Opinion essay - What makes the film great

What makes a film great? 

Opinion essay

There is nothing universal that makes a film great. Otherwise, every director would use it and all the movies would be “great”. The factors that make a film great are complex and are usually inseparably connected.

There is a common opinion that most important for a film is the directing but the plot is just as important. Undoubtedly, a film with a shallow plot can never be great, just like a movie with a deep plot but poor directing. The combination of a quality screenplay and an experienced director is essential for everyone who wants to create a great film.

Another very important factor is the cast. Choosing famous actors almost guarantees that many people will see the film, if not out of anything else, at least out of curiosity what the next part of their favourite actor / actress is. Moreover, having names like Robert De Niro or Jack Nicholson on the movie poster is a better advertisement than anything else words can say. But the movie history has proved that great award – winning movies can be made even without a cast that requires a solid budget. Let us remember total hits like “American Pie” or “The Island” that featured totally unknown actors when they came out.

Many movies depend on huge amounts of money and spectacular scenes to make them stand out of the whole bunch of other movies being made every day. But that strategy doesn’t work very often. It has worked with “Star Wars” and “The Matrix” but today the thirst for special effects of the people is so satisfied that a movie should offer something really exceptional to become a great hit.


Finally, there is one thing that unites everything mentioned so far. In order to become great, a movie should be different. We all see so many movies that can only be differentiated by the names of the actors. They don’t offer anything exciting. A movie that touches the heart and makes one feel suspense is on that is destined to become great.