Literature

Literature, to me, is a way to express oneself through text and writing that inspires interpretation.  Though not all literature is found in text form, they all center around the idea. Movies, for example, are literature, as they form around the dialogue and expression of words. Picking my favorite example of literature was a very hard task. However, i will chose the two films that both confused me the most and had the largest affect on me. Those movies are Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining. The first film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, confused the heck out of me the first time i saw it. After watching it, my first reaction was, "wow, that was great" followed quickly by "wait, what just happened?"  To be perfectly honest, i still dont understand the film, but it tells its story of the evolution of man so well it was hard not to love it. The words 'show, don't tell' work perfectly, as 88 minutes of the film feature no dialogue. To me, literature is all about having the ability to interpret, and 2001 gave ample room for interpretation. The other Kubrick film, The Shining, is a film that, until this weekend, i had yet to see. However, after seeing it, not only did the film scare me half to death, but it quickly rose to the top of my favorite movies list. The movie, which is surprisingly sparse on jump scares for a horror/thriller movie, frightens its audience through the use of camera angles and techniques to inspire claustrophobia in the captive audience. Despite the movie taking place in a huge hotel, Kubrick has us peaking around corners and leaves us scared due to the unanswered mystery that is the Overlook Hotel.  The many lengthy shots throughout the film establish a genuine feel that is later destroyed by quick cuts near the film's climax, which helps to frighten the audience, as we feel that something is wrong as the tone and tactics change. These two films, both made by master director Stanley Kubrick are two examples of Kubrick's unmatched skill, and are amazing forms of literature as they express themselves in a way that makes the audience  have to work to understand the films' purpose. The high level on interpretation in these two, and many other Kubrick, films, make them highly successful and highly amazing pieces of literature.