Social Question

mazingerz88's avatar

If you like movies with a narrator, which one is your favorite?

Asked by mazingerz88 (29186points) January 30th, 2020

There is maybe more than a few good reasons why the use of narration in a film could benefit the storytelling. Watching the new movie “Motherless Brooklyn” where the lead character constantly narrates made me wonder what other films with a narrator is worth checking out. Thanks.

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

32 Answers

Dutchess_lll's avatar

Atwood….the nature guy.

elbanditoroso's avatar

I usually don’t like narrators, but movies with minimal narration – usually introductory narration – are OK with me.

Examples:

The Devil’s Disciple

Casablanca

janbb's avatar

To Kill a Mockingbird

mazingerz88's avatar

Just remembered my favorite sci-fi film Bladerunner has a narrated version and used to like it but not anymore.

cookieman's avatar

Shawshank Redemption — narrated by Mr. Morgan Freeman.

filmfann's avatar

The critics guide will tell you a film with narration is flawed, but I can think of several where the narrator enhanced the film.
Already mentioned is The Shawshank Redemption and the original cut of Blade Runner. I will add Apocalypse Now and Fight Club.

kritiper's avatar

Little Big Man.

janbb's avatar

Bombshell

Dutchess_lll's avatar

Watching a Netflix documentary about night in Africa and what the animals do. I don’t know who is narrating but I don’t like her Sam I Am.

Brian1946's avatar

The Jerk.

Without Steve Fartin’s revelatory intro, how could the audience possibly know that he ”...was born a poor black child”? ;-)

lucillelucillelucille's avatar

To Kill A Mockingbird and The Gods Must Be Crazy come to mind.

Patty_Melt's avatar

Rather than a favorite movie, I would say I have a favorite narrator. James Earl Jones has, IMHO, the perfect voice quality for narration.

There is no doubt though that Shawshank Redemption was masterfully done. I love what Morgan Freeman has contributed to entertainment. Lol, I used to watch him after school on The Electric Company.

Zaku's avatar

I do not have such a category, and my thinking on films does not easily categorize them by “has a narrator”. However I did years ago start a supposed sorted list of favorite films years ago (in response to the periodic questions here asking about favorite films), and going through that list from top to bottom, I tried to spot the first one with a narrator, and I got a fair way through the list before I first noticed one, which was:

The Meaning of Life (1983, Monty Python)

Other examples of favorite films with narrators:

Wild Strawberries (Ingmar Bergman)

Fight Club (1999) – a great example already mentioned by @filmfann

Kick Ass has some narration too.

anniereborn's avatar

A Christmas Story

Stache's avatar

Raising Arizona

ucme's avatar

Incredible Shrinking Man
Grand Budapest Hotel
Lavender Hill Mob

stanleybmanly's avatar

Moby Dick. Tom Jones Amadeus

rebbel's avatar

Another vote for Atkinson, ehhh Atwood, ehhh Attenborough.

Mimishu1995's avatar

The Man Who Sleeps is my favorite movie with a narrator. It’s special because the entire movie is structured from a narration. It’s really surreal, but from what I can understand, it’s about a man who loses hope in the world, and his hopelessness soon turns into a form of narcissism which later comes crashing down on him. The narration is that of a woman, and she uses the pronoun “you” to address the guy. Who the narrator is is up to you, someone who knows the man, the man’s own inner voice…

I had never seen anything like that before I knew of the movie. It’s actually one of the inspiration for my comic :)

mazingerz88's avatar

^^Very interesting. :)

LuckyGuy's avatar

I like this 8 minute short film The Gunfighter narrated by Nick Offerman.
His great voice and the clever concept makes this one of my favorites.
Enjoy!

mazingerz88's avatar

^^Ooooo…gonna watch this later.

Dutchess_lll's avatar

@lucillelucillelucille…OMG! I have never known someone else who had seen The Gods Must be Crazy!! Have you seen the sequel? I thought it was even better.

mazingerz88's avatar

Wait, I know the Gods Must Be Crazy movie sequel. First time I saw it and on the big screen too, I almost slid off my seat laughing. That sequence with the badger was the funniest for me.

Dutchess_lll's avatar

Right? I just bought the first for $4.99 from Prime. The two kids always reminded me of my two youngest. It hurts my heart.

LuckyGuy's avatar

Hey @mazingerz88, What did you think of The Gunfighter ?

mazingerz88's avatar

^^Ha ha ha outrageously funny!

Dutchess_lll's avatar

Refresh my memory on The Gunfighter.

LuckyGuy's avatar

@Dutchess_lll You need to watch it. It’s only 8 minutes. Link is above. I don’t want to give away the story. It’s worth the watch. :-)

Answer this question

Login

or

Join

to answer.
Your answer will be saved while you login or join.

Have a question? Ask Fluther!

What do you know more about?
or
Knowledge Networking @ Fluther