# Book/movie/whatever that completely blew you away and left you in awe **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 4, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657 "2009-06-04T02:56:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/21 "2009-06-04T19:03:46Z")
In movies, “A Man for All Seasons” fills the bill. “The Lion in Winter” pretty much does too. And “Schindler’s List,” in a really nasty way. I’ve never been able to bring myself to watch it a second time. A few operas, especially “La Boheme” and “Lucia di Lammermoor” have blown me away, too. I guess the books that have left me most in awe have been “Les Miserables” and “The Sirens of Titan.” ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/22 "2009-06-04T19:19:13Z")
Seeing the film **2001:A Space Odyssey** in its initial release in 70mm on a big, curved (though not Cinerama) screen affected me like no other movie ever had before. I was obsessed with it and collected the pressbook, souvenir programs, books, stills, magazine articles, anything I could find to read more about this amazing film. I didn’t become so overwhelmingly obsessed with a film again until last year when I saw **Let the Right One In.** Once again, there was no detail to trivial about this film for me to want to know. Months after my first viewing, I still think about it every day. I’ve seen it so many times and know it so well that I regret I can’t find anything new to enjoy when watching it. I wish there could be a new installment every day. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/23 "2009-06-04T20:32:45Z")
The finale of **Six Feet Under** left me floored. It wasn’t a perfect series, but that episode is probably the single best episode of television I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/24 "2009-06-04T20:53:54Z")
My reaction to Akira Kurosawa’s _Ikiru_ was unlike anything else I’ve experienced. For a good twenty minutes, I was alternating between sobbing at how sad the movie was, and laughing at how wonderful it was. No other work of art I’ve ever seen has affected me that strongly. But some others have come close: When I was in Spain in 2001, I visited the museum of modern art in Madrid. The gallery where they show “Guernica” is set up so that you enter it from one side, and you see all the concept sketches and exercises Picasso executed while working his way up to the final painting. I came in through the wrong door, and missed all of that. Instead, I just turned around and there it was, twice as big as life. I’d seen pictures of it, of course, but being confronted by the actual work like that made my head spin. I had to go back into the hall and sit on a bench for a minute, until I was sure my legs could support me. A week later, while I was in Barcelona, the WTC was destroyed. I’m glad we went to Madrid first - I don’t know how I would have reacted to the painting if I’d had that horror hanging over me. Oddly enough, I had a similar reaction to a comic book. I picked up the first trade of _Y: The Last Man_, mostly because I love a good post-apocalyptic story, and this one had a really interesting twist on the apocalypse. I’m not sure why it affected me so strongly, but when it was revealed that Yorrick’s sister had become an Amazon, it blew my mind. I felt light headed and dizzy, like my center of gravity was located about three feet outside of my body. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/25 "2009-06-04T21:02:12Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > . > > \*Breaker Morant, 100% agreed. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/26 "2009-06-04T21:06:59Z")
I read a lot and watch a lot of movies so this has happened to me many, many times. One of the most profound and long-lasting was probably _Citizen Kane_. I had actually seen it in a theatre when I was 19 or 20 and thought it was ok, but when I took a college course on it (ok it was a history of narrative film course, but we spent nearly 8 out of 16 weeks on _Kane_) and studied it, and watched it several more times, it sunk in as one of the best pieces of fiction, in any medium, I’ve ever experienced. > [@Miller](#): > > I had a similar reaction to a comic book. I picked up the first trade of _Y: The Last Man_ Ah, if only the series had stayed as strong as those first couple trades, it would be a classic. Brian K. Vaughn needs to learn to stop making every important character Brian K. Vaughn. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/27 "2009-06-04T21:29:08Z")
So many. There are so many books, movies, songs/albums that have left me totally transported that I couldn’t list them all and don’t know where to begin… …but one story immediately came to mind when I saw this thread: **Hemingway’s The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber**. I have cited it in previous threads, but I would hold this up as the greatest American short story. It is about 20 pages and the set up is that Macomber is an upper-class twit - I think he is a Wall St. financier - with his bored-but-dangerous wife out on safari in Africa, replete with native help and a red-faced, seen-it-all British safari guide. The story is about Honor, Courage - what it means to be A Man when you are facing danger right in front of you - and how those around you treat you. It is short and I don’t want to give anything away, but I remember exactly where I was when I read the climactic scene and how I was startled and blurted out "Holy Shit!!’ out of nowhere, leading a friend to look up and ask what happened… I respect a lot of Hemingway’s work but dislike and even hate a lot of it, too (his book version of To Have and Have Not is written poorly on a technical basis and also as a statement about Hemingway as a person) But this story resonates with me to this day… ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/28 "2009-06-04T21:29:24Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I read a lot and watch a lot of movies so this has happened to me many, many times. One of the most profound and long-lasting was probably _Citizen Kane_. > > I had actually seen it in a theatre when I was 19 or 20 and thought it was ok, but when I took a college course on it (ok it was a history of narrative film course, but we spent nearly 8 out of 16 weeks on _Kane_) and studied it, and watched it several more times, it sunk in as one of the best pieces of fiction, in any medium, I’ve ever experienced. > Ah, if only the series had stayed as strong as those first couple trades, it would be a classic. Brian K. Vaughn needs to learn to stop making every important character Brian K. Vaughn. Like you, I’ve had a lot of these moments. I’ll just pick a couple: Books: \*\*American Pastoral \*\*by Philip Roth, **Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates** by Tom Robbins, and **Ironweed** by William Kennedy. Movies: **The Legend of 1900,** \*\*The Reflecting Skin, \*\*and **Pulp Fiction** ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/29 "2009-06-04T22:23:54Z")
I’m terrible at spoiling myself when I’m reading a book. If I want to know what happens at a climactic point, I’ll just flip to the end and read it. Yes, it’s bad. But I was so totally blown away by _The Name of the Rose_ that I freaked out if I accidentally opened the book towards the end, afraid that I might catch a glimpse of something that might give away the story and spoil the mystery and how Eco wanted to reveal the storyline. I was so under the book’s spell. _Midnight’s Children_ by Salman Rushdie delighted me in so many ways. I tell everyone to read it. It made me sad that I will never be able to write like that. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/30 "2009-06-04T22:55:40Z")
_Pan’s Labyrinth_ for movies, for me, too. It was _awesome_. A perfect dark fairy tale. Books- the one that comes immediately to mind is _Gilead_, by Marilynne Robinson. I fell in love within twenty pages, and sobbed for an hour after I finished it. I had a similar reaction to _Home_, the (sort of) sequel. Oh, and years ago, _My Name is Asher Lev_. My husband wants video games included, and wants to say _Portal_, and _In the Shadow of the Colossus_ (which he’s playing right now, and he’s right, it’s stunning). ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/31 "2009-06-04T23:07:47Z")
I was 11 years old when the adults dropped us kids off at the neighborhood movie theater (which they did once or twice a month in the hot summer, years ago). We usually saw some Disney thing - Swiss Family Robinson, or something with Hayley Mills, or some pirate movie. “Lawrence of Arabia”. I sat there, spellbound, through the whole thing. I didn’t go get popcorn/candy/soda, I didn’t run up and down the aisles, I didn’t go talk with my friends in the lobby. I was 11 and I was totally blown away. In a lesser way, me, my mother, and my daughter went to see “Chicago” a few years ago and it was SO enjoyable, we sat there whispering “I can’t believe! how good this IS!” (which is much the same mom and I said to each other when we saw “Cabaret” in the 70’s). We went back to see it again. ---
**Author:** ![LunarPlexus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LunarPlexus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LunarPlexus)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/32 "2009-06-04T23:15:20Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Books: \*\*American Pastoral \*\*by Philip Roth Just started this last night. Glad to hear it. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/33 "2009-06-04T23:24:53Z")
Philosophically, it was _For Whom the Bell Tolls_. I was an impressionable youngster in my late teens/early 20s when Reagan was president. I was a very gung-ho nationalist and still somewhat xenophobic. When I read FWTBT, it was like a light bulb went on in my brain. Specifically, this scene, when Anselmo is tasked with killing the guards: > [@](#): > > Across the road at the sawmill smoke was coming out … of the chimney and Anselmo could smell it blown toward him through the snow. The fascists are warm, he thought, and they are comfortable, and tomorrow night we will kill them. It is a strange thing and I do not like to think of it. I have watched them all day and they are the same men that we are. I believe that I could walk up to the mill and knock on the door and I would be welcome except that they have orders to challenge all travelers and ask to see their papers. It is only orders that come between us. Those men are not fascists. I call them so, but they are not. They are poor men as we are. They should never be fighting against us andI do not like to think of the killing. My whole childish outlook on war as an adventure changed when I read this book. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/34 "2009-06-04T23:33:18Z")
No Country for Old Men - They made some decisions in that movie that few of any others would have had the stones to make. ---
**Author:** ![emarkp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3be4f8/32.png) [@emarkp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emarkp)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/35 "2009-06-04T23:38:09Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > I’m terrible at spoiling myself when I’m reading a book. If I want to know what happens at a climactic point, I’ll just flip to the end and read it. Yes, it’s bad. But I was so totally blown away by _The Name of the Rose_ that I freaked out if I accidentally opened the book towards the end, afraid that I might catch a glimpse of something that might give away the story and spoil the mystery and how Eco wanted to reveal the storyline. I was so under the book’s spell. This is the book I was thinking of, but because I was so completely underwhelmed. Boring and tedious with random dialogue between irrelevant characters (that I had to skim to get through). Amazing that we can have such different responses. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/36 "2009-06-05T00:17:40Z")
I agree with some that have been mentioned like Breaker Morant and Gallipolli. Another ending that left me stunned was _Brazil_. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/37 "2009-06-05T00:30:55Z")
You want some television that’ll blow you away? **Breaking Bad.** The best TV show around right now. Every episode will leave you a puddle on the floor. I’ll join in with the **Pulp Fiction** crowd too. Saw it opening night for the wide release. I remember my exact words after the credits ran: _I’ve never seen a movie like that before._ **Iron Giant** for the power of the story and cool factor. Totally wasn’t expecting it. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/38 "2009-06-05T00:37:03Z")
> [@SaharaTea](#): > > The finale of **Six Feet Under** left me floored. It wasn’t a perfect series, but that episode is probably the single best episode of television I’ve ever seen. Good choice; I never even liked the series all that much but the very final moments of the series are about as good as I’ve ever seen it get on television. The last five pages of Shogun are just mesmerizing, perfect in every way. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelQReilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@MichaelQReilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelQReilly)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/39 "2009-06-05T00:58:17Z")
_A Free Man’s Worship_ by Bertrand Russell. I’ve read many great works, but that was the first time I’ve ever read something so dense with meaning and where it was so completely apparent that the author was a sheer genius. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657/40 "2009-06-05T01:10:27Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > **Iron Giant** for the power of the story and cool factor. Totally wasn’t expecting it. Ah. My wife has seen me cry twice in 6 years. Once was when the Iron Giant said “Superman.” Really underrated movie. That is Brad Bird’s masterpiece, not The Incredibles. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-movie-whatever-that-completely-blew-you-away-and-left-you-in-awe/498657.md?page=3)