With the fast development of cinematography, the audience shifted their preferences from stage to screen performance. We like movies so much that we often ignore what is going to the local theater. Actually, there are many more interesting plays than old “Romeo and Juliet”, “Macbeth”, and “King Lear”. British theater is just splendid with their crown jewels, like Judy Dench or Benedict Cumberbatch. These and many more film stars we know are theater actors in the first place. Many of them do not give up theater even now when all the world has turned their eyes to screens. But why did we make such a weird choice? We like movies so much because they are simpler to understand than theatrical plays. There are a lot of allegories in the theater. Every little thing stands for something else, and we sometimes get tired of total drama at the stage. Movies, on the other hand, offer us much more “ready-made” picture. Whether realistic or fantastic, movie shots take us to another reality. We do not need to think or imagine – the beautifully-staged picture is right in front of us. Of course, many films also leave a great room for interpretation. But in most cases, you do not need to analyze a movie to enjoy it. Movies compel us with their super-realistic representation. Watching people performing at the stage right in this moment, we are mere observers; sitting in a movie theater, however, we feel as if we are in this movie together with actors. Movies evoke such a strong sense of presence even though the action does not take place here and now. This is a wonderful paradox of our favorite films. No theatrical drama can evoke such a strong response as a well-done movie.
