During this stay-at-home moment, everyone is searching for ways to stay calm and purposeful. Given that April is National Poetry Month, have you considered watching a movie featuring poetry? For a calming film marathon, our resident cineaste and English major Abbie Martin Greenbaum has curated a list of the best poetry-themed movies, based on real-life and fictional poets and poems and those who turn to poems for solace and inspiration. Further proof, if any was needed, that we should never underestimate the power of a great poem.
is it possible to create a great film about poetry and poets?
April is National Poetry Month, which can sometimes get lost in the hullabaloo of other happenings in the month. So here’s your reminder! It’s the perfect time to reread a favorite sonnet or haiku, share a verse with a friend, or even try your hand at writing some poetry of your own.
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Or if you’re looking for another way to celebrate this month, you could watch a movie about poetry. What? Yes, dear reader, this is possible.
At first glance, films and villanelles may seem like fairly disparate forms of art. But the truth is, both are highly visual mediums, relying on their ability to make the audience see the world through a specific lens.
Here we have a list of twelve of the best movies about poetry. Some of them are about the lives of real poets, some about the lives of fictional poets, and some about people who turn to poetry for comfort in hard times.
We would even make the argument that a cinematic experience can be a kind of poem in its own way.
We hope that you enjoy these as a calming movie marathon, especially in these challenging times.
The Best Poetry-Themed Movies to Watch Right Now
1. Paterson
This gentle film from Jim Jarmusch can only be described as lovely. It takes as its premise a quiet tale about a bus driver and poet (played by Adam Driver) named Paterson – who coincidentally lives in Paterson, New Jersey – and turns it into an ephemeral work of art.
Poetry themed movies about fictional and real-life poems and poets: Paterson. Courtesy Photo.
Most of the movie consists of the rythmns of everyday life – but these quotidien moments are shown in such a way that they become sacred. In the same way a good poem will elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary, so does this special lullaby of a film.
2. The Kindergarten Teacher
Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Lisa, a kindergarten teacher and amateur poet who discovers that her very young student is a gifted writer.
Poetry themed movies about fictional and real-life poems and poets: The Kindergarten Teacher. Courtesy Photo.
In this prickly and fascinating remake of an Israeli film, the audience is asked to go to dark places, and sit with a deeply troubling protagonist. If you have ever thought about the dangers of putting art over human life, you will especially appreciate this film.
3. Slam
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival in 1998, Slam tells the story of a young poet, Ray (played by Saul Williams), who is trying to escape the racism of the criminal justice system.
Poetry themed movies about fictional and real-life poems and poets: Slam. Courtesy Photo.
Where a lot of the films on this list are about poetry without actually featuring great poems, Slam is an exception. You get to hear Williams’ own incredible work in the film. And that alone is enough to make this a masterpiece.
4. Blue Car
In this intense coming of age film from the early 2000’s, the grieving teenager Meg finds solace from her difficult life in writing poetry – and also in a toxic relationship with her English teacher.
Poetry themed movies about fictional and real-life poems and poets: Blue Car. Courtesy Photo.
Agnes Bruckner delivers a fantastic performance in the central role, loading the film with an unexpected amount of heart and authenticity.
5. Neruda
Gael Garcia Bernal plays the great poet Pablo Neruda in this 2016 film from director Pablo Larraín. For anyone who is a fan of the Neruda’s legendary work, the story of his political struggles with the Chilean government will surely enrich your appreciation of his art.
Poetry themed movies about fictional and real-life poems and poets: Neruda. Courtesy Photo.
The film is more than a simple biopic. It also serves as a beautiful reading companion for anyone who is curious about Neruda’s life.
6. Poetic Justice
After the death of her boyfriend, Justice (played by Janet Jackson) reluctantly agrees to go on a road trip with her best friend and their shared acquaintance Lucky (played by Tupac Shakur).
Poetic Justice. Courtesy Photo.
The movie is a cult classic, and full of Justice’s poems, which offer a window into her thoughts and feelings in a movie that is all about her relationships with the people in her life.
7. Hala
Hala is a coming of age story that is about a lot more than just poetry. But as its main character navigates her first love, and her increasingly complicated relationship with her immigrant parents, poetry is one of her last outlets of safety and solace.
What to watch this month: Hala. Courtesy Photo.
Hala’s penchant for the form gives us deeper insight into her character and her level of self-awareness, showing the power poetry has to illuminate the interior landscapes of those around us.
8. Poetry
Directed by Lee Chang-dong (Burning), this gorgeous film is about a woman struggling to raise her troubled teenage grandson as she grapples with the onset of Alzheimers. Mi Ja attends a weekly poetry class, with the hopes that she’ll be able to write an entire poem, even as her mind deteriorates.
Poetry. Courtesy Photo.
The film is both tragic and beautiful, choosing to see the world through Mi Ja’s poetic gaze.
9. Things Never Said
Poetry is inherently romantic, so what could be better than a love story about poetry? Kalindra is a poet, and a woman who is looking to find herself outside of her unhappy marriage.
What to watch this month: Things Never Said. Courtesy Photo.
Director Charles Murray incorporates some excellent slam poems into this underrated gem of a film, making it the perfect poetry movie.
10. Bright Star
Directed by the brilliant Jane Campion, Bright Staris the story of the iconic Romantic poet John Keats. It tells the true story of his relationship with his neighbors’ friend Fanny Brawne, which is as filled with longing and heartbreak as any fictional romance could ever be.
Bright Star. Courtesy Photo.
Aside from being a generally excellent film, it will also allow you to see the poet in a whole new light.
11. Dead Poets Society
What list of poetry-themed movies would be complete without Dead Poets Society? In the iconic coming of age film, Robin Williams is the kind of teacher we all wish we could have – the one who makes us see both literature and our own lives in a way we have never seen them before.
One of the best poetry themed movies: Dead Poets Society. Courtesy Photo.
If you’re looking for inspiration this month, this could be the perfect time for a rewatch.
12. We the Animals
We the Animals is not about writing or reading poetry, nor is it about the real life of a famous poet. It is however based on Justin Torres’ semi-autobiographical young adult novel, which is written in a poetic voice. And the film, about a young boy coming of age in upstate New York, manages to transfer this poetry from one medium to another.
We are Animals. Courtesy Photo.
This is the rare adaptation that brings to life not just the characters inside the novel, but the feel of the way it is written – that is, the feeling of poetry. If there was ever any doubt about the connection between poetry and cinema, this will resolve it for you.
The Best Poetry-Themed Movies
That’s it! Twelve of the best poetry-themed movies to soothe, calm and nourish the soul – in April and in any other time of challenge. What’s your favorite?
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Abbie Martin Greenbaum grew up in New York City and currently lives in Brooklyn, where she drinks a lot of coffee and matches roommates together for a living. At Oberlin College, she studied English and Cinema, which are still two of her favorite things, along with dessert and musical theater. She believes in magic.
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For access to insider ideas and information on the world of luxury, sign up for our Dandelion Chandelier newsletter. And see luxury in a new light.