Hi,
In my opinion we watch movies as a form of escapism. But as far as I’m concerned there must be elements of realism/reality (but perhaps on a different level from daily/routine life) , in order for this to occur. I am looking for a psychological study that shows what we are perhaps unconsciously looking for when we watch movies. Intuitively, I am quite confident that I watch a movie because I can relate to elements of it, but I also watch it because it is not reality, perhaps a kind of hyperreality. I am aware that watching a movie is a willing suspension of disbelief. I’m sure this has been written about but I have no academic sources. Perhaps someone can help me.
Movies are just one form of a story telling device. I think the bigger question is what attracts us to fictional stories of any form. Verbally told stories, books, movies, etc.
While there may be some truth to that, I think you’re missing the boat. The stories we love best are often the least instructional. Even a true story about hunting can be delivered in a suspenseful, entertaining manner or in a factual, educational manner. The first will keep the kids awake and the second will put them to sleep.
If there’s any scientific basis for story-telling in general, I think it’s a broader outgrowth of our empathy and communication skills. To handle a large tribe of intelligent companions, you need to be good at understanding how they feel, and empathy requires a certain amount of imagination. You have to be able to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and imagine how you would feel there. This is doubly true when your companions are sophisticated enough to lie.
If you look at the stories we like best, they are always emotional. The fictionalized Titanic packed theaters; the IMAX documentary about the Titanic, not so much. Even when stories are told about non-human characters, we always give them human traits. The suspension of disbelief makes sense here too: if the story world is too different from the world we understand, then empathy with it is practically impossible.