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Cinema in our society
Cinema and its impact on society
Films and the moral standards of society
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American Film and Movies from the 1950’s to Present
Today, American film is among the most internationally supported commodities. Financially, its contributions are enormous: the industry is responsible for the circulation of billions of dollars each year. Since its explosion into the new media markets during the mid-twentieth century, film has produced consistently growing numbers of viewers and critics alike. Sparking debate over the nature of its viewing, film is now being questioned in social, political, and moral arenas for its potential impact on an audience. Critics claim that watching films is a passive activity in which the viewer becomes subconsciously absorbed, and creates a reliance or "addiction" to the medium, and thus can be influenced by any perpetual concepts or images. Advocates, however, argue that viewing such programs is an active process in which audience members are able to choose to what they are exposed, and interpret messages based on their individual needs and background. Perhaps both views are too extreme. Film from the 1950s to present, as will be explored in this essay, is an extremely useful medium, often underestimated within the label of "entertainment"; unfortunately, it may be partially responsible for current socio-cultural problems, too. The critical question, then, is whether film has fostered the progress of a more open-minded America, or rather hindered its development through the perpetuation of antiquated concepts of stereotypes, densensitized violence and breeding of normalcy.
Whether or not a naïve approach to film as an inclusive medium holds true to fact, however, is questionable. Since its popular arrival in American culture during the 1930s, film has sparked controversy over ...
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...es, Francis, ed. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1996.
Jowett, Garth. "A Significant Medium", in Movie Censorship and American Culture. Couvares, Francis, ed. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1996.
Lyons, Charles, "The Paradox of Protest", in Movie Censorship and American Culture. Couvares, Francis, ed. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1996.
Ross, Steven T., ed. Movies and American Society. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2002.
Wasser, Frederick. "Is Hollywood America?", in Movies and American Society. Ross, Steven T., ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2002.
Slocum, J. David, ed. Violence and American Cinema. New York: Routledge, 2001.
Rotham, William. "Violence and Film", in Violence and American Cinema. Slocum, J. David, ed. Routledge, 2001.
Turner, Graeme. Film As Social Practice. New York: Routledge, 1999.
In his essay, “It’s Just a Movie: A Teaching Essay for Introductory Media Classes”, Greg M. Smith argues that analyzing a film does not ruin, but enhances a movie-viewing experience; he supports his argument with supporting evidence. He addresses the careful planning required for movies. Messages are not meant to be telegrams. Audiences read into movies to understand basic plotlines. Viewers should examine works rather than society’s explanations. Each piece contributes to Smith’s argument, movies are worth scrutinizing.
Houchin, John H. Censorship of the American Theatre in the Twentieth Century. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2003.
"Children of the Forest" is a narrative written by Kevin Duffy. This book is a written testament of an anthropologist's everyday dealings with an African tribe by the name of the Mbuti Pygmies. My purpose in this paper is to inform the reader of Kevin Duffy's findings while in the Ituri rainforest. Kevin Duffy is one of the first and only scientists to have ever been in close contact with the Mbuti. If an Mbuti tribesman does not want to be found, they simply won't be. The forest in which the Mbuti reside in are simply too dense and dangerous for humans not familiar with the area to enter.
Nichols, John. ""Counbtering Censorship: Edgar Dale and the Film appreciation movement (critical essay)."." Cinema Jouranl. Fall 2006.
...ny other groups tried to conduct boycotts or general protests, however the WTCU and the Legion of Decency conducted boycotts that caught the attention of William Hays, and forced him to alter the ways of cinema. The Production Code offers insight into the situation of society during the Great Depression and the values that Americans upheld, even in a time of crisis. Both establishments pushed for a change that they wanted to see in society, because the society that they saw was one of many immoral ideas and actions. Since films at this time were the main focus of entertainment, and entertainment was the main focus of society, they believed that the film industry was the place to start the alterations. As noted, both the Catholic Church and the WTCU were the leading influences in altering Hollywood, and therefore they altered society during the Great Depression era.
Roscoe, P. (1993, March). The net and the bow in the ituri. American Anthropologist, 95(1), 153-154. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/681184
...Dr. Sara. "How the Mind of a Censor Works: the Psychology of Censorship." School Library Journal, January 1996, p. 23-27.
“of exhibitionist confrontation rather than absorption,” (Gunning, Tom 2000 p 232) as Gunning suggests the spectator is asking for an escape that is censored and delivered with a controlled element of movement and audiovisual. Gunning believes that the audience had a different relationship with film before 1906. (Gunning, Tom 2000 p 229)
While Horkheimer and Adorno view film as solely manipulative, Benjamin believes we can use film to accustom ourselves to the oppressive "prison-world" that is modernity. In contrast to Horkheimer and Adorno's perspective, Benjamin's vision of film is empowering because it allows us to tap the liberatory potential of film in the oft-overwhelming modern era. As consumers, we have the power to stimulate our intellects and expand our imaginations with film. Given Horkheimer, Adorno, and Benjamin's arguments, we can either idly accept that film is oppressive or actively seek out the liberating qualities of film. Following Benjamin argumentation, I hope that we, the masses, will choose the
Stanley, Robert H. The Movie Idiom: Film as a Popular Art Form. Illinois: Waveland Press, Inc. 2011. Print
The Congo or the Democratic Republic of Congo is a country in Western Africa. This country acts as habitat for a range of animals and wildlife, such as indigenous plants. While rural, the Congo holds a great beauty in its simplicity and natural features. The Congo also is a home for a diverse population of people leading towards a open and enticing culture. The most interesting and important aspects of the Congo country is the languages, location/geography and economy, government, society, and overall the unique culture in Congo.
Congo’s population is estimated at 4.04 million, over half of which live in the two major cities of Brazzaville and Pointe- Noire. In this area since the 20th century three fourth of the population lives in urban areas, making the Congo one of Africa’s most urbanized countries. Almost all Congolese are Bantu, a name that refers to the people living in Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. The Bantu originated from Nigeria and Cameroon and migrated to Southern Africa 2,000 years ago. In present day Congo, non-Bantu tribes account for only 3% of the population. The Bantu include 74 peoples belonging to different ethnic groups such as the Kongo, the Teke, the Mbochi and the Sangha.
The Batwa traditionally lived by hunting and gathering but due to processes of globalisation, colonisation, and economical integration into a capitalistic world system, most of the Batwa couldn’t maintain their traditional lifestyle and became more and more marginalized and oppressed. Traditionally, Batwa were ‘forest’ people. They provided themselves with victuals by dwelling throughout the forest. They had an outstanding knowledge about traditional medicine, survival skills, and hunting techniques. Their low impact on the environment made their lifestyle sustainable over more than a thousand years. Agriculturist Bahutu and pastoralist Batutsi that started to occupy the region caused severe deforestation what harmed the homes of thousands of Batwa. The latter were than integrated at the lowest level in society what mark...
Sklar, Robert. Movie-made America: A Social History of American Movies. New York: Random House, 1975. Print.
Before discussing how cinema might disconnect us from our American experience we must discuss what exactly is