The movie that made you love movies

I think we all have that one special movie that just clicked with you that forever changed the way you viewed movies. It was the movie where you started viewing it as art and wondering about how they created the work before you, from the script to the sets to the directing. I'd say it is very likely the film you still hold most dearly for showing you the light of true cinema and its potential.

For me, that film had to be The Lord of the Rings, and more specifically The Fellowship of the Ring. I honestly hated fantasy before watching this film (liked Sci-fi like Star Wars though), to where I was absolutely dragged to see it against my will opening night. I was needless to say blown away; I didn't even know it was a trilogy and expected the Ring's destruction before the end of the film. While I was very much loving it, it was the first film I actually wondered how and why they did certain things. Think the thought first crossed my head when the Hobbits are under the tree roots with the Ringwraith over them, and wondering the decision of the camera angle and the tension around the scene. The Hobbits climbing the icy mountain made me question if they actually did that or if they used special effects for the Mountain, if they used miniatures or special effects to do the scenes in Moria, and especially that one scene near the end where they send the camera down a zipline as the Fellowship fights in different positions below it. Not to mention how they made the Hobbits appear so small against the larger humans around them.

I definitely don't think I'm alone on this movie in particular, for this film's extended edition went into incredible detail (about 7 hours worth) on how and why they did all of this, and I do think those EE DVDs will definitely be some of the main inspirations for tomorrow's filmmakers. Peter Jackson documenting everything about the film production was an incredible gift to future filmmakers and really should be required viewing for anyone who wants to enter film in any degree.

So what was the film that really did this for you? Go into detail if you can in how it grabbed hold of your passions and imagination.