Impact of Film
THE IMPACT OF FILM
Since the start of the 20th century, Film has been used to reflect specific cultures as well as affect them. It is an important art form, a source of popular entertainment, and a powerful medium for educating or indoctrinating citizens because of its visual basis, which gives it a universal power of communication. Every country has stories to tell, about their past, present, and what the future will look like through their eyes.
Examples of how Film has been used to reflect or affect society:
PROPAGANDA
During the Second World War movies in the USA had morale-building themes that would arouse the citizenry as America went to war against Fascism. Movies like CASABLANCA and Charlie Chaplin’s THE GREAT DICTATOR were successful films during the time. In turn, Hitler used Film to strengthen his Nazi movement and keep the German citizens believing that their cause was just. Ultimately, America and the Allied Forces won the war because their message of Democracy over Fascism was seen as the right political ideology to fall behind at the time.
THE DAY AFTER was an ABC made-for-TV movie that attempted to portray how devastating even a moderate-scale nuclear strike would be on a typical American city. The movie was successful beyond its creator’s expectations, especially because Ronald Reagan admitted to it having an extremely powerful emotional effect on him and a strong personal stimulus to pursuing nuclear disarmament treaties with the Soviet Union.
Film has continued to be a powerful propaganda agent during subsequent times of conflict like the Vietnam War (FULL METAL JACKET, APOCAPLYPSE NOW, PLATOON, and FIRST BLOOD), the crises in the Middle East, and the Post 9/11 attacks.
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
Film has also been used to indoctrinate society on the advent of new technologies with numerous science fiction programmes and movies. Over time, science fiction became science fact as the world bore witness to several new scientific
Since the start of the 20th century, Film has been used to reflect specific cultures as well as affect them. It is an important art form, a source of popular entertainment, and a powerful medium for educating or indoctrinating citizens because of its visual basis, which gives it a universal power of communication. Every country has stories to tell, about their past, present, and what the future will look like through their eyes.
Examples of how Film has been used to reflect or affect society:
PROPAGANDA
During the Second World War movies in the USA had morale-building themes that would arouse the citizenry as America went to war against Fascism. Movies like CASABLANCA and Charlie Chaplin’s THE GREAT DICTATOR were successful films during the time. In turn, Hitler used Film to strengthen his Nazi movement and keep the German citizens believing that their cause was just. Ultimately, America and the Allied Forces won the war because their message of Democracy over Fascism was seen as the right political ideology to fall behind at the time.
THE DAY AFTER was an ABC made-for-TV movie that attempted to portray how devastating even a moderate-scale nuclear strike would be on a typical American city. The movie was successful beyond its creator’s expectations, especially because Ronald Reagan admitted to it having an extremely powerful emotional effect on him and a strong personal stimulus to pursuing nuclear disarmament treaties with the Soviet Union.
Film has continued to be a powerful propaganda agent during subsequent times of conflict like the Vietnam War (FULL METAL JACKET, APOCAPLYPSE NOW, PLATOON, and FIRST BLOOD), the crises in the Middle East, and the Post 9/11 attacks.
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
Film has also been used to indoctrinate society on the advent of new technologies with numerous science fiction programmes and movies. Over time, science fiction became science fact as the world bore witness to several new scientific