The Impact of the Flourishing Film Industry
The movie industry has been actively growing and growing since it became a major industry in the early 1900s. Sure, it has competing mediums such as the television industry and you know, things like books, but in my opinion, nothing can compare to a major motion picture.
Films not only have a huge impact on our society, but also on each person individually. Films can have a huge impact on how a person thinks and feels about a certain situation or topic and I’d go as far as saying films affect our day to day lives. Films have affected our society more than we know. It has given our society a skewed depiction of what love is, it has made our society more violent, and has even affected the way people treat other people. Sometimes films help us forget about the outside world and make us feel like we are actually in the movie. When we surrender doubts about the reality of a story and become caught up in the story, it is called suspension of disbelief. The thing we have to keep in mind when watching a film, and more critically, after we are done watching a film, is that even though we may become victims of suspension of disbelief, films are most definitely not reality nor should we try to make them a reality.
Movies can help us change our mindset and attitudes. Films can have a negative or positive impact on us. One example is suspense/ horror films. After watching a suspense film, we may feel scared, nervous, or even paranoid. For example, after watching the film Disturbia (2007), I was sincerely worried that someone was watching me all of the time for weeks after. Movies can also help us reminisce. For example, watching Alice in Wonderland reminds me of my childhood and fills me with a sense of joy.
Movies also challenge us and bring up great topics of discussion. One film that comes to mind that has sparked a little bit of controversy is Noah (2014). Noah brought up some controversy to Christian viewers, who said that the film was not biblically accurate at all. Which leads me to ask the question, “Is the point of the film to accurately represent the Bible, or is it for entertainment purposes?” I’m sure it was primarily created for the latter.
Another topic I would like to bring up is when books are made into films. Films, a lot of the time, do not accurately portray the book, even when authors help direct, or at least contribute to the film. One example of this is the Hunger Games. The first book contains a lot of what is going on in the main character, Katniss’, head. However, the film does not have any voice over or show any internal dialogue for Katniss’ character. This is a huge aspect of the book and hurt the movie because of it. Viewers who hadn’t read the book had no idea what Katniss’ feelings were and what she was thinking throughout the film, which was one of the main focuses of the book.
To sum up my point, the movie industry is thriving and will continue to thrive for years to come. Movies change the way people feel, think, and respond to things. Movies challenge us and can inspire us. Movies do not always accurately depict a book, a topic, or an issue, but they certainly can grab our attention, which I think is the whole point of a movie.
