Forrest Gump (5 Sars)

There are several ways to look at Forrest Gump, but whenever I watch it, I'm most conscious of the way it tells the story of modern American history through the eyes of a man who never fully understands what's happening around him.

Forrest is a true innocent, a man who stumbles through life from one adventure or crisis to another. He meets presidents, serves in Vietnam, witnesses political scandals and finds himself caught up in cultural upheavals, yet he never really grasps their historical significance. He simply experiences them as they happen. It's a clever narrative device, allowing the film to move through decades of American history without becoming a history lesson. There's also a subtle satire in the contrast between the extraordinary events unfolding around Forrest and his uncomplicated response to them.

Tom Hanks gives an outstanding performance in the title role. He creates a character who could easily have become a caricature, but Forrest is never merely the butt of a joke. His intelligence may be limited, but his sincerity, loyalty and capacity for love are unquestionable. He doesn't complicate his life by trying to understand everything. He simply does what he believes is right, often with remarkable results.

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Jenny, by contrast, spends much of her life searching for happiness and repeatedly makes choices that bring her more suffering. Her troubled childhood offers a possible explanation for her inability to accept the love and security Forrest has always been willing to give her. Where Forrest moves through life with an almost unshakeable innocence, Jenny seems unable to escape her past. Their relationship is one of the film's saddest elements, particularly because the happiness Forrest wants for them seems so attainable.

The film combines comedy, romance and tragedy, but it never loses sight of the people at its centre. Its technical achievements, particularly the way Forrest is integrated into historical footage, help bring its unusual premise to life. Yet the special effects are ultimately less important than the emotional journey.

Forrest Gump is a film about an extraordinary life lived by a remarkably ordinary man. Through Forrest's eyes, history becomes a succession of strange and sometimes absurd events, while the things that matter most remain surprisingly simple: love, friendship, loyalty and the people we share our lives with.

It's a film that overwhelms me every time I watch it.

Success Rate:  + 10.4

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