Have you ever had one of those days that were so bad that you desperately needed a night at the ice cream or candy store? The 1970’s was that really bad day, while the night of self- indulgence was the 1980’s. Americans love to escape from our daily stress, and of all the products that allow us to do so, none is more popular than the movies. Movies are key cultural artifacts that offer a view of American culture and social history. They not only offer a snapshot of hair styles and fashions of the times but they also provide a host of insights into Americans’ ever-changing ideals. Like any cultural artifact, the movies can be approached in a number of ways. Cultural historians have treated movies as a document that records the look and mood of the time that promotes a particular political or moral value or highlights individual or social anxieties and tensions. These cultural documents present a particular image of gender, ethnicity, romance, and violence. Out of the political and economic unrest of the 1970’s that saw the mood and esteem of the country, as reflected in the artistry and messages in the movies, sink to a new low, came a new sense of pride in who we are, not seen since the post-World War II economic boom of the 1950’s. Of this need to change, Oscar Award winner Paul Newman stated, “There is this acceleration of change, and we’re much more affected by that. People want to be entertained. They don’t want to be bombarded by emotions or questions. I hope it gets better. I don’t know whether it will or not.” During the mid and late 1970’s, the mood of American films shifted sharply. People needed to get away from such negative memories as the Vietnam War, long gas lines, the resignation of President Nixon, and ... ... middle of paper ... ...he ground troops or “grunts” who actually fought the war, and their struggle to survive in this very ugly war. Top Gun starring Tom Cruise was also released in 1986. This patriotic display of our best fighter pilots once again winning supersonic air battles against “bad” foreign powers was incredibly important because it showed that the mood of the American people had changed and that they were ready to accept the United States military back into their hearts. As the decade moved along Hollywood continued to build upon these “pick me up” movies with hits like “Back to the Future”, “Three Men and a Baby”, and “Driving Miss Daisy”. As the decade came to a close, the top grossing movie of 1989 brought back a different kind of American hero – Batman. Clearly, that really bad day called the 1970’s had been replaced by a night at the candy store called the 1980’s.
In “The Thematic Paradigm,” University of Florida professor of film studies, Robert Ray, defines two types of heroes pervading American films, the outlaw hero and the official hero. Often the two types are merged in a reconciliatory pattern, he argues. In fact, this
The overall appeal of the cinema to the masses was particularly evident during the interwar era. Audiences worldwide wanted to watch the variety of films, particularly American produced films, and they always went back. The visibly attractive and glamorous Hollywood movies often depicted the success of the underdog over unjust authority. Values of cash over culture were often a theme in the early American films and societies with restricted social mobility, such as those in Europe, could dream of such a triumph. The working class and unemployed could fantasise about wealth, fame and freedom which America as a country was portrayed as offering.
Southern chick flicks on the heels of conservation reactions against gains made in women 's liberation during the 1960s and the 1970s
Beginning the mid 1920s, Hollywood’s ostensibly all-powerful film studios controlled the American film industry, creating a period of film history now recognized as “Classical Hollywood”. Distinguished by a practical, workmanlike, “invisible” method of filmmaking- whose purpose was to demand as little attention to the camera as possible, Classical Hollywood cinema supported undeviating storylines (with the occasional flashback being an exception), an observance of a the three act structure, frontality, and visibly identified goals for the “hero” to work toward and well-defined conflict/story resolution, most commonly illustrated with the employment of the “happy ending”. Studios understood precisely what an audience desired, and accommodated their wants and needs, resulting in films that were generally all the same, starring similar (sometimes the same) actors, crafted in a similar manner. It became the principal style throughout the western world against which all other styles were judged. While there have been some deviations and experiments with the format in the past 50 plus ye...
In 1929, America experienced a stock market crash that led the country into what is historically known as the Great Depression. Many industries across America experienced alterations in order to fit the social and economic changes that America was undergoing as a nation. Specific industries included Hollywood and the film industry. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the movies that Americans enjoyed viewing were considered immoral at the time. This was f...
Keathley, Christian. "Trapped in the Affection Image" The Last Great American Picture Show: New Hollywood Cinema in the 1970s. Ed. Thomas Elsaesser, Alexander Horwath, Noel King. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2004. 293-308. Print.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in the 1980’s? The crazy hair styles, the new and improved things that were being created made this time alive, and fun. To be born in the 1980’s would have a been a privilege, who wouldn’t want to be known as “The decade that defined…. “US!” The 1980s was a decade that began on January 1, 1980, and ended on December 31, 1989. This decade was a great social and economic time period for people living in the 80’s. The world was becoming more developed as well as everyone in it. This decade became the “Look at me” generation of status seekers. The 80’s made a new breed of billionaires and money makers. “The decade began with double-digit inflation, Reagan declared a war on drugs, Kermit didn't find it easy to be green, hospital costs rose, we lost many, many of our finest talents to AIDS which before the decade ended spread to black and Hispanic women, and unemployment rose,” according to Peggy Whitely of Lone Star College. Although this time seemed like all fun and games, there were many problems. People say we lost the meaning of “We” and it suddenly became “I.” Citizens were realizing that you couldn’t depend on others around you; they were coming up with new ideas, and inventions to allow things to be more efficient. Although the 1980’s suffered a huge change for the American people, the fads and fashion part of the people strived, as well as the inventions. These two things will be some of the most historical, yet fascinating parts of the 80’s generation in American History.
... The Web. 18 Nov. 2011. Dirks, Tim. A. The "Film History of the 1970s.
Stanley, Robert H. The Movie Idiom: Film as a Popular Art Form. Illinois: Waveland Press, Inc. 2011. Print
1966 was a turning point in American history. It was the height of the Space Race as well as the Vietnam War. In the entertainment industry, The Beatles had released the album Revolver, the show Star Trek premiered on television, and the play Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? was adapted to film. This film was controversial for several reasons, including its depiction of violence and drinking, as well as its theme of sexuality. For a movie to take on such bold scenes and topics requires other bold cinematic choices as well. These choices included casting glamorous actors and actresses in not so glamorous roles, filming in black and white as opposed to color, and using unique cinematic film shots in various scenes. The choices that the filmmakers
As the 1960s started to progress, so did filmmakers lack of boundaries and chance to push the limits. We begin to see sexual standards and taboos begin to make their change. “Gone were the twin beds, and in to replace them came full-frontal nudity. Though this freedom was used by some filmmakers as an excuse for sexual titillation and spawned a successful independent cottage industry of hard- and soft-core fi lm pornography, it did permit a widening of the range of permissible film topics. American films now had a greater chance to convey aspects of human relationships that they previously had little freedom to depict.” (Quart 78).
My love for politics and law flourished during this year's election process and I would only find myself continuing to pursue that love whether it was taking it to Youth and Government, Student Council, or Mock Trial, hence me deciding to major in Political Science and possibly minor in journalism. I believe USC will not only give me the necessary tools to go out and change the world, but I also feel I will become most one with my opinions and with myself. At USC, like Brophy, I plan on joining student government and Mock Trial, as well as engaging in the ethnic clubs available, especially the Black Student Union. The BSU has been so pivotal to my experience at Brophy, and being able to expand on that experience as a leader at USC would only
I’d like to recount a story to you. At the start of my senior year, when college was the only thing on my mind, and the only plans for future I had, I went on a class trip to tour the top two Public Oregon Universities. I hadn’t yet made my decision on which university I wanted to attend and this trip was meant to help people like me make that decision. We saw University of Oregon (U of O) and Oregon State University (OSU), and talked with many students whom attended both as well as having toured the campuses. I loved OSU, everything about it, I decided I wanted to go there. I had never been more exited for college in my life. When I got home from the trip I told my dad about the entire trip and how exciting it was, then I told him that I
High school is an ever-changing experience where friends are made and lost, where growth is inevitable, and where a person’s actions start to shape who they are becoming. My high school exposure was one that was truly shaping me for Samford University. From the classes I was in, the sports I played, the friends I had, to the awesome extracurricular activities I was able to lead in; God was there shaping my life in many ways, for Samford. Through acquiring the role of captain on my track team, serving in many capacities with DeArmon C.A.S.T, and leading kids with medical and special needs through the organization Out of Zion; I was being prepared for a school like Samford.
Barsam, Richard. Looking at Movies An Introduction to Film, Second Edition (Set with DVD). New York: W. W. Norton, 2006. Print.