A few weeks ago, I was rather upset. It was so silly. I watched a top ten list for the most beautiful animated films. I did not like how they handled the list, especially in regards to Hayao Miyazaki’s movies. After I cooled down, I sat back and reflected on why I had been so upset. It was because I was so personally attached to certain movies and felt they had been forgotten or overlooked. It is natural to be emotionally attached to beautiful things, and even more so to be upset when they are not recognized.
But here is the trick. The famous phrase, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” truly fits this situation. Beauty and aesthetic opinions are ALWAYS subjective. For example, I do not like Pablo Picasso. His paintings do almost nothing for me. I acknowledge him as an great artist, but would never put him on my wall. But there are those who absolutely love his work and find it beautiful.
(I do like this painting, though it is depressing)
Though beauty depends on personal opinion, I still believe there is a higher standard. To be able to recognize and appreciate true beauty takes time, patience and study. Am I an expert? Not at all. I will not even pretend to be. But I would like to try to address this question the best I can. For my next list, I would like to recognize twenty-five films widely acknowledged as visually beautiful. The other twenty-five will be mine.
I would like to treat this as an experiment of sorts, to see if I can keep a level head and treat this with an open mind.
From the Perspective of an Old Soul 