Has film itself been the antagonist all along?
As more films have come out, and technology advances with them, more people around the world are able to see these films as time goes on. The themes, messages, and roles portrayed in films can now reach billions of people and have a lasting effect on how these same people view certain things portrayed in the film. People might like or dislike something or someone in the film that mirrors something or someone in real life. For the past few decades, this topic has been discussed fairly thoroughly in relation to its effect on our society. Do films actually change the way we think about certain things, and if it does, is this a good thing or not? I will be discussing views that think films have had a negative effect on our society
One of the big topics in question is the correlation between stereotypes in film and race issues in real life. In an article posted on Indiewire.com, it is brought up that Film director Spike Lee has attacked Hollywood for their racial stereotyping in films, and coined the term “magical negro” in 2001 in response to them, which is his term for describing the stereotype of a black character with no backstory or relevance to the plot, but is only present to aid the white protagonist. Movies that have been labeled masterpieces, such as the Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption, are examples of films that have a “magical negro” character in them. From face value, this seems like nothing more than a side character that happens to be black, or in the worst case, a rare example of racism in a film’s casting, but these can’t be further from the truth. Movies for decades have mainly held white characters under the spotlight, leaving the black characters to mostly be the funny person, possibly full of wisdom. This is a big problem because a lot of people’s social norms are birthed from the media they consume. In other words, while most films are completely fictional, people will take the messages of a film and make them their own non-fiction truth. These movies overtime have enforced the idea into some that the picture perfect person is and will always be white.
Another topic that has arguably been around longer than the race stereotypes discussion is the discussion of violence in movies. Peggy Drexler, a professor of Psychology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, wrote on Psychology Today that since the PG-13 rating was introduced in 1985, the amount of violence in child accessible films has tripled. While R rated movies are not as accessible to kids (Unless they have an adult with them), PG-13 films only suggest that children have an adult with them when watching. In other words, violence in film is becoming much more accessible for children to watch. The article states that the reason this can be dangerous is that it’s common knowledge that exposure to violence can make someone more aggressive, especially children. These films can affect a child to the point where the mere sight or depiction of a gun or weapon can make them behave more aggressively, a phenomenon called the “weapons effect”. Since the PG-13 rating’s introduction in 1985, violent crimes among children have increased, and the National Association of School Psychologists have reported that the majority of teens that are murdered are killed with a firearm.
After reading these arguments, I’ve taken a second look at what films are telling certain audiences. I never thought violence in movies or shows affected me very much, but maybe they’re the reason why I get so aggravated in certain situations. I never had a second thought about the black side characters in the dozens of movies I’ve seen that portray them, but maybe that’s why almost every one of the drawings I sketched as a child was of a white person. I’ve never really taken a second look at what I learn from these movies, but I have now, and I hope everyone else does as well.
