These travel movies will both give you an excellent and a beautiful image of the destination.
Travel movies: Before Sunset.Whether you are planning to travel to Paris for the weekend, backpack through the desert, or spend the summer in Bruges, these travel movies will both give you an excellent and a beautiful image of the destination. Best of all, they’ll inspire you to make the trip.
1. In Bruges (McDonagh, 2008)
In his review of the film, critic Roger Ebert said “If this movie accomplished nothing else, it inspired in me an urgent desire to visit Bruges”. The good thing is that this incredibly dark and extremely human comedy about two Irish hit men accomplishes a lot more than just a collection of pretty shots of one of Europe’s most incredible destinations. Colin Firth’s character in the film famously says, “If I grew up on a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might impress me, but I didn’t so it doesn’t.” In order to truly understand the comedic irony of this statement and see how beautiful Bruges really is, seeing this film is a must.
2. Before Sunrise (Linklater, 1995)
This film follows two young travelers as they walk around Vienna in the evening, talking and quickly falling in love. They form an intimate connection and then take a comprehensive tour of the city as they continue their discussion about each other and life in general. Their conversations range from the heartbreaking to the hilarious, the entire time somehow remaining extremely interesting to the viewer. The great thing is that if you do get bored at some point, the film is littered with beautiful shots of Austria’s most famous city.
3. Before Sunset (Linklater, 2004)
The sequel to the aforementioned film finds the two characters crossing paths nine years later. Once again, they meet, walk, and talk, however this time the film takes place in Paris. Again it not only provides tremendous insight, raising countless questions to the viewer, but also creates a beautiful portrait of one of the world’s most infamously stunning cities.
4. Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1957)
Heralded as the greatest movie ever made for a variety of reasons. However, beyond the cinematic master class of Hitchcock the film gives an excellent tour of San Francisco. Driving through various neighborhoods, underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, and into the city’s most famous museum. It is a perfect nostalgia trip for Bay Area natives, but will also indefinitely inspire a trip to the famous city.
5. Wild (Vallée, 2014)
Based on the memoir of Cheryl Strayed, Wild follows Reese Witherspoon as she tackles the Pacific Crest Trail starting in New Mexico and going through California, Oregon, and Washington. The film is obviously beautiful for the way it is able to capture one of the world’s greatest backpacking routes, but also in the way that it perfectly captures the struggles of this woman. Struggles that may not be relatable to all but become all too real for the viewer, evoking a definite empathy. After seeing this film, I am still mad at myself for not having yet done the entire PCT.
6. The Motorcycle Diaries (Salles, 2004)
Following the trip of a young Ernesto “Che” Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado through South America, the film gives a lens into a part of the world whose beauty is often overlooked. Aside from inspiring a trip to South America, the film also perfectly captures the magical quality of a road trip and the beauty of having the freedom to explore the open road with your best friends.
7. Dirty Harry (Siegel, 1971)
San Francisco is an amazing city, which explains why there are so many films capitalizing on its history and beauty. Aside from giving a dark look into some of San Francisco’s seedier neighborhoods and having one the greatest chase scenes through the 49ers old stadium, it is one of the most badass Clint Eastwood films ever made. Despite seeing Clint Eastwood shoot and senselessly beat bad guys all around the city, the film will still undoubtedly provide you with a new appreciation for the city by the bay.
8. Away We Go (Mendes, 2009)
A couple expecting their first baby travel across the United States in search of the perfect location to start their family. As they drive the film gives the opportunity to see many areas of the country overlooked as the couple slowly begin to understand and define what exactly home is for them. It is one of the most beautiful travel movies that was largely overlooked and is a must watch if not yet seen.
9. Australia (Luhrmann, 2008)
I had to include a film about Australia and by no means is this the best film set in Australia. I was going to choose Mad Max, but then realized that, despite being a great film, Mad Max really wouldn’t make a person want to travel to Australia. For all of its flaws, Australia still provides a beautiful picture that creates both a historical lens for the country and one that shows off the subtle beauty that still exists within many of the smaller towns and outback today.
10. Lost in Translation (Coppola, 2003)
Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson explore Tokyo in what is probably the defining film of Sofia Coppola’s career. Using Tokyo as a metaphor to explore the film’s two main characters, the movie is an incredible character study set in front of an even more incredible city.
