What Makes A Film Important?

Every once in awhile you'll get into a discussion with a friend or relative about a film that you love. Your friend will say something like, "I appreciate why it's a great film, I appreciate why it's important, but it just turned me off."

I hear this often about A Clockwork Orange, a film that's certainly in my top 20 of all time, and one that's often cited in the Important But... category. So, the questions are: What makes a film important? Can a film be socially important without addressing a specific cause, such as Clockwork, or are efforts better spent on a film about a cause, such as The Cove.

I would argue that social relevance can apply to nearly any film that addresses issues of the moment. Therefore, nearly all war films have social relevance, as they are either commenting on a current war, as in The Hurt Locker, or using a previous war to make a statement about war in general, as in Paths of Glory. I feel that that's the point of this blog, to point out films that are in some way relevant to the Causecast community, whether they directly approach a present issue or simply give us a new perspective on the nature of human rights, the environment, poverty or youth activism. In this way, Children of Men and Hotel Rwanda are as socially relevant as Food, Inc.

What films do you think are particularly important? Also -- in future posts I'll be discussing what prominent social issues have been inadequately presented in film, and what kind of film you'd make about it if you could.