Different cultures and film

After reading the chapters in the book these last few weeks, it's amazing to consider how differently movies work in different cultures. Films became huge here, due to the boom of Hollywood, and even achieved success in other countries. However, when other countries tried to get into the film making business, they were not met with the same kind of success that America had.

I just found it fascinating that, even though countries were making films themselves, people were more readily watching American movies. Possibly because we had the head start, and the best technology, know how, etc... Whatever the reason, other countries did manage to get in on the film business, and we now have people from all over the world who are critically acclaimed for their film work.

Movies and their influence on society

I find that seeing a movie is something akin to being let in on some big secret. Once you've seen a film, you can instantly have something to talk about with people, whether they be old friends or complete strangers.

I find this phenomenon interesting. People, who under most circumstances may have nothing in common, may be able to bond over a film they both saw. Additionally, both can appreciate parodies of the instances within said film, allowing for the same kind of interaction.

People who have not seen certain films may receive odd looks, as well. I hadn't seen any of the Star Wars movies until about a year ago, which many people found strange. I've only seen the first Indiana Jones, never seen any of the Lord of the Rings movies, etc... Many of those are considered to be staples of the movie world, and people are surprised when I stat I haven't seen them.

Just a thought that crossed my mind. I find it interesting that people can easily accept people if they have both seen a movie, and give others strange looks if they have not.

Cultures converging through film

It's interesting to note how much the film industry boomed all around the world at about the same time, and how much of an impact all of the different countries had, and still have, on each other's film ideas.

Back when film was just becoming a medium for people to express themselves, it was more difficult for countries to share ideas. Once it evolved as a media, countries began sharing movies rapidly, and people who started in one country began working with people from other countries.

Hitchcock became big in the US as well as Britain, where he was born, for example. American actors starred in his films, some of which were set in US locations. He didn't present himself as a British filmmaker, just as a filmmaker.

Nowadays, it's unthinkable to envision a movie being made by people from just one culture. Behind the scenes and in the scenes, there are people from all nationalities taking part. Not to mention all of the remakes and adaptations of movies and television shows from other countries being made. The world, I think, has become a more united place because of films, and I think that's pretty interesting.

Depictions of madness in film

For one of my other classes, I needed to write a paper on a shot within a movie. For the assignment, I chose the movie Se7en, a dark thriller about a serial killer who's murders are based on the seven deadly sins. While working on the assignment, I got thinking about the depictions of madness that Hollywood portrays.

Se7en does a fantastic job of showing off how mad someone can be. John Doe, the killer, is a full blown psychopath. He kills people in horrific ways, going to great lengths to get the message he wishes to share across to the general public, and the entire time, he believes that he is in the right in doing so. He even defends his convictions to the two detectives that he has turned himself in to during the car trip to the location of his final victim, going into an enraged state as Mills taunts him and tries to reveal that he is insane.

Doe's madness, I feel, is amplifies by how calm his demeanor is most of the time. In some movies, insanity is shown by people going on massive killing sprees. In this movie, there are only 6 victims, but the impact of each death carries a lot of weight. The impact of Doe's actions would have been reduced if he had killed more people, and was not as exact in his actions.

The human mind does a good job of creating fear when there are holes that can be filled in. The fact that Doe was almost impossible to read the first time watching the movie made him that much scarier, and I think Hollywood would do well to follow that kind of formula instead of using bloodbath films to depict madness.