man's pursuit of greatness is the pursuit of a great film

The Great Movie Theory of creation.

“New York Movie” (Edward Hopper, 1939)

Great Men, Great Movies

The Great Man Theory says history is shaped by extraordinary individuals—heroes whose exceptional qualities—brilliance, courage, leadership, even divine inspiration—change the world. In tech, politics, and sports this theory thrives. Silicon Valley especially loves its "great men" and runs on the perpetual quest to find the next Jobs, Zuckerberg, and Musk.

Yet, so many great men were not solely the product of their ideas or will—they were inspired by something greater: great stories told through art and, importantly, film, that preceded them.¹

Elon Musk was captivated by Star Wars at age 6. Musk, Trump, and Jobs inspired the movie persona of Tony Stark, the genius billionaire in Iron Man. Stark Industries, in turn, inspired Palmer Luckey’s defense startup Anduril (named after a sword from The Lord of the Rings.) Mark Zuckerberg connected the world with Facebook, but The Social Network immortalized his rise, inspiring an entire generation of entrepreneurs. And, of course, Sam Altman and many others want to bring Her to life. Man’s pursuit of greatness is the pursuit of a great film.

Philosopher Thomas Carlyle’s Great Man Theory says history is shaped by extraordinary individuals. I see you, Mr. Carlyle, and I raise you my own theory: The Great Movie Theory says history is shaped by extraordinary films—masterpieces of storytelling that embed into culture—inspiring great men and society alike to leave a lasting mark on the world.²

The three central tenets of this theory:

1. Cinema mirrors, shapes, and inspires greatness.
   Films both reflect culture and redefine it. Great movies offer blueprints for success, love, revolution, and self-discovery, reshaping how we see the world and ourselves. These stories shape the ambitions of those who shape history.³

2. Greatness is immortalized through great movies.
   True greatness is made timeless through film. A legacy gains weight when it enters the cinematic canon, transcending its origins to become part of our shared history.

3. All creation aspires to a cinematic legacy.

   Everything we create—from skyscrapers to songs, books, and businesses—seeks a legacy worthy of the big screen. Even 'great men' are driven by the desire to see their stories told and immortalized on film.

Humans are driven by stories, and movies tell stories in a way that uniquely elevates our consciousness—out of the mundane and into the metaphysical in pursuit of greatness. In one way, The Great Movie Theory is a theory of all creation.

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A great movie is the ultimate form of a story.

Many would agree that stories shape history, but some might be skeptical of movies as the highest form of storytelling. So—why movies?

1. A movie is the complete expression of a story.

   Finished movies are whole—no mandate for upgrades or adaptations. This feeling of finality is rare in other forms of creation. Software is perpetually evolving, and games offer infinite paths. Movies are standalone works ready to be set free.⁴

2. Movies are the pinnacle of storytelling.

   Essayists want to write books. Authors want their books adapted for film. YouTubers dream of breaking into TV and film. Actors, directors, and producers strive to create global hits and win Oscars. The narrative, the aesthetic, the image of great film is the ultimate, enduring power.⁵

3. All stories are written with the screen in mind.

   The Social Network is based on The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, who writes books intended for film adaptation. “Mezrich’s books aren’t books. They’re intellectual property designed for Hollywood.” I don’t think his aspiration is unique, but his self-awareness, honesty, and playbook are.⁶⁷

4. Movies are instruments of great cultural power.

   The world runs on stories. Amazon Studios and Apple TV+ are no accident. Tech moguls understand that rich media is more than entertainment—it shapes culture, commerce, politics, public sentiment, and legacy.

5. Movies are the highest order of shared context after news.

   Amidst the fragmented media landscape, great movies deliver universal experience. With increasingly global cinema and easy language dubbing via AI, for instance, movies will remain bearers of shared stories as context.

Great movies are the most powerful storytelling tool we have. While technology—AI included—will introduce myriad new tools, the essence of film as a medium will endure. In fact, as I keep saying, the sheer abundance of everything will only amplify the sanctity of truly great work, making great movies more indispensable than ever.

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The pursuit of greatness runs through film.

It’s fitting that it’s Academy Awards—Oscars—season. People love to argue about how little these awards matter in the age of endless online content, where TikTok and YouTube are kingmakers, and how Hollywood is “dead.”

Yet, when Timothée Chalamet accepted the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor last week, his speech went viral. We’ve been starved for talk of greatness—and Chalamet stepped up as our hero, making the pursuit of greatness cool again and reaffirming that movies are a powerful vehicle to achieve it.⁸

Man's pursuit of greatness is the pursuit of a great film. After all, a book’s highest prize isn’t a National Book Award—it’s inspiring the next Harry Potter movie series. A musician’s legacy isn’t just defined by their Grammys—it grows with an acclaimed biopic like A Complete Unknown. A startup’s crowning achievement isn’t an IPO—it’s inspiring a film as iconic as The Social Network.

“Everyone just wants to make a movie,” I’ve said. I don’t mean everyone wants to literally make films (though I do).⁹ And I’m not suggesting everyone should pivot to filmmaking. What I mean is everyone wants to create something worthy of being woven into the fabric of a great film—admired, retold, and immortalized.

For years, there’s been a call for more “independent” (i.e. low-budget) films to be represented on stages like the Oscars. Every year, film lovers hope this year will be the turning point. So with Anora sweeping the major awards this year on a $6M budget and Flow winning Best Animated Feature on a $4M budget, it feels like we’re finally on the precipice of something.

And with rich media creation tools rapidly becoming accessible, and AI accelerating this trend, we’ll see more of everything made—and even more people aspiring to make it (both the young and poor and the old, rich, and powerful). Because immortality isn’t found in fame or wealth; it’s in telling a great story or having one told about you—and shared with the world through a great movie.¹⁰ So whatever you do, in whichever medium you choose, aspire to enter it into the cultural canon.

Movies make history. History makes movies. Great men are immortalized in both.

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1. I intend ‘great men’ here and throughout to represent both great men and women.

2. In 1840, Carlyle gave a series of lectures on the nature of heroism—compiled into his work On Heroes, Hero-Worship, & the Heroic in History. The Great Man Theory is usually contrasted with "history from below", which emphasizes the life of the masses creating overwhelming waves of smaller events which carry leaders along with them. Another contrasting school is historical materialism.’ — the great Wikipedia

3. The Thin Blue Line (1988) redefined the role of documentary filmmaking, highlighting flaws in the justice system. The Matrix (1999) introduced complex philosophical concepts to a mass audience, influencing how people perceive freedom and reality. Super Size Me (2004) reignited a global conversation about food health and corporate responsibility. The Social Network (2010) inspired an entire generation of young tech entrepreneurs. Parasite (2019) portrayed class inequality through language-transcending storytelling. And great lines from great movies become our language.

4. Video games offer interactive storytelling, and technology will only accelerate composable worlds and personalized narratives. That said, I contend movies will remain the peak of narrative expression—a cohesive, emotional experience that brings people together with true shared context. Movies also serve as the foundation for other mediums, including games, while continuing to be cultural touchstones.

5. A lot of people will disagree with. Many will say that books or other more freely interpretable versions of a story are the pinnacle. I’d accept that those may be the more dense presentations of a story, e.g. 2D text is remarkably rich, but not the “end” of the pipeline.

6. The Social Network is one of my all-time favorite films, not exactly one of my rarer tastes: it was nominated for 8 Oscars and won 3. It ranks in Letterboxd’s official top 250 movies. Quentin Tarantino called it hands down the best movie of the 2010s (many agree).

7. Excerpt from this feature story in Vulture. And even if a storyteller isn’t aiming for adaptation, they still create through the lens of what’s closest to human experience: cinema. Movies engage our senses and shape narrative in ways no other medium can.

8. A timely speech to sway public sentiment? Maybe. Do we care if it’s strategic? No. We respect it. Chalamet’s willingness to embrace the pursuit of greatness boldly seeks to validate it, win or lose. Funnily enough, the ending line of The Brutalist—whose lead, Adrien Brody, is nominated against Chalamet and holds the current title of youngest Best Actor Oscar winner—is: “It’s not the journey, it’s the destination.”

9. I have a past with film, and I hope a future too.

10. Every creator, consciously or unconsciously, has the same goal. And it’s not just traditional creators; anyone who shares their ideas, actions, or creations publicly is somehow in this game. A note on my wish: The Great Movie Theory is one of my submissions to the canon of cultural theory. I want it to stick and, yes, I want credit (Timothée says it’s ok to own it).