The influence of cinema on people as a whole
Since its origins, cinema has always acted as a model that shapes attitudes and lifestyles. Nowadays, cinema has legitimized behaviors and perceptions of the reality that once provoked the rejection or the discrepancy of the majority of the population. Faced with this crisis in education and values, the cinema acquires more and more prominence as an educational instance of young people. Cinema can have its dangers, but it can also inspire, contribute values and provoke in an enriching and positive direction.
1. Does the cinema really influence my life?
When we hear about the influence of cinema in our lives, it is easy to see a skeptical sign on our lips: Once again the apocalyptic vision of the movies! And it is true that it has been talked about frequently, but rarely from an anthropological perspective. The truth is that, since its inception, cinema has always acted as a model for shaping attitudes and lifestyles, as a mirror in which we all look to decide our models and our behavior patterns. That is why the popular films so significantly influence our perception of reality.
- Cinema as a factor of socialization
The starting point is that cinema is today – it has been almost since its birth – the most powerful means of informal education we have. Already in 1917, during the silent film era, the National Council of Public Moral of the United Kingdom published a report entitled The Cinema: Current Situation and Future Possibilities, which indirectly implied the concern that informal messages delivered by cinema can affect the political views of British citizens. Cinema, on the one hand, is similar to an essay that can publicize certain things to the public. For example, some professional writers from thetophints.com are able to produce quality essays that can be an effective medium for disseminating certain things.
- Cinema as a legitimating factor
As said above, cinema has legitimized behaviors and perceptions of the reality that once provoked the rejection or the discrepancy of the majority of the population. Many films were made specifically to validate a view whether it was from the government or from a community group. Here are the samples:
– Homosexuality, in films like Brokeback Mountain, Philadelphia, The Hours or The Wedding of my best friend.
– Euthanasia, with the aroused promotion of ideologically oriented films, for example Million Dollar Baby.
- Suggestive ability of the movies
On the other hand, cinema has a multidimensional impact, from which we can hardly escape. Unlike the newspaper or the magazine, which affects only the sense of sight; or unlike radio, which only affects the ear, the cinema influences several senses at the same time. It offers an image, such as painting or photography (with a studied treatment of light, framing, composition, etc), but at the same time adds the suggestion of movement (as in dance); and, at the same time, it surrounds us with the soundtrack (as in a musical audition), and enhances the action with the sound effects, and with a modulation of the voice in the actors, and with a verbal rhetoric in the script.
Thus it is clear to all of us that cinema is not just entertainment; that is also what can affect our society.