After reading the first chapter of Engaging Cinema, I must say that I am really excited to dive into the actual content of this class. I think it is going to be very intriguing to watch our line up of films and compare them to the real world events that they try to depict. It's not just that I'm excited to see; it's the director's own twist on the content of the film I really want to analyze. I want to see how they change a film from the real story to a version that appeals to the audience - I want to really understand what makes a Hollywood film a climatic "master piece." Sometimes when watching a film the feeling of reality just drops away, and all that is left is how the picture on the screen makes you feel. I would love to get an insight into how directors do this to people, and I'm hopping this class will do that for me.
It's an interesting concept of saying that movies can be a "social danger" or a "social benefit." It's no surprise that movies sometimes inspire real life crimes. I mean some films could almost be considered step by step crime manuals. Many movies have actually spawned copy-cat crimes all over the world. Movies like Fight Club (1999) inspired many young American boys to crate their own "fight clubs," and A Clockwork Orange (1970) inspired so many crimes that it was removed from British distribution. But I don't believe movies can be blamed for all the social distress in our times, sometimes movies have an amazing social message. The movie To Kill a Mocking Bird (1962) brought to light the social issues of the black and white segregation; at a time in our history when the issue was a hot topic. Movies are not all good, but they are not all bad either. It may just go to show what power a person can have when you put a camera in their hands and a social following to match.
Resources:
WatchMojo.com, , prod. Top 10 Real-Life Crimes Inspired by Movies and TV. Youtube.com, 2013. Web. 25 Jan 2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0u5zQNtQE0>.
Do movie s really influence people to carry out the crime or just set the stage in which i crime will happen? I believe a film is not going to make a person carry out a crime but maybe change the way a person carries one out. I would like to know, maybe you also, if the criminals that carried out these copycat crimes, had problems with the law in the past. If these criminals had been innocent the years before the copycat crimes, I MAY believe that the crime was carried out because of a film. Until then, I disagree.
ReplyDeleteIf you take a look at the movie Natural Born Killers, a movie revolving around two real life murders operating in a sort of Bonny and Clyde fashion, without the robbing banks part. There was a couple in real life who decided to become "Natural Born Killers." They ended up murdering one and paralyzing another before being detained. As to weather the two had been involved with the law before I do not know, but this is a case in which people believed they could imitate what happened in the movies. It was a case in witch art became reality in a sense.
DeleteI think your movie examples are perfect for proving the point that movies have great influence and impact on society. When you said that films are "step by step crime manuals," I thought that that was a clever way to also prove that point. I agree with you that people behind a camera have great power by bringing things to the light on touchy or new topics. Great examples!
ReplyDeleteMichelle, this was a fantastic job! Not only are you stating your thoughts, feelings, and opinions, but you also back it up with valid examples. This blog is a clear example as to what this class is focused on learning and I commend you for that. Your argument as to movies being both socially beneficial as well as a social danger is very compelling and I have to say that a lot of the times this type of discussion topic will see a wide range of answers. Great job!
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