The art of motion pictures and its associated industry are much more recent in comparison to the other artforms explored in this exhibit. However, even though this tradition has only over 100 years, it serves as a mirror of the attitudes, traditions, and behavior of people. Films tell stories, whether real or fictional, and through a combination of sound, images, and plot, they captivate the audiences, teach them lessons, and to those who are starting a career, entering the studio is outright magic. There’s much more depth to the art than just the superificiality and glamour of Hollywood.
1920’s: Talkies: Color, sound, and the Jazz Age.
The 1920’s marked an innovation, as it produced the first movies using sound. Up until that time, movies were silent, using mime and movement, and score by a piano or orchestra (Britannica). When the first motion pictures arrived using sound, other innovations were made, such as more complex plots, more length, and eventually, the inclusion of color (Social Change in Australia).
If the introduction of the art of moving pictures was magic, then the inclusion of sound and color was equally, if not more outrageous. It allowed for more possibilities. Using voice enabled for more effective understanding than sound. In the 1920s, thanks to these innovations, movies began to take the form they have today.
1940’s: Film as an expression of war
Sometimes, even the most magical and eye-bending form of art can depict the most gruesome and bitter realities. The 1940s were dominated by World War II, and that is evident in the films which topped lists in the decade. Think of Casablanca, Captains of the Clouds, Guadalcanal Diary, The Navy Comes Through , etc.
The depiction of war in film was pioneered by this flicks which make use of a combination of drama, epic sequences, and character-driven plot to deliver a message about how war has always been a devastating, gruesome experience. In the modern era, blockbusters such as Pearl Harbor have continued this trait. Had it not been for the influence of medium such as cinema, widespread criticism about World War II and other conflicts would have never transcended to the modern era.
1970’s: The birth of the blockbuster
By the time the 70’s came, a lot of things have changed. Cinema faced competition with television, and technology greatly improved. The most significant change, however, was the birth of the concept of the blockbuster (Entertainment.ie). In 1970s, two men named George Lucas and Steven Spielberg launched the Jaws and Star Wars franchises (Forbes).
Today, we think of blockbusters as Academy Award-winning box office smashes filled with explosions, incredible special effects and sound quality, flicks which start franchises and find success beyond the screen, but also in merchandise and other platforms. But when Spielberg unveiled his giant shark to the world, things were much different. In 1975, the idea of franchises and merchandise was still unconceivable. Michael Bay would not exist without Stevew Spielberg. Before Spielberg, the idea of killer sharks, brave explorers, and crime family dramas becoming monster hits was a distant dream. That dream is reality now, and looking back at a historical scope, it was this concept which defined what movies truly are today and a reflection of changing opportunities in a changing world.
1890’s: The pioneers: Theatrical panic...and magic
Cinema is best defined as the art of telling a story through a succession of frames and the illusion of movement (Dictionary). Throughout the 19th century innovations made it possible to record images and sound at the same time; inventors cashed on their machines and showed them at fairs (PBS). On 1895, however, the efforts of two Parisian brothers introduced cinema as a public venture (IndieWire). When people watched the two-minute silent film of the train, they were both marveled and frightened (AtlasObscura). Never before had they seen something like that, and fear of being hit by the moving machine literally had people running for their lives (IndieWire).
Today, the word ”cinema” is associated with giant lit marquees, red carpet ceremonies, and golden statuettes. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the art of recording moving pictures. The work of inventors casting reels inside peepholes at fairs is really what started this chain of events. Movies serve as a reflection of reality, but at the time, being able to catch bits of daily life with no color or sound, in under two minutes, was true magic.
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