Dated Movies (not Date Movies)

There is something truly comical about watching movies that are supposed to be set in particular times and places far removed from the years in which they were actually made and spotting various cultural landmarks which inevitably tie them to such years. This happened a lot in Hollywood's earlier days, obviously, right up until late last century, but this was largely due to issues of technology. These days, such movies still pop up on the grid periodically, but this comes down to just bad storytelling. Of course, contemporary films don't really count, seeing as how the filmmaker has no choice but to adopt conventions of the time to tell a believable story.

There are some movies that absolutely scream "I was made in 1985!" even though they may actually be set in the 1930s. As odd a choice as it may seem "Star Wars, Episode IV" or the very first Star Wars movie is actually a pretty good example of a movie that feels dated. Issues of technology aside, the film is permanently marked by its actors' shaggy hairdos and Mark Hammill's "gee-whiz" line delivery. The funny part is that no matter how many times Lucas intercalates new digital features every few years the movie still feels stuck in the seventies, and everything else just feels like add-ons. James Cameron's Titanic is similarly quagmired due to Leonardo DiCaprio's unmistakably 90s long-bangs haircut, as well as some really bad dialogue.

Another thing that tends to date movies which would otherwise seem ageless is the music with which the film is scored. Titanic tops the list of such films with all of the synthesized undertones and Enya-like, new-age vocalizing with which composer James Horner saturated his music. The Passion of the Christ, for all of Mel Gibson's directorial prowess, may one day feel dated because of John Debney's use of some fairly contemporary instruments as accompaniment to the traditional orchestra and choir. For the record, I like and own both soundtracks, but they just don't strike me as timeless.

Probably the most glaring example of a movie that will, in a couple of years, sound really anachronistic is the first installment of The Chronicles of Narnia. Howard Shore achieved timelessness (at least to my mind) with his sweeping orchestra and majestic choral and solo vocalists when he did the Lord of the Rings films, so I don't really understand why Narnia composer Harry Gregson-Williams felt he had to go contemporary and take the viewer out of the story, which, when it wasn't set in Narnia was set in 1940s England. (Of course, it's not like the film didn't have other problems).

It's silly to suppose that anyone can make a truly timeless piece. Some people have come fairly close over the last few years, like Spielberg with Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan and Peter Jackson with the aforementioned Rings films, but the thing about such cultural markers is that they tend to spoil a viewing experience and, as I said earlier, take a reader out of a story. There are a number of films that, while not necessarily timeless, don't really feel dated, and maybe I'll make a list of them next time.