Post by aamornwichet on Feb 9, 2016 20:17:56 GMT
We as Americans have quite well summed up our cultural, economic and social beliefs in a single, broad idea: the American Dream. This American dream is so broad in its meaning that is can best be defined as hard work equals success. But it is so much more than that. The American dream also changes. From our earliest days as a nation, success equated to farmers, a hearty and well off bunch. To the industrial revolution where success meant a factory job and the new found freedom that came with it. To the gilded age where success was showed through the obscenely rich capitalist tycoons. Somewhere between the great depression and the mid 1900s success began to equate to a steady business job. As most baby boomers can attest to, the American dream invokes ideas of white picket fences, kids playing on wide front lawns, in some Levitttown outside of a big city. It is these changes in the American dream, that display how our American identity has changed.
But with film a brand new thing happens, the American identity we portray in films, helps us define the new definition of an American dream.
Just take a look, the early years of cinema in the 1920s-1940s movies were about classics extravagance, wealth and magic. Movies like the Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, and Casablanca were instant classics, not to mention the fact that classic stories were constantly being depicted on the silver screen. The past's fascination with all of that shows an almost elusiveness to the American dream. Dorothy only dreams of Oz and that southern plantation lifestyle was basically just leaving with the Wind.
In the 1950s-1960s the movies were all glitz and glamour. Movie stars like Marilyn Monroe became popular. Movies more about glamour made the lives of the rich and famous more present, and somehow more obtainable. Success suddenly became something possible as blossoming starlets flocked to Hollywood.
The 1970s were a time of intense movies. Seriously think of 5 1970s movies and tell me they aren't: Jaws, Carrie, Rocky, Star Wars, Godfather. In the 1970s the nation was involved a foreign war, with a strange new enemy (think Jaws). There were blood baths with our boys( think Carrie). Our boys who fought so hard who embodied America (Rocky). And when the government kills our families, we will start to distrust them (Star Wars/ the Godfather). (I never watched clockwork Orange so I don't know how to fit it in)
In the 1980s just like after the first great war, there was a renewed sense of youth. Most famous 1980s movies center around teenagers: Say Anything, Ferris Buller's day off, the Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Dirty Dancing, Footloose. They all center around rebellious teenagers just trying to understand themselves. Much like our nation was slowly unravling the messes it made. The 1980s also marked the beginning of a new Youth culture in America, where the intriguing and unobtainable were not rich adults but middle class kids.
The 1990s continued with the youth culture trend. Until we get to the 2000s a weird combination of youth and magic, technology and intrigue similar to the early days of cinema. With films like Harry Potter, Twilight, Avatar and Lord of the Rings. Magic and unknown with youth is grossly similar, to the the youth and technology today. It must look like magic to adults
but still this combinations officially shifted the standard of success from the business sector to the tech sector.
Ok so to sum it all up. American dream is ever changing. The movies show us how we have changed from idealizing the rich to, understanding the rich to, being frustrated with war, to idealizing kids, to letting the kids be the rich. Out concept of success has changed. We once looked up and thought that it could be attainable for a select few, then we got to understand is really isn't that rare. Then we lost so much in the war, we put our hopes for success in the children, and the children brought the success in a completely new way than we could have ever imagined.
Ok this was a lot. If you read it all congratulations! Please let me know if any of these make sense. Also, what do you think the new emphasis on post-apocolypitic/dystopian future movies is all about? (hunger games, zombie movies, guardians of the galaxy, maze runners,
But with film a brand new thing happens, the American identity we portray in films, helps us define the new definition of an American dream.
Just take a look, the early years of cinema in the 1920s-1940s movies were about classics extravagance, wealth and magic. Movies like the Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, and Casablanca were instant classics, not to mention the fact that classic stories were constantly being depicted on the silver screen. The past's fascination with all of that shows an almost elusiveness to the American dream. Dorothy only dreams of Oz and that southern plantation lifestyle was basically just leaving with the Wind.
In the 1950s-1960s the movies were all glitz and glamour. Movie stars like Marilyn Monroe became popular. Movies more about glamour made the lives of the rich and famous more present, and somehow more obtainable. Success suddenly became something possible as blossoming starlets flocked to Hollywood.
The 1970s were a time of intense movies. Seriously think of 5 1970s movies and tell me they aren't: Jaws, Carrie, Rocky, Star Wars, Godfather. In the 1970s the nation was involved a foreign war, with a strange new enemy (think Jaws). There were blood baths with our boys( think Carrie). Our boys who fought so hard who embodied America (Rocky). And when the government kills our families, we will start to distrust them (Star Wars/ the Godfather). (I never watched clockwork Orange so I don't know how to fit it in)
In the 1980s just like after the first great war, there was a renewed sense of youth. Most famous 1980s movies center around teenagers: Say Anything, Ferris Buller's day off, the Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Dirty Dancing, Footloose. They all center around rebellious teenagers just trying to understand themselves. Much like our nation was slowly unravling the messes it made. The 1980s also marked the beginning of a new Youth culture in America, where the intriguing and unobtainable were not rich adults but middle class kids.
The 1990s continued with the youth culture trend. Until we get to the 2000s a weird combination of youth and magic, technology and intrigue similar to the early days of cinema. With films like Harry Potter, Twilight, Avatar and Lord of the Rings. Magic and unknown with youth is grossly similar, to the the youth and technology today. It must look like magic to adults
but still this combinations officially shifted the standard of success from the business sector to the tech sector.Ok so to sum it all up. American dream is ever changing. The movies show us how we have changed from idealizing the rich to, understanding the rich to, being frustrated with war, to idealizing kids, to letting the kids be the rich. Out concept of success has changed. We once looked up and thought that it could be attainable for a select few, then we got to understand is really isn't that rare. Then we lost so much in the war, we put our hopes for success in the children, and the children brought the success in a completely new way than we could have ever imagined.
Ok this was a lot. If you read it all congratulations! Please let me know if any of these make sense. Also, what do you think the new emphasis on post-apocolypitic/dystopian future movies is all about? (hunger games, zombie movies, guardians of the galaxy, maze runners,