From the silent black and white films of the 20s to the billion dollar blockbusters of today, movies have always been far greater than the mere entertainment they are after labeled as, having the ability to shape how we perceive the world.
Films have been mirror-molders and time capsules of culture at a given time. They reflect the ideas, fears, and values of their era, and the effects of their messaging bleeds onto the psychics and perspectives of individuals worldwide.
It’s easy to write off film as mindless entertainment, something meant to distract us and help us forget certain things in our lives for a couple of hours. However, we don’t realize that within this, we are having ideas and perceptions about the world around us retold and altered in ways we don’t fully understand.
As we look back at these films, especially the ones that have stayed culturally relevant to this day, it becomes easy to see what makes them important, and what the true purpose of film — and all media — truly is.
A good film should push boundaries and expose the fractures within society that are often overlooked.
Most of the time, these boundaries are only nudged, but just enough to spark conversation and reflection. With billions of people consuming a piece of media, this reach speaks volumes to the amount of people who are impacted by mediums such as film.
One example of this is “All Quiet on the Western Front,” initially an adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s novel in 1930. It was one of the first examples portraying World War I, capturing the horrors and disillusionment of war, a concept not fully grasped at the time due to its limited coverage. Despite being a book adaptation, the movie reached a much wider audience and was accessible to a greater range of people, demonstrating the importance and value of film in educating individuals about cultural events and realities.
People are able to step inside these perspectives and literally see them — something that reading a book or even a news article does not grant. Because it is quicker and more easily comprehensible, film is an invaluable option for shaping cultural perceptions and sparking discussion about social issues.
In a culture driven by instant gratification, where reading a book often feels cumbersome and with no real motivation to decipher messages hidden in text, film is the perfect middle ground. It conveys complex cultural ideas in ways that are accessible, memorable, and emotionally engaging, far more effectively than news, social media, or even books at times.
This underscores the importance of continuing to invest time and effort into high-quality films intended to make change, rather than simply chase quick profits.
Society must recognize the value and significance of these films on individuals, politics, social and civil change, and history as a whole. Film creates empathy, provokes reflection, and leaves an impression that persists long after you walk out of the theater or close Netflix.
