Short Essay on the Film Industry

"Blockbuster." "World Wide Fame." "Billion Dollar Studio Production." All of these words have at one point or another been associated with the great classic films since the dawn of the cinematic industry. The most memorable upbeat, romantic, or inspiring films are persistently produced at a time when the surrounding morale is slowly deteriorating, almost as a testament to the constant transformation of the media. This evolution has been semiotically studied by great minds such as Henry Stubbes and John Locke, used largely for interpretation purposes. It is noted that the media has the power to influence social and political behavior, resulting in culture and popular trends, instead of natural forces, that guide us. For the conservatives residing in our great nation, the mere presence of this semiotic theory is virtually unbearable. However, when examined at a closer range these thoughts become vivid and clear- even our precious notion of personal choice is clearly a subjective distortion of the media's influential opinion.

Popular culture has been transforming itself furiously for the better part of this century- always inventing new "fads" and slang terminology. However within the past few years, the rapid change has been digressing- the newest trends are to revert back to earlier decades. Some wonder why this retro movement is gaining such a fierce following...maybe it's because everyone recalls the simplicity of their youth. Such pictures as "The Wizard of Oz" and "Casablanca" refer to a time when there was truly something to fight for, a time when the worlds of entertainment and politics collided in a prosperous manner. This viewpoint cannot be argued, as The Second World War was in full swing during the production of both films. Also, both are infused with strong relationship-centric plotlines, a common worry among Americans in wartime.