Top 19 Most Meaningful Movies About Life

Forrest Gump is a famous American film, telling the life story of Forrest Gump, a man with an IQ of 75. Forrest Gump is an unfortunate child who grows up without a father and suffers from a developmental disorder, making him the target of ridicule by his peers. His only friend is Jenny, who recognizes his special abilities.

After graduating from college, Forrest enlists in the military and fights in Vietnam, where he meets his second friend, Bubba. Forrest leaves the battlefield with a wound but discovers his exceptional talent for table tennis. A series of subsequent events completely change Forrest's life. Forrest Gump can be described as a symphony of life, evoking a myriad of emotions in viewers from empathy, surprise, and excitement to disappointment.

Forrest's life is a mosaic of many Americans in the 1960s-70s. Audiences are deeply moved by the mother-son relationship, witnessing Forrest's mother's unwavering faith in life that she passes on to her son. We cannot help but be touched by the simple and sincere love that Forrest has for Jenny, with the immortal words: 'I may not be a smart man, but I know what love is.' Despite difficulties and challenges, Forrest Gump ultimately finds true love, which also moves the viewers.

Seven Years in Tibet - 7 Years in the Land of Snow is based on the true story of the famous Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer, one of the first two Westerners to reach Tibet and become close friends with the Dalai Lama. In the summer of 1939, as Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany, he joined a German mountaineering expedition to conquer Nanga Parbat, the 9th highest peak in the Himalayas. Despite his hatred for the Nazis, Heinrich had to participate in the expedition organized by the occupying authorities to fulfill his lifelong dream.

After entering Indian territory, the expedition encountered numerous accidents, from severe storms to avalanches, resulting in many injuries. They decided to retreat, leaving their mission unaccomplished. However, on September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, marking the beginning of World War II. Two days later, Britain and France declared war on Germany. In the colonies of these two powers, all Germans were arrested.

Being in Indian territory, under British rule, most of Heinrich's German team members were also arrested. Heinrich attempted to escape several times but was recaptured each time. Desperate, he could only think of his beloved wife and newborn child back home for hope. Through a secret channel in prison, Heinrich sent a letter to his wife. But upon receiving the reply, he was shocked by devastating news.

Schindler’s List - Schindler's Roster recounts the heroic actions of saving thousands of Jews in Poland during World War II, earning Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and Grammys for Best Picture. The American Film Institute ranks 'Schindler’s List' 9th among the greatest films of all time.

In September 1939, without a declaration of war, Nazi Germany invaded neighboring Poland, initiating the Second World War. The Polish army was defeated after a month of fighting. Upon occupying Poland, the German forces forced all Jews into concentration camps in Krakow.

Amidst the wartime chaos, some businessmen found lucrative opportunities. One such figure was Oskar Schindler, a German-Czech entrepreneur. He arrived in Poland with the initial intention of establishing a factory to exploit the slave labor of millions of Jews in the concentration camps in Krakow. Through lavish bribes and valuable gifts, Schindler cultivated good relations with top German officials in Krakow. He even joined the Nazi Party and became close friends with Julian Scherner, the head of the police and SS (security service) of the occupying forces. With these advantages, Schindler quickly obtained a license to establish a factory producing kitchenware for the military.

However, when it came time to build the factory, Schindler lacked the funds to purchase machinery and equipment. Through a Nazi accountant named Itzhak Stern, he secretly met with some Jewish businessmen to collaborate. Schindler's proposal was to borrow money from them to start production. In return, he would provide them with a share of the products to sell on the black market. At that time, this was a risky venture, as the occupying authorities prohibited Germans from engaging in business with Jews.

The Shawshank Redemption - Shawshank Penitentiary tells the story of Andrew, a bank employee, sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife and her lover. He staunchly maintains his innocence. Andy is sent to Shawshank State Penitentiary. Here, the underground world of inmates, the harshness of the conflicting guard system, and the struggle for dominance prevail. Only the neutral inmates are caught in the middle and are at risk of losing their lives.

Befriending the 'black market manager' Redding, Andy gradually adapts to life at Shawshank. However, a larger plan than just surviving in this prison is brewing in his mind. Through Redding's perspective and narration, this epic escape unfolds sequentially with a surprising conclusion.

Based on Mario Puzo's famous novel The Godfather, the story of a Mafia family is vividly portrayed. The film won 3 Oscars in 1973 and has been voted by many magazines as the greatest film of all time.

The story begins with the wedding of the beloved daughter of 'Don' Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), the Mafia boss in New York. His youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino), has just returned from World War II and intends to stay out of the family's business affairs. The true nature of Don Corleone's business gradually unfolds, which is the underground life of those who oppose the corrupt legal system at that time, hidden under the guise of a legitimate olive oil import-export company. The Don lives by the old ways, protecting the vulnerable against the oppressive powerful and is willing to 'eliminate' anyone who intends to hinder the organization he leads.

“Flying Above the Nest of Cuckoos” is set in a psychiatric hospital with strict, even insane, disciplinary rules. All of that is turned upside down when the main character, McMurphy, appears. Rebellious as a wild horse, he enters the institution to escape hard labor punishment and has no intention of “redeeming” the acute psychiatric patients.

But it's during his days at the institution that his love for freedom, his penchant for mischief, sparks a revolution, creating a bond among the psychiatric patients, reminding them of life, of their personalities before entering the institution, of the beautiful things about someone who used to be themselves before becoming a psychiatric patient.

The rebellion of the patients challenged the false moral order that Head Nurse Ratched and her aides imposed on the patients. An uneven battle began. True to life, the weak cannot triumph, and McMurphy dies fiercely as he lived.