are two big strikes against. What it does have is a huge nostalgia kick, apparently even for people who weren't alive then and have nothing to get nostalgic about. That and a love story that really manages to pull everything together.

It's really like a modern day fable or tall tale. Eric Roth also wrote the screenplay for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and it's a similar kind of feeling, both largely set in the south, an entire life story, episodic and period spanning with a central love story. But I think Gump is the more successful of the two, there's something more innocent and brighter about it.

Of course, being a Robert Zemeckis film it's filled with a heap of new technological advancements for the effects, but nothing hugely showy, all at the service of story. The removal of Gary Sinise's legs was a big deal. I just saw the same effect in a film with the main character's arm removed. It's probably much easier now. But the biggest fuss was made over the manipulation of real historical events. It was the first time I can recall it was done in a feature and it was a little controversial too, but I guess no one cares now.

Hearing Zemeckis talk about his storyboarding was interesting. He only storyboards complicated effects or action that's too hard to explain to crew and easier to just show them. He thinks storyboarding drama scenes makes you feel more stressed on set thinking you have to get all the set ups or leaving disappointed if you can't get them and that he prefers the post production and editing. It makes so much sense now that he love motion capture, no worrying about set ups, you get whatever coverage you want in post.

I also like his reasoning for lobbying for the film to be shot in widescreen. I agree, not all films need to be shot in the format but it does make composing images in the frame more interesting.

Really enjoyed watching this again. I wonder what other films from my youth I would get more out of now. I can't believe how old the film is already!