Last Updated on August 9, 2024
If one were to play a word game based on antonyms, a sure bet for the opposite of “creative cinematographer” would probably be “investment banker.”
We tend to think of art as something wholly separate from money, and elevated beyond it. In the broad sweep of history, however, that has not always been true. The Medici bankrolled the best Renaissance artists. Popes spent lavishly to create timeless sculptures, mosaics and murals. Great composers needed patrons in the royal court to survive.
At Inspirationfeed, we invited a seasoned financial executive to share with us his take on a quintessentially American art form — the great inspirational movies from Hollywood’s past.
We chose Scot French not because we thought he was an archetypal banker, but rather because he breaks the mold in so many ways. A financial professional who runs HP Investments, he’s also passionate about a range of unexpected interests. He raises bees, and is a committed member of organizations that are seeking to save the endangered honeybee and monarch butterfly populations. He grows organic crops, and campaigns for simplicity and transparency in our food supply. He talks philosophy and puts up a brave defense on the chessboard.
We were curious about the types of movies Scot French enjoys in his free time. This is what he wanted to share with our readers:
Scot French: I really began to enjoy movies from Hollywood’s Golden Age when I discovered Turner Classic Movies many years ago. My DVR soon filled with wonderful classics, many of them introduced by the host, Robert Osborne. His commentaries always set the stage for true enjoyment, as he usually had a fascinating story or anecdote about one of the film’s stars or directors, a person he had almost invariably known well. I would always quietly hope for anything with Rita Hayworth or Kim Novak. My wife confessed to admiring Gary Cooper and, inexplicably, Roddy McDowall.
At some point, I started to keep a list of my favorite films. Like many of the portfolios I manage, this list is diverse, ranging from epic dramas to musicals, from Hitchcock to Coppola. Among these great finds, I recommend these timeless classics:
Citizen Kane
nce you understand the cryptic “rosebud” theme woven through the script, dramatically revealed in starkly beautiful cinematography at the end, a vast new story within a story opens up, every time you watch the film.
The Godfather
The acting of Marlon Brando is legendary, but for me it is the arc of Al Pacino’s character that adds so much to both Godfather I and Godfather II. The good son, the soldier, the one who should have been a senator, on a journey to become the head of his family, and New York’s family of criminal syndicates.
The Wizard of Oz
You can love this film in so many ways: as a child, as an adult, as a Judy Garland fan, as a lover of spectacular colors and special effects — and even as an investor. After all, the best financial professionals share what Dorothy’s companions wanted so much: wisdom, courage and heart.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
I love everything Capra. I believe this particular film has a powerful message for everyone consumed by today’s political and social divisions. This idealistic view of what is possible in the way we govern ourselves may seem naive, but it’s certainly a great standard to aspire to.
Patton
I supposed there’s the same kind of nostalgia at play in my love of this film. Who cannot love George C. Scott’s brusque, gravelly-voiced version? In the movie, even the enemy respected him. We learn that Patton believed he had lived as a great warrior in earlier times. One thing we do know: He lives on now, in this classic film and in the history of his great wartime conquests.
2001: A Space Odyssey
I watched this soon after viewing Citizen Kane for the first time, and I began to think that I must be incapable of understanding the ending of any really deep, profound movie. The final scenes appear as a kaleidoscope of symbols and metaphors. But just like Citizen Kane, this movie offers the thrill of discovery — an exploration of many layers of meaning, as you watch it over and over. And that, surely, is the hallmark of a classic.
