The Mirror was Cracked
Hello and welcome to Cinema Wellman. Today’s episode is titled The Mirror was Cracked because we’re going to take a close look at old(er) movies and how they portrayed life as it was “back in the day.”
The mirror is cracked because we don’t always like what we see.
It has always been widely accepted that movies are a reflection of the society of the time in which they were made.
With the exception of science fiction and fantasy where anything goes, and period pieces whose job it is to portray another time, movies made in the 40’s accurately portrayed everyday life in the 40’s, movies made in the 50’s accurately portrayed everyday life in the 50’s and so on.
We’re not saying movies are an exact replica of the times, but what you see people doing, along with the way they talk and what they wear can give you a glimpse into everyday life at that time.
You know why you don’t watch old movies and see extras walking penguins on leashes in the background as the protagonists stroll down a city street?
It’s because NOBODY was walking penguins on leashes on city streets! Or anywhere, for that matter.
What you see in movies reflects life at the time. It’s as simple as that.
It can be great fun going back in the time machine and getting a glimpse at what life was like in an earlier time, but it can also be difficult to watch things that are no longer a part of our “regular” lives shown on the big screen because it was part of everyday life at the time.
I originally intended this episode to be on the lighter side, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention two things often seen in old movies that are upsetting in any context.
I’m referring to the treatment of minorities and violence towards women.
I’ve discussed the stereotypical and hurtful portrayal of minorities in film in some previous episodes, but mostly in reference to the use of “blackface.”
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only indignity suffered by people of color in movies. They were repeatedly shown as being unintelligent, subservient, timid and were usually used for comic relief.
The problem with this comic relief is that they were there to be laughed AT as opposed to being there to be laughed WITH.
I cannot imagine how hurtful it would be to be a young person of color, excited to see a movie on the big screen, and once they finally see someone like them, that character is insulting, offensive, and the butt of others' jokes.
Although it’s not perfect yet, cinema today is exponentially more diversified than it was 75 years ago. More and more people of color are appearing in front of, and behind the camera as directors.
Hopefully this continues until it is the norm.
There are so many more valuable stories yet to be told.
One more serious topic to cover before things get much lighter here, and that is violence towards women.
It is alarming at how often women are seen being pushed, shoved, slapped, and even punched in old movies. A majority of this appears to be what I’d describe as “casual” violence. The woman is matter of factly struck which suggests that it was a common occurrence.
Even more alarming is how these women are portrayed as “having it coming,” since “she needed to be put in her place.”
Oftentimes this violence occurs after the woman spurns a man who desires her. No means no, and it has always meant no.
The fact that this despicable act is often committed for laughs is disgusting.
There is absolutely nothing funny about domestic violence and violence against women in general, and it’s sad to see it in so many movies of the past.
Next, we’ll look at safety issues.
I grew up in the 70s which I always thought was the decade of, “Do whatever you want. We don’t give a shit if you’re safe or not.”
In other words, I could watch kids fall off bikes all day.
If my perception of the 70’s is at all accurate, the 40’s and 50’s must have been pure anarchy!
It’s unbelievable how kids were allowed to wander all over the village/town/city without any parental guidance or involvement whatsoever.
Kids in old movies also seem to be allowed to cavort with strangers without their parents thinking there was anything wrong.
Just met you and you want to take my kid on an adventure? Just the two of you?
Go right ahead! Have fun!
I realize that seatbelts weren’t widely used in cars until the 50’s, so the 40’s get a pass. But it’s still alarming to see movies of the 50’s,60’s, and 70’s with multiple passengers riding in cars without a seat belt to be seen!
You have a baby? Put it in your lap, or in a basket in the back seat. They’ll be fine. What could go wrong?
The next vision in our mirror is of littering and pollution.
On the first Earth Day in April of 1971, a commercial made its television debut and it’s an ad campaign that is still talked about today.
It was an anti-littering/anti-pollution/pro-environment ad that featured a Native American man (played by an Italian American man) who shed a tear when people threw trash on the highway in front of him.
While it’s true that there are still dirty places with a lot of trash strewn about, I don’t think people litter that much anymore.
I remember being a young kid and visiting New York City when it was FILTHY! And nobody seemed to care. People just walked around throwing their garbage everywhere.
I was talking with my sister Vanessa recently, and she told a story about our Grandma Lou visiting her house many years ago when V first got married.
She told me that she and grandma were talking in the garage. Grandma took out a hard candy to eat and threw the wrapper on the floor! She didn’t think anything of it.
Grandma Lou was part of a generation of litterbugs. :)
Littering must have just been a common practice back in the day, or we wouldn’t see so many characters doing it in old movies.
Nowadays, if a film shows a character littering, it’s probably to establish them as an asshole who hates the planet. That wasn’t the case in movies of the past.
The final crack in the mirror today is smoking!
Smoking smoking everywhere! Bars! Restaurants! Theaters! Trains! Busses! Airplanes! Hospitals!
You got ‘em? SMOKE ‘EM! Doesn’t matter where you are.
And pretty much every adult character seems to be smoking.
The film industry later “decided” that it needed to curb smoking, and there was a time that only “bad” characters smoked. Then that kind of went aways as well, and “Smoking” is now listed as one of the “reasons” behind a film’s rating.
Adult themes, partial nudity, graphic violence, and now smoking has joined that bunch.
I wonder if they’ll ever add littering. I doubt it. Not enough people seem to be serious about the environment, unfortunately.
Well, that is a wrap for our episode about film mirroring society and the fact that the mirror was cracked for quite a while. Some things we just won’t see that much on film anymore because they’re not as widely seen in everyday life anymore.
I’m sure someone 40 years from now will have a Cinema Wellman type episode saying the same thing about movies made in the 2010’s, 2020’s, and 2030’s.
I wonder what will have “disappeared” from society by then!
We hope you join us again next week as we take a look at “Baby Movies!”
Don’t worry, it will come with an explanation.
Until then, take care.
No comments:
Post a Comment