History of Movie Essay

Jon Lewis claimed that the new movies that were being written and produced marked a period of time where it was the â€Å"end of the cinema as we know it. † This could be argued either way by anyone who has both watched some of the classic movies of the past and viewed the new movies of today. There are many reasons to believe that modern movies are just as great as the movies form the past. The modern movies do have some differences that are present in that there are better affects, better overall research, but still the same magical qualities and wonderful imagination that went into films of the past. Therefore it will be argued that it is not the end of the cinema as we know it. By looking at movies from the past, middle time periods and more recent times it can easily be argued that many movies of these time periods put together great plot lines, memorable characters and wonderful lasting interest among those who have watched them. In 1942 Casablanca was released. This movie introduced the world to some of the most memorable characters in film history. It was a true love story that enveloped the viewer and allowed them to feel close to characters like Rhett Butler and Scarlet O’Hara. This movie also gave the viewer a hope that love could prevail above all else. In an argument about how there are still movies made that have these same values, a great story plot line that whisks the viewer into another world and a cast of unforgettable characters one could look at the movies ET and Mullholland Drive. ET was released in 1982 and again introduced the viewer to ET and the wonderful family that allowed him to be at home in their home. The movie brought hope to many that all people could be accepted and that no matter how different one was there was a way for them to be able to gain such acceptance. Mullholland Drive also used some of these same key factors although it was released years later in 2001. This movie’s plot was a bit difference and rather than giving hope about a life that could possibly happen it instilled some fear in people about what could possibly happen if luck were to strike one the other way. However the movie was a great a film that incorporated many different aspects of film technique and it also left a memory in the mind of the viewer as David Lynch (the film’s producer) was able to portray such a real portrayal of life. When looking through movies that are from the different time periods of the American cinema it is easy to see that the times and what is going on really do affect the movies that are popularized and remembered as being part of the time period. These movies depict both current things that are happening as well as looking at the historical events. In 1949 The Sands of Iwo Jima was released and quickly became a popular hit and movie and yet is another movie that has continued to be viewed by audiences over the past six decades. This movie was a portrayal of a group of U. S. Marines that were in a battle in World War II. In light of the times the movie was a portrayal of a part of the world that was unknown to many of the people who were living in the United States. Some more modern movies, although maybe a bit more far fetched, have also looked at the times and what is going on and have drawn their conclusions from these themes. One of these movies was 1999’s The Matrix. This movie was released during one of the largest technological booms that the country has seen. This movie portrayed aspects of the new forms of technology and what could happen if the world continued to grow technologically more advanced. Another movie that looked at problems associated with modern times was Sin City which was released in 2005. This movie looked at the world of crime and organized crime as it has been able to advance in more modern times. Another way that the cinema has been upheld is through the ways that values and beliefs have been portrayed through the movies of the time. Obviously through modernization there have been changes in the way that beliefs have been looked at but through the cinema these beliefs have been marked for all future generations in great pic time pieces that look at the things that are involved. This topic of values, although still portrayed in films has changed greatly. In 1959 Ben Hur was released and it promoted the standard values and beliefs of Christianity and the morals that are portrayed in The Bible. This movie was portrayed in this way as the majority of the country upheld these same beliefs and values. In the 1970’s the morals of the Untied States were changing drastically. By looking at films and the portrayal of interest in organized crime and more cynical events, as evidenced in 1972’s The Godfather, one can see that although the morality and the values of the country were still being upheld they were changing and the films were changing to meet the demands and interests of the people at the time. Much later in 1994’s Pulp Fiction, there was still this profound interest in crime and the ways that organized crime has been ran only there were much less morals in the overall themes than there had been previously in film. This is due in part to the continued evolution of change in the morality of the citizens of the United States. There have also been monumental portrayals of creativity and imagination in the movies that have been portrayed throughout the times. There have been different types of creativity and imagination has evolved but these features have given the viewer a place to escape to and somewhere that they would like to travel by watching the films over and over again. In 1965’s The Sound of Music, one is led into a world where a wonderful nanny moves in with some rather obnoxious children and learns how to befriend and be able to do her job through the magic of music. This movie whisked the viewer away to another place and led the viewer to hope that he/she was able to have that same type of sing-song wonderful life. In 1999’s The Blair Witch Project a group of college students decided to get creative and make a movie that would end up making them millions. This movie did focus a bit on the mythical belief that there could be modern day witches or members of the occult in the world around the viewer. The film was creatively filmed in a manner that led the viewer to believe that it was a work of non-fictional filming and that the events that were happen on camera were really happening to the actors. Another great portrayal of creativity has been in The Polar Express, released 2004. This film was the cinematic portrayal of a classic children’s book that was meant to show the viewer the wonder and mystery of Christmas and Santa Claus. All of these films used creative elements and things that the viewers could appreciate and that would add a little bit of mystery and fun to the viewers’ lives. In conclusion cinema has changed and evolved over the years. Although there is no way to say that cinema has ended as it was once known. Films are still portraying the same types of things as they have in the past. There are the films that are portraying a story line and are meant to whisk the viewer away, films that are looking at historical events and evolvement, films that are looking at the values and morals of the time period in which they are created, and films that are used purely to induce imagination and creativity. It is absurd to think that there was not supposed to be any type of evolvement in the world of film however it is also absurd to think that this has to be a negative thing and that it has to end the world of cinema or film as it was previously known. Therefore it is logical to disagree with Jon Lewis’ thoughts on the world of cinema changing in a negative way.