All of us overcome struggles in life. Without going through all kind of struggle such as sadness, hardship and breakdown or depression, we never discover the positive and inspirational people we turn out to be in the end and go onto help others make a difference to themselves. I have certainly been that kind of person and in the (two) depressions I have had, it helped me to discover myself. It is only after what results in the destruction of that sadness that we find out why what happened did so at all and we are able to train ourselves to prevent such a situation happening again.
While a judgement cannot be made as to whether or not I regret having undergone depressions at 18 and 22 respectively, there are elements that I have often indulged in when I feel any kind of sadness, and this is not just in the measures of depression. Some have concerned crime such as robbery or murder, some have concerned failed relationships, some have concerned threatening capacities, and some have concerned wild struggles.
It is perhaps my second depression which saw me indulge in movies that I have since come to associate with that sadness that came out of mistaking fairness for unfairness and coming too late to a discovery that was not important to me earlier. What one is about to see here are films which really resonate in my mind when I think of that timeframe in my life. Despite the frustrated attempts of many people to help me, I ultimately helped myself in the end when I practiced inner peace and discovered why what was happening was happening and soon, bit by bit over the months to come, that sadness was finally swept away much to my delight as well as that of all my well-wishers.
Still while these films seem to make me think of that time, I continue to admire them not because they concern sadness or horror but because they are examples of how we use our determination to survive or escape from drastic measures or circumstances which can prove fatal (either emotionally or physically) for anyone. They teach me that help can be offered to anyone, but the biggest helping hand comes from us, and others’ efforts pay off only when the one they help, helps themselves. As a result, these movies still inspire me and even as an Aspergetic with so many challenges be them depressive or not, I like so many others can achieve anything
Let me share with all of you the movies I am referring to here of which many of you would already have heard of or seen but not to worry, the plots will not be spoiled by being told from start to finish since their main part is the synopsis; that not only can we achieve anything, but we can also survive anything
June 20th, 1975
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Based on the novel by Peter Benchley
While taking a midnight swim off the beaches of Amity Island, Chrissie Watkins is violently jerked around and pulled down by an unseen force. Her mangled remains wash up the next day and the chief of police Martin Brody despite realizing it was a shark that killed her is forced to hush up the attack by the Mayor Larry Vaughn who fears that it may ruin Amity’s tourism industry. However, after a young boy Alex Kitner, a fisherman and even a boater are killed separately, with one of Brody’s two sons narrowly escaping the same death that befell them, hunts to pursue the aquatic killer escalate and when oceanographer Matt Hooper and shark hunter Quint arrive, due to their interest in the case, the two join Brody on his hunt to pursue the deadly great white terror that haunts the waters of Amity and put an end to it
December 15th 1993
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Based on the true story of German businessman Oskar Schindler (1908-1974)
Despite the agonizing and devastating effects of World War II, Oskar Schindler businessman and industrialist Oskar Schindler is committed to ensuring the activity that his factories are making money out of. However, Jews started getting persecuted by Nazi soldiers and when his own Jewish staff get target, Schindler becomes kind of an unlikely hero when at the suggestion of his accountant Itzhak Stern, he takes it upon himself to employ Jews in his factory to spare them death from the unfairness of Nazi Germany
October 3rd, 1997
Directed by Gary Fleder
Based on the novel Kiss the Girls by James Patterson
Detective and forensic psychologist Alex Cross is called to Durham in North Carolina when his niece Naomi is reported missing. He learns that her kidnapping is linked to a series of other mysterious kidnappings of women. One of the abductees, Dr Kate McTiernan escapes from the kidnapper in question who calls himself Casanova and after her rescue and met by Cross in hospital, she joins forces with him to save Casanova’s other abductees including his niece, stop him and find out who he really is although he could also be part of the team that Cross is leading to stop him. Still Casanova is no killer but a collector, unless those who he kidnaps try to defy him
September 30th, 2005
Directed by John Stockwell
Remake of The Deep based on the book by Peter Benchley
Jared Cole and his girlfriend Sam are an enthusiastic diving couple in the Bahamas although despite Sam’s career as a shark handler, Jared has worked an odd series of jobs and finds it hard to keep one for the most part. One day, Jared’s childhood friend Bryce and his new girlfriend Amanda visit and the two couples enjoy scuba diving and relaxing in the local waters. Their lives change when they find a wrecked plane carrying drugs and coupled with that is also an ancient shipwreck not too far away which still yeilds its treasure. Despite Jared’s protests, Bryce and Amanda who are obsessed with retrieving the treasure as well as the cocaine foolishly make a deal with a drug lord whom the cocaine belonged to in the first place, threatening them and Jared as well as Sam to retrieve the drugs or face serious consequences. The four friends struggle to fight their way out of their predicament although a man who has an on and off professional relation with Jared as a former employer may also be part of this conspiracy
July 1st, 2009
Directed by Michael Mann
Based on the true story of bank robber John Dillinger (1903-1934)
In the 1930s, the great depression seems to be growing at every step as is bank robbery as a result. Many of these robbers have made a name for themselves such as Baby Face Nelson, Charles Floyd, Tommy Caroll and most infamous of all John Dillinger. As they and Dillinger are pursued and picked off one by one by the FBI save for Dillinger’s clever wittiness and talent in escaping, FBI agent Melvin Purvis is hired by chief J. Edgar Hoover to lead the hunt for Dillinger although Dillinger despite his temptation to rob banks falls in love with a singer-waitress names Billie Frechette and as a result puts not just himself but her in danger from the FBI as well