Why Hollywood

Sandeep Dileep

“Cinema is the most beautiful fraud in the whole wide world.” – Jean Luc Goddard

Gone are the days when the belief was strongly held by the public that books are the most beautiful way of escaping reality. If there is one industry that has been successfully able to defy those stereotypes, it is indeed Hollywood. From the blockbuster romantic classic “Gone with the Wind (1939)” to the movie that revolutionized the sci-fi genre “A space Odyssey (1968)” to making the most beloved and memorable movie that the world holds still dear to its heart, “Titanic (1997)”, the world of Hollywood has managed to provide almost every aspect of human emotions to its audience. But the question might linger on as to why Hollywood stands apart from other prominent film industries. The answer to it might lie somewhere in the simple fact that a certain form of evolution had taken place in the industry through the transformation of musicals to normal cinema. Especially in the late 1930’s, audiences were oversaturated by the genre and studios were for forced to cut the music from films that were being released. We live in a world mostly torn apart by war and greed that force people to move apart from each other and interestingly, when compared to books, movies play a vital role in offering us an escape from the harsh realities that haunt our daily lives. The impact visual media has on human lives is unparalleled, especially when it comes to youngsters for whom “Disney” and “Pixar” are household names.

Popular superhero franchises such as “Spiderman”, “Batman” and “Superman” has played an inspirational role by breaking all barriers. The specialty of these characters lies in their respective origins and some of the key features of their storylines are the natural traits of the protagonists and their response to realistic social life situations. The popular character “Peter Parker” who is portrayed as an average skinny boy lacking good looks, bullied mercilessly is branded an outcast. His passion for science, a trip to a scientific research center where he is bitten by a radioactive spider, giving him the abilities of a superhero, most notably the “spider sense” and the ultimate transformation into the much celebrated superhero “Spiderman” makes this character unique.  Being relatable to the common people globally the movie taglines with their influential messages like “with great powers comes great responsibility” have become quotable quotes.

When a good cinema has positive impacts, the exact opposite can be expected from a film spreading the wrong message intentionally or unintentionally. The most debated issue among film critics and movie buffs is the problem concerning the depiction of women in films. The majority of movies, even today have an inclination to portray women as weak and often end up casting them for the archetypal “femme fatale” roles. The popular American actress Jennifer Lawrence ignited a huge spark when she demanded equal pay rights for women in Hollywood. The real discussion however, was kick started by Patricia Arquette winning the Oscar for best supporting actress. The “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” actress Rooney Mara was one of the few stumped actresses who came to know that their male counterparts in the industry were being paid twice higher than them. The use of drugs, smoking, excessive violence by influential movie stars in films has always been able to spark off debates and controversies because the society feels that as much as movies have an economic appeal they also have moral obligations and scenes encouraging drug usage, gun totting abusive language and excessive violence has taken its toll on impressionable youngsters who ardently follow their movie stars. Despite these issues, movies will always continue to play a vital role in shaping up the “new generation”. We love films because they invoke passion in us. They epitomize our desires. They allow us to escape reality and to dream. They fill us with longing. They remind us of life. They teach us to fall in love….stay in love….tells us how much it hurts to have a broken heart. Above all it teaches us that great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending. So let me say….the show must go on………!!!!