COMMON THREADS
One of the Common Threads discussed in Chapter 1 is mass media, cultural expression, and storytelling. The movie industry is a particularly potent example of this, as Hollywood movies dominate international screens. But Hollywood dominates our domestic screens as well. Does this limit our exposure to other kinds of stories?
In the 1920s, when the burgeoning film industries in Europe lay in ruins after World War I, Hollywood gained an international dominance it has never relinquished. Critics have long cited America’s cultural imperialism, claiming America floods the world with its movies, music, television shows, fashion, and products. The strength of American cultural and economic power is evident when you witness a Thai man in a Tommy Hilfiger shirt watching Transformers at a Bangkok bar while eating a hamburger and drinking a Coke. Critics feel that American-
But other cultures are good at bending and blending our content. Hip-
While some may be proud of the success of America’s cultural exports, we might also ask ourselves this: What is the impact of our cultural dominance on our own media environment? Foreign films, for example, account for less than 2 percent of all releases in the United States. Is this because we find subtitles or other languages too challenging? At points in the twentieth century, American moviegoers were much more likely to see foreign films. Did our taste in movies change on our own accord, or did we simply forget how to appreciate different narratives and styles?
Of course, international content does make it to our shores. We exported rock and roll, and the British sent it back to us, with long hair. They also gave us The Office and House of Cards. Japan gave us anime, Pokémon, Iron Chef, and Hello Kitty.
But in a world where globalization is a key phenomenon, Hollywood rarely shows us the world through another’s eyes. The burden falls to us to search out and watch those movies until Hollywood finally gets the message.
KEY TERMS
The definitions for the terms listed below can be found in the glossary at the end of the book. The page numbers listed with the terms indicate where the term is highlighted in the chapter.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
Early Technology and the Evolution of Movies
How did film go from the novelty stage to the mass medium stage?
Why were early silent films popular?
What contribution did nickelodeons make to film history?
The Rise of the Hollywood Studio System
Why did Hollywood end up as the center of film production?
Why did Thomas Edison and the patents Trust fail to shape and control the film industry, and why did Adolph Zukor of Paramount succeed?
How does vertical integration work in the film business?
The Studio System’s Golden Age
Why did a certain structure of film—
Why are genres and directors important to the film industry?
Why are documentaries an important alternative to traditional Hollywood filmmaking? What contributions have they made to the film industry?
The Transformation of the Studio System
What political and cultural forces changed the Hollywood system in the 1950s?
How did the movie industry respond to the advent of television?
How has the home entertainment industry developed and changed since the 1970s?
The Economics of the Movie Business
What are the various ways in which major movie studios make money from the film business?
How do a few large film studios manage to control most of the commercial industry?
How is the movie industry adapting to the Internet?
What is the impact of inexpensive digital technology on filmmaking?
Popular Movies and Democracy
Do films contribute to a global village in which people throughout the world share a universal culture? Or do U.S.-based films overwhelm the development of other cultures worldwide? Discuss.
QUESTIONING THE MEDIA
Do some research, and compare your earliest memory of going to a movie with a parent’s or grandparent’s earliest memory.
Do you remember seeing a movie you were not allowed to see? Discuss the experience.
Do you prefer viewing films at a movie theater or at home, either by playing a DVD or by streaming/downloading from the Internet? How might your viewing preferences connect to the way in which the film industry is evolving?
If you were a Hollywood film producer or executive, what kinds of films would you like to see made? What changes would you make in what we see at the movies?
Look at the international film box-
LAUNCHPAD FOR MEDIA & CULTURE
REVIEW WITH LEARNINGCURVE LearningCurve, available on LaunchPad for Media & Culture, uses gamelike quizzing to help you master the concepts you need to learn from this chapter.
target="_pop"VIDEO: Gravity Watch a brief clip from Gravity, and discuss how the movie uses the most advanced technical tools in service of classical storytelling.