Movies’ Relationship to Society
It is said that most movies are metaphors that reflect on the society and culture in which they were written and produced. Is this true? Are movies truly a reflection of us and our society? I would like to discuss this and take note especially of Westinghouse Work Films. What is the depth of these movies? How can they be explained? Specifically, I will focus on the two movies made in the 1990’s The Truman Show and Pleasantvile.
The late nineteenth century and early twentieth century were times of
great change within American society; culture and society were
affected greatly. Industrialization was gathering speed and the
agricultural based economy was shifting towards an industrial one.
Immigrants were flooding into the American cities as well as men women
and children were taking up industrial based jobs in order to support
the families. The United States was one of the leading industrial
powers of the time with industries in textiles, iron steel and crude
oil thriving. Conditions for the workers within these factories were
harsh; workers would be expected to work long hours in hazardous
conditions, many deaths occurred in the work place during this time.
The state of the work place was depicted in a series of films called
the “Westinghouse Works films”(1904) these were intended to showcase
the company’s operations but really negatively reflected Americas poor
working conditions for the fir time on film.
A key change in culture of American here was the introduction to women
into the work place. They increasingly needed to work to support the
families but the range of jobs they could work in was limited by
American culture and society. Women were seen to be only suitable for
jobs in factories, teaching and generally domestic based work. The
famous Westinghouse Works and the pharmaceutical company of Parke
Davis were represented in film during this time and are a metaphor for
the increased role of women with American society during this period.
In recent times many films have represented or portrayed a particular
aspect of the culture from which it was made. Noticeably the film The
Truman show gives a metaphor of predominantly American culture but it
may also be applied to a worldwide cultural basis. The film depicts
accurately the celebrity spectacle, theme parks and the incursion of
pop culture into aspects of people lives. Its parallels the view that,
today everything American is entertainment, and filled by consumer
bliss safety and uniformity.
The film offers a metaphor for this
situation of the American public. The fake landscape Truman (main
character) lives in, is reflective of the media landscape in which
news, politics, advertising and public affairs are increasingly made
up of theatrical illusions which we live in. Like our media landscape,
it is convincing in its realism, with lifelike simulations and story
lines. The theme is that people are becoming over powered by a media
created world, which only serves those in power the plot suggests if
people want to avoid being controlled by the media and lead an
authentic life people must withdraw from its fascination and its
controlling features. The film creates the sense that media is taking
over and slowly allowing no independence, privacy and plays on the
idea that we as are being watched all the time. This is related to the
mass media culture, which is currently engulfing peoples private lives
through the world today, The Truman show is an extreme representation
of late 20th and early 21st century culture, but it does successfully
represent the feelings from within society through the medium of film.
This quote gives a typical view of an idea into the
negative views towards certain media at this time. The phrase “playing
God” has great meaning through out this film, a media company as a
marketable product is using Truman the main actor in the film, and the
control over Truman from the media company is based on personal gain.
Cameras for a reality TV Show are watching him all day, the editors
don’t let him escape when he wants to stop being filmed, and they are
controlling his life “playing God”. The Truman show draws from the
thoughts and worries of today’s society, that the media limits our
emotion, imagination and freedom it explores these limits so
realistically, which makes it such a success.
Another film that is similar in the fact that it represents society at
the time it was made is Pleasantville. Like the Truman show this film
introduces societies questioning illusion and reality, control and
freedom and also it follows a similar story line in that the people in
Pleasantville are being watched. Both these films are derived from the
media and use it as a villain within the film. This fact alone
reflects societies view towards the press at times. Both these films
are based on a TV audience, which are happy to get into and enjoy
watching the programs. Pleasantville suggests that or life may not be
al as it seems and puts doubt into the minds of people who watch it.
In comparison with The Truman show it offers more hope and suggests
that things should be changed and can be changed. Which represents how
society is thinking in the modern day.
Both these films are good parodies of contemporary issues that enable
us to reflect upon modern society and culture in an enjoyable way.
Pleasantville and the Truman Show both show the over-dependence that
is evident in today’s society in respect to becoming overly reassured
and believing of the media. Both films have been a success, in my
opinion this is not down to the directorship of the films or the
quality of acting, but the successful way in which the writer has
incorporated modern day metaphorical views with in the film in
relation to society and culture.
Mary Anne Winslow is a member of Essay Writing Service counselling department team and a dissertation writing consultant. Contact her to get free counselling on custom essay writing.
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