🍿😜 Why do we pretend to have seen a movie? 

At the beginning of 2023, even before the New Year's resolutions, is a steady stream of films – the ten must-see movies, the best films of the century... I think these lists are pretty good, but I haven't seen any of them.

It feels so good to speak it out here. Just call me a "movie liar"! I believe I'm not the only one. Many people in the world "pretend" to have seen a movie.

People "pretend" for various reasons. But why on earth should we pretend to have seen it?

Scarface (1932)

Reason 1: Not a movie fan, but need to socialize.

We have to admit that not everyone likes movies. It is no more surprising that not everyone loves doughnuts. However, on many social occasions, it is easier to talk about a classic movie than to talk about which president you support.

Before the British video platform, LOVEFiLM was acquired by Amazon, they conducted an anonymous survey: inviting users to talk about their experience of pretending to have seen a movie. According to the survey, 80% of users pretended of seeing a movie, to join the conversation, or leave a good impression.

Reason 2: Others "mistakenly thought" that I had seen it.

How do you judge if I've seen a movie?

These days, when we read a few reviews, check a few tweets, and finally watch a trailer, we can probably put together a complete picture of a movie. If it's an adapted movie, we can also look up the book or other versions of the movie, and quickly learn the story before and after the adaptation.

Compared with watching the movie for 120 minutes without moving, I checked the information for 2 hours on the Internet. Will I have a deeper understanding of it instead? I have known so much; do you think I have seen it?

When I face the Eiffel Tower and exclaim "We'll always have Paris", how do you judge whether I have seen "Casablanca"? If you think I've seen it, I don't have to say I haven't.

Casablanca

Reason 3: Everyone is pretending.

A few years ago, there was a popular book in the French cultural field called "How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read", written by Pierre Bayard, a literature professor. In his book, he deeply analysis the social phenomenon that people claim unread books randomly. Now it seems that many of his analyses are similar to films.

The more classic work is, the more worthy it is for us to lie to prove that we have read it.

Because in the eyes of the public, there is a hierarchical and hypocritical art value system. To a piece of work, the more meaning the public gives it, the higher its level in the system, and the more lies we tell.

Most of the time, what we talk about is not the film itself, but the meaning it carries. For example, how many people have seen "Citizen Kane", which people often talk about? Forgive me for not being a black-and-white movie lover. After all, I don't want to force myself to "suffer". And I largely suspect that the person I'm talking to about "Citizen Kane" is also a movie liar.

Reason 4: Not afraid to be a movie liar.

Sorry, I'm not sorry for that.

According to Ranker's ranking, many people are just like me in the world. Do not expose the lies.

Pierre Bayard mentioned in his book: "Criticism needs more culture than art creates."

People are busy expressing themselves with everything. The carrier can be literature, movies, TV plays, games, sports, etc. Showing "I've seen" a movie is the biggest thing in itself.

As for what kind of movies that people often pretend to have seen? According to the vote of Ranker, I selected five movies that you and I both pretend to have seen.

"The Godfather": In "Zootopia", when the shrew turns around, did you laugh? This scene is a tribute to "The Godfather". How many people know? "The Godfather" is a movie I want to watch, but it's too long.

"Citizen Kane": This film released in 1941 has indeed created a lot of quite advanced architecture, photography and editing technologies, and has been widely used by later generations of films. However, black-and-white movies are not my type.

"8 1/2": An Italian film directed by Fellini? I am already sleepy.

"Metropolis": Very early, very early on, Friedrich Lang made a pioneering film about robots, and its posters were at the gates of major cinemas. I know nothing else besides that.

"2001: A Space Odyssey": Clarke, the author of the original book, said: "If anyone feels that he has completely understood what "2001: A Space Odyssey" is about, it must be that Kubrick and I have made a mistake." So there may be no difference between those who have seen it and those who have not. I couldn't even make it through the first 20 minutes.