In recent years, movies have gotten longer, sets bigger and costs higher. In turn, the scope and imagination of the projects have also increased. Sometimes a filmmaker who has eclipsed such great power will use that control to create a film so genuinely ambitious that it can be hard to describe.
With all the moving parts that movies like these involve, the margin for success can get very narrow. However, their vast ambition and grandiose imagination often make up for this in bringing great products to the screen. With the release of by James Cameron epic Avatar: The Way of the WaterNow seems like an opportune time to look back at some of the most daring films ever made.
“2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968)
Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most ambitious films ever brought to the screen, 2001: A Space Odyssey is considered by many to be a visionary director by Stanley Kubrick greatest achievement. Grossing over $140 million at the box office, 2001: A Space Odyssey is about a group of astronauts, scientists, and a supercomputer who travel to uncover the mysterious origin of a monolith they discovered on the lunar surface.
The influence of Kubrick’s marvel cannot be overstated, having been an inspiration to the likes of Steven Spielberg to george lucas. Often considered one of the most essential films in the history of the medium, the film has been the subject of discussion since its release due to its many themes. Breathtaking and bewitching, 2001: A Space Odyssey is ranked as one of the most important images in history for good reason.
“Annihilation” (2018)
Annihilation is the product of giving an ingenious creative mind like Alex Garland an estimated budget of 50 million dollars and a large canvas. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Jeff VanderMeerthe film follows Lena, a biologist, as she joins a mission to enter a mysterious quarantine zone that turns out to be a strange, mutated landscape.
Annihilation was a commercial flop, grossing just $43 million despite rave reviews for its beauty, ideas, and ambiguity. What separates the film from other great films of the same ilk like the one from 2016 Arrival is it Annihilation does not give easy answers. Its final half hour, a spellbinding ballet of image and color, cements the film as one of the most ambitious and enduring in recent memory.
‘The Fountain’ (2006)
Darren Aronofsky is a filmmaker inclined to attempt grand feats, and Fountain is no exception. The sequel to his visceral psychological drama Requiem for a dream, Fountain stars Hugh Jackman and Aronofsky’s wife at the time Rachel Weisz like lovers who cross time and intrigue to connect with each other. Initially divisive among critics, the film has become a cult following since its release.
A box office flop, the film grossed less than half of its $35 million budget. The funny thing is that the movie was originally planned with a budget of $70 million and was supposed to star Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett before production was halted. Fountain might be beyond Aronofsky’s reach, but it’s still a genre-blending show worthy of his filmography.
“The Tree of Life” (2011)
After putting 20 years between his two previous films, it took Terrence Malik 13 years to date The tree of life, its limitless distillation of life in all its cosmic beauty. The film, which is part world history, part autobiography stars Sean Penn, brad pittand Jessica Chastain as it follows a middle-aged man thinking back to his childhood and contemplating his faith and his existence.
Winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes, the film received generally positive reviews, with some going so far as to say it is one of the best films of all time. The film uses the wandering existentialism and philosophical reflection typical of Malick. While it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, the film is undoubtedly beautiful, and it’s hard to find a film that explores deeper concepts.
‘Creation’ (2010)
Shot in 6 countries with a production budget exceeding $160 million, the practical ambition of Start still eclipses its design. A phenomenon upon its release, the film became the fourth highest-grossing film of 2010. With a star cast led by Leonardo DiCapriothe film follows a thief who assembles a team to enter a target’s dreams in order to regain their freedom.
Nominated for eight Oscars, Start is not an empty film, a purely logistical spectacle with a hollow interior. On the contrary, the film is quite emotionally complex and, while it may not have the dreamlike logic of a film by Terry Gilliam or Jacques Tati, it conveys metaphors. A masterpiece more than 10 years later, Start is grand, inspired and timeless.
‘Ink’ (2009)
Now here is a film with all the ambition of a Terry Gilliam or a Guillermo Del Toro with a fraction of the budget. Written, directed, co-produced, composed and edited by jamin winan for $250,000, Ink try to be everything at the same time. A dark sci-fi fantasy with emotional ambitions, Ink is about a man who must save his daughter from a battle between darkness and light.
Although no major distributor picked up the film, the film garnered great popularity on video-on-demand and by being pirated online. A mix of dark dark city 80s sci-fi and fantasy adventure style, Ink is certainly admirable for its craftsmanship. Aspiring and self-sufficient, the film can be seen as an example of how to fit bold imagination into a budget.
“Everything everywhere at the same time” (2022)
A sci-fi action film with an absurd comedy, Everything everywhere all at once is a large-scale, imaginative and inspiring intimate portrait of millennial nihilism and Asian-American identity. movie stars michelle yeo in one of the best performances of the year as a Chinese immigrant who must connect multiple versions of herself in parallel universes to stop an unstoppable evil force.
While its specific brand of comedy and generational outlook are deceptively specific, in truth the film is being made as a mainstream blockbuster. Although acclaimed everywhere, the film is truly elevated by wonderful acting, an awe-inspiring score, and exceptional action sequences. Led by the daniels, Everything everywhere all at once has a little something for everyone.
‘Synecdoche New York’ (2009)
Ranked by Roger Ebert as the best film of the decade, Synecdoche of New York is by Charlie Kaufman masterpiece. A commercial flop, grossing less than $5 million against a budget of $20 million, the film covers the life of playwright Caden Cotard, played by Philip Seymour Hoffmanand explores his relationships, his fears and tries to rebuild his life.
The film is as close as it gets to a book that was never written presented on screen. The film is so dense and intellectually rich that it pleads for multiple viewings. If it doesn’t have the same visual reach as other bold projects, Synecdoche of New York can have the highest purpose, to encapsulate a human life.
Magnolia (1999)
Paul Thomas Anderson originally intended for its follow-up boogie nights to be a small intimate independent film. It ended up with a three-plus-hour tour de force of optical style, dialogue, and intensity. Magnoliawith an ensemble cast that includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tom Cruiseand Julianne Moore among many others, crosses several lives to paint a portrait of pain and dysfunction.
Although he claimed after the film’s release that it was “for better or worse, the best movie I would ever make”, in retrospect, Anderson wished he would “chill and cut twenty minutes”. However, the film’s maximalism is what so many viewers appreciate. A roaring score and killer performance all around assist Magnolia succeed as the eminent Anderson’s craziest film to date.
“Until the End of the World” (1991)
Until the end of the world the theatrical running time in 1991 was just over 2½ hours, a factor that may have contributed to its commercial failure, grossing less than $800,000 against a budget of $23 million. However, this running time pales in comparison to the directors cut version of nearly 5 hours per Wim Wenders. Set in two acts, the film is about a free-spirited woman who follows a doctor in search of a cure for blindness at the turn of the millennium.
Reviews were mostly negative for the released two-and-a-half-hour version of the film, which Wenders himself calls the “Reader’s Digest” version. More positive reaction was placed towards the director’s cut which was praised for its spectacular score, apocalyptic vision, and Wenders’ visual splendour.
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