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Sociology
Grand Hotel (1932), directed by Edmund Goulding, with Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Joan Crawford
Well, the community here is the hotel - where people come and go, and as the doctor says at the beginning and at the end of the film, nothing really seems to get done.
The usual “getting things done in life” may not much happen in a hotel, but a hotel is a unique place – a concentration of many folks for a relatively short period of time, unlike any other forums where people assemble together. And things will happen, even if they may not be life’s usually productive results, as this film shows. People interact differently in hotels.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947), directed by George Seaton, with Maureen O’Hara, Natalie Wood, Edmund Givens, John Payne
There is communal territory in human existence and human exchange that should not be subject to law, rules, regulations, and control. And all of us, who deal in and support and make such law, rules, regulations, and control, need to understand this as we approach such an intangible territory.
In this special territory, the human spirit needs to be protected from the devices of man that apply law, rules, regulations and control. This is a fundamental concept, it seems to me, to be given reverence to when one is talking about freedoms. Man has certain inalienable rights. That being the case, using the US Government then is truly inspiring as a story technique in this film. After all, we live by a constitution that talks about inalienable rights.
What is this territory? Well, this film deals with one territorial area pack full of inalienable rights – Santa Clause. But certainly the same conclusions reached in this film about the rights of Santa Clause is rightfully applied to many other such territorial area rights, that are ever present in our lives, and should be beyond the reach of law, rules, regulations, and control.
Georgy Girl (1966), directed by Silvio Naizzano, with Lynn Redgrave, James Mason, Alan Bates
This film, for me, is contrasting the new, liberal, careless freedoms of the modern era, the aversion to commitment and responsibility, replaced by the drive to fun and excitement, with the traditional life styles of old.
Redgrave is in conflict between the two, pulled by instinct to the traditional, pressured by the modern. But the instincts here for her are too strong, the security it offers too compelling; she goes with tradition.
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), directed by William Wyler, with Dana Andrews, Myrna Loy, Fredrick March, Virginia Mayo
“We beat the Japs, now to make money” or something like this said during this film sums up the 2nd World War generation; this generation being the subject of this film. This is a generation that left to fight the war having very little, conquered tall, tall mountains, and came back not expecting praise, sympathy, or anything else not earned, not worked for.
And they were ready to earned such praise through work - they were confident, they were community, they were strong in character, they were numerous, they were dominate, they were righteous, they had experienced the unique, the once in a millennium experience. In a sense, the film’s title refers as much to the nation as to individuals.
Although there was a lot of sorrow and failure from and with individuals of the war generation, overall the qualities mentioned above prevailed in the group. This film wrapped, presented, told, portrayed, and related the World War II veteran’s story.
A Fish Called Wanda (1988), directed by Charles Crichton, with Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis
This is quintessential British comedy. The British delight and excel in finding those things most sacred, and what might be considered crude, to laugh at, yet find a way of targeting them successfully, and, in the process, giving us a better perspective, a different perspective, and through this marvelous quality, a therapeutic result, from our laughter, that all is better.
Those things most sacred, and thus potentially most crude, when targeted by the British, are often social groups, classes, groups of humans within a category, e.g. in this film we have old ladies with their pets; stutterers; macho men; thieves; the up-tight British; and the British view of Americans. When it’s all over, I believe, we have a therapeutic result – a cracking of a barrier that is not healthy, a healthier new way of looking at a subject – perhaps a subject that is tragedy in one sense, but a lessening of that tragedy through laughter.
Farewell My Concubine (1993), directed by Chen Karge
This film gives me insights into the community that is Chinese opera. This is a community that continued to exist, and be accepted and admired, and in demand, regardless of who was in charge of the country, if anyone. Traditions continue even as governments come and go. The film follows Chinese Opera from the 1920s to the 1970s, although I suspect Chinese opera in much the same characteristics as seen in this film has been around for centuries. It shows the infrastructure and its peculiarities that existed within the community to feed the creations, maintenance, and continuation of the opera tradition. The film shows what it is like, and what one has to be like, to live in such a unique community.
The General (1998), directed by John Boorman, with Jon Voight, Brendan Gleason
Although subtitles and a better understanding of Irish slang, history, and Dublin geography might have added a lot, I managed to leave this film very interested in the character called “The General” and how such characters, along with their gangs, manage and exist within their communities.
It’s interesting – in the general we have an Irish godfather, the general plays some of the “The Godfather” roles that Americans are familiar with in Italian mafia communities.
These guys are smart at what they do, they have lots of strong skills, otherwise they could not be successful. Maybe they are too skillful for the legitimate opportunities and limitations that their society presented to them – so they turn in other directions to fulfill their aspirations.
American Graffiti (1973), directed by George Lucas, with Ron Howard, Richard Dryfuss
The film follows several stories, personalities through a short time period, cutting away from one scene, story event and moving on to another set of characters and story, back and forth.
In the process, we glimpse the life of one community – the teenage and young adult community of the sixties, early seventies. Most teenagers of that period are familiar with one, or more, stories being told here in this film. This is a look back film for many of us, reminding us of how uncertain and indefinable our fates are.
The Graduate (1967), directed by Mike Nichols, with Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft
This film talks about relationships in communities and the society that existed in the America of the late 60s. The film suggests such topics as: what the 2nd World War generation has settled into; the impulses of their young adult children against this older generation’s sense of good, right decisions; the uncertainty, ambiguity of education, careers; a unique start, as college graduates, shown by these young adult children (after all, this was the first wave of the mass flow of college graduates, who really did not have to struggle to be college graduates); and insights into the love and other human wants needs of these children.
The Simon and Garfinkel music helps to develop the uncertain mystical, as well as liberating, qualities of the 60s, the uncertainty of a future-life and its quality, and the contests between feelings versus “normality”.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), directed by Miles Forman, with Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher
I see this as a film about the potential nightmares that institutions can cause communities, who are dependent upon the institutions. Institutions established by the establishment, and left to their own devices, can potentially be very destructive, potentially can become destructive. Fletcher, the nurse, represents the institutional nightmare that can, by its rules and procedures, when left unchecked, create havoc. Nicholson shows how the unconventional, the innovative tactics of the situation can bring success, can counter the stiffening of the institution, but, which, also often will be struck down by those in the institution who feel threatened by the unconventional.
This film has something to say about thinking outside of the box within organizations and should be of interest to management schools.
Shampoo (1975), directed by Hal Ashby, with Warren Beatty, Goldie Hawn, Julia Christie
In the background, during one of the film’s scenes, we hear Nixon during his inauguration address tell us of how his administration will be one of uniting the American people, bringing people together, healing the wounded country. Less than 2 years later, he will be thrown out of office for being a liar, a law breaker, a spy on other Americans, a lightning rod for inflicting dirty tricks on fellow Americans, a divider.
This film is about a community – an American community – that has something out of order.
We see in this film George, the hairdresser, played by Beatty, desperately seeking by the end of the film someone he can trust, while, throughout the film, demonstrating his own problems with being trusted.
We see a society where, for women, the most important thing for success is the successful hair dressing, and as a consequence, the most admired men in the lives – their hairdressers.
We get a sense of a society constantly in search of a good party, a good lay, a good high, a good “out of consciousness” experience.
We see, then, in this film an excellent statement on the then desperate state of America the country, the society. We sense in the film a root of that, which later will be the rallying cry, the magnet that propels folks, which will become the moral majority, the Christian right.
The French Connection (1971), directed by William Friedkin, with Gene Hackman, Roy Schneider
The community here is the police and the message, for me, here has to do with the often futility of fighting crime - which often leads not much further than the criminal going out the front door. The film looks at the meanness that can exist within the police community, the often ugliness of policing, the hate and hardness found among the police.
Godfather II (1974), directed by Francis Ford Copula, with Al Puccini, Diane Keaton, Robert DeNiro, Robert Duvall
Economic hardships, traditions, a view of right and wrong – what is it that establishes a pattern of behavior such as the Sicilians have had over the centuries that lead this community to creating Godfathers, mafias, killing?
This film is a serious attempt to look at answers and in the process dramatizes “Godfathers”. We see a lot about the persons and socialization of the mafia within the United States, during the course of this film – stories associated with this thing called a mafia family.
The film shows, fortunately, how tragic this community is – as it should be, for those who are so arrogantly and ignorantly confused about their right to create their law-breaking mafias.
Rebel Without a Cause (1955), directed by Nicholas Ray, with James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Jim Backus
A very important topic is covered here. This topic is the relationship between parents and teenagers, as teenagers change into adults. A part of this examination relates to decisions teenagers make.
We see in Wood, a strong, defiant, yet sensitive new, 50s breed of female, emerging into the second half of the 20th century; something unlike what might have been seen before – on the verge of new freedoms, new dress, new language.
Another interesting aspect of this film is about the middle class – a new, large group in world history, developing in post-World War II, portrayed within this film, which will become the most important sociological phenomena ever.
Dances With Wolves (1991), directed by Kevin Costner, with Kevin Costner
A fantastic empathy lesson here – the film shows us how to reach out to other communities, and that differences between communities do not equate to inferiority.
We find a lot to learn from the American Indian community, for example, an old man’s comfort need be no greater than sitting around a fire with great memories and self-respect.
While this film is a penetrating and interesting and entertaining examination of a slice of life of one Native American tribe, and their views in the 1860s/70s, it is an unkind, but correct, look at the white man in an imperial mode.
From Here To Eternity (1953), directed by Fred Zimmerman, with Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Cliff, Frank Sinatra, Earnest Borgnine
This film is a good examination of men being soldiers, the soldering community as it relates to country, mission, nationalism, pride, punishment, and pain.
The film shows well tensions and stresses that evolve in a soldering community, between equals, between officers and enlisted, between soldiers and their women.
The film captures the spirit of the men who made up the great national effort of the 20th Century - WW II.
Goodfellas (1990), directed by Martin Scorsese, with Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Paul Servino
When a serious filmmaker sets out to make a film about the Italian mob/mafia what is there really important to say. Scorsese arrives at the same message as Godfather II, and most other good mafia films we have had delivered to us in recent years – it’s a tragic life, tragedy is always at the end of the road for these fellas, and along the way, there really is not much to talk about except the barbarianism and godless existence of their lives.
There’s a funny, insane mix in these fellas' lives, shown so well in the film’s section where Ray Liota (Henry) is so desperately trying to fulfill his duties as he prepares the night’s supper, the head of the family, and, at the same time, doing the deal, via telephone, on a drug transaction which will ruin so many other families. There is something in the conflict in one man’s pursuing both ends of such good and evil, at the same time, that suggests insanity. It’s seen throughout the mafia world portrayed in the mafia films of the Sicily crowd. Possibly, the root of these insane behaviors, as elsewhere in the world where similar insanity exists, is in breeding – maybe such breeding removes all the necessity genes to be God-like in their attempt to be human.
Serious filmmakers should stop making mafia films because all now has been told here in Goodfellas, and the other mafia classics of the 60s, 70s, and 80s – and the message told – it’s a tragic life, leaving tragedy everywhere to be found, and there is not anything else important to be said. Leave it alone.
Giant (1956), directed by George Stevens, with Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and Jimmy Dean
This is an unusual “epic” film dealing with many topics – family; Texas attitudes; unsuspected immense wealth; tradition versus need for change; change in America during the middle of the 20th Century; racial attitudes towards the Hispanic of Texas; inner rejection; and strivings for acceptance.
For me, the topic touched most deeply and importantly is Texan attitudes, and how such they interact and impede the need for communal change.
Airplane! (1980), directed by Jim Abraham, David Zucher, and Jerry Zucher, with Peter Graves, Robert Stack, Robert Hayes, Julie Hagerty
This film is a unique, innovative comic approach to looking at the community of airports, airplanes, and the process of flying, which for most of us will always remain a non-ordinary community endeavor.
A Room With A View (1986), directed by James Ivory, with Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter
The film is on a British theme, which is a British novelist preoccupation - British strait jackets created by social pressure and social strata and breaking out of them on the basis of common sense and emotion, versus staying within the social strata on the basis of tradition and security and expectations. In this case, success, the characters succeed – they breakout.
Howard’s End (1992), directed by James Ivory, with Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Jemma Redgrave, Vanessa Redgrave
This film is another demonstration of the preoccupation of British storytellers with the segmentation and segregation of British society during Britain’s older, prominent days. We see here the characteristics of the higher levels of the society – pampered, waited on, expectant, and spoiled.
We also see the making of conditions that will lead to a society that will self-destruct in terms of the lack of diversity and creativity – an event that leads eventually to Britain’s declining productive mite; an event that has only recently began to turn around (and most definitely related to a change in Britain’s society).
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Any More (1975), directed by Martin Scorsese, with Ellen Burstyn, Kris Kristofferson, Harvey Koitel, Diane Ladd
I see this film as a story about women. It deals with one woman, ringing forth attributes attributable to women in areas such as needs and aspirations and adaptations and talents.
It deals with women as mothers, wives, grieving wives, women with sexual needs, how women need permanent marital status vis-à-vis men, and how women, at least one woman, in character named Alice, plays out these roles.
The film shows well, it seems to me, many of the problems women contend with as they play these roles out, from lousy husbands, loud-month children, threatening lovers, horrible work environments, to compromises in order to gain permanency.
I would not be surprised if this film is, or could be, a very favorite film for many women.
Pride and Prejudice (1940), directed by Robert Z. Leonard, with Laurence Olivier, Greer Garson
I see this film as showing us the world that women were in during the film’s period, and something of what their lives have been like for a long time preceding the film’s period. It was a lot different than than it is now. Then, man’s challenge in life was to go out and earn a profession, a trade, a living for themselves and their wives and family. Men had to achieve the necessary skills and talents to convince an employer of their worth to be employed. Woman’s challenge in life was to go out and earn a husband for themselves. They had to acquire the necessary charms, social accomplishments, beauty to satisfy a man that they had worth and worthiness to be wives. Quite a bit different from today, wouldn’t you say?
This film demonstrates that “times were a changing”. Jane Austin might well be the great feminist of the 19th Century if I knew more about it. I would not be surprised if a lot of the changes in the fabric of women in community, as we know that fabric today, had their roots in thinkers and chronicles like Austin.
We have here in this story the pride that men had in their role of the time and the prejudice that women were beginning to develop against that role of men and their own roles.
Clueless (1995), directed by Amy Heckelieng, with Alicia Silverstone
Beverly Hills, the quintessential symbol of a community that can be used in showing young people who have passed the economic fault line, where folks are no longer going uphill, but have past the crescent, and are now rolling to “gravity”, pulled downhill, trying to decide how and where to roll.
This film has a lot of clever energy. The principle character caries on entrancing dialogue with the audience, full of humor, cleverness, and a youthful, utopian perspective on many of life’s needs, mostly of the romantic variety. The film’s energy plays well with what is best that is found in the community being represented – the words, their uniqueness, cleverness, freshness, and upbeats, ever optimistic.
A Few Good Men (1992), directed by Rob Reiner, with Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson
“Private, how do you know where the mess hall is, is it written down in the post’s standard procedures? Well, sir, no sir, I guess I just follow the herd.”
The transcendental quality of this film relates to the broader questions suggested by the above question (and answer) - a question not only for the military but also for society in general. When should we do what is told to us to do, set out for us by rule-making, by what most others are doing, versus, deciding for ourselves, on the basis of what we think is right and wrong, good and bad?
Col Jessup (Nicholson) had decided for his community what the rules were to be, what was expected, and in the process demonstrates dangers of authoritarian communities, for societies, even the military. Individual decisions on right and wrong, good and bad, are needed, regardless of the herd mentality, the laws, the rules, traditions, or whatever.
Nashville (1975), directed by Robert Altman, with Lillie Tomlin, Henry Gibson
There is no doubt, in my mind, that types of music attract types of people. Many music genres can be defined – swing, ballroom, zydeco, jigs and reels, polka, country and, more. Just go to any dance hall using one of these music types and you will find a distinct, separate group of people. Listeners too can be grouped into classes by music type.
What’s behind the relationship between music and the attraction and attention of types of people is, for me, a fascinating question. We certainly are dealing with sociological factors, as well as, probably, others. And, therefore, it would not be surprising, that I found Nashville a very interesting film.
Nashville is exactly what the name implies – a film on country and western music, its creation and production, centered in Nashville, and the people who make and listen to it.
This is a large subject for a film - country and western has a huge following, attracts a lot of people. And, the film is large, it has a large canvas.
Country and western music is very much an American folk music – the music tells stories about American life - about struggles of folks - the large majority of us Americans born into fairly ordinary American lives and purposes – lives that are very much rooted in American mass media cultural influences. This is not a film about unique slices of individuals – it is a film about folk music and music types, and the community attracted to such.
Sullivan’s Travels (1942), directed by Preston Sturges, with Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake
This is a film about decisions – decisions that are part of the business of making movies, and therefore the film is a look at the “sociology” of making movies – what should and should not go into the decision of what is wanted by the audience.
Creating a movie that wants to be seen is a very complicated process involving a lot of tough decisions and input – a community at work, if you well.
Radio Days (1987), directed by Woody Allen, with Michael Tucker, Julie Kavner, Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Seth Green
This film, for me, is about how the radio connected people through listening to the radio. The film is about family life in a period when the radio was a major entertainment source for family members.
The film is about images that are created by the radio and about the usual variance between the image created and reality. In some sense, radio does represent the first mass transformation into the world of entertainment, into the world of extensive mood changing, reality altering, mind bending towards fantasy images, images created, life viewed differently from earlier times.
It is serious business (and serious business is important to mankind) when people pay for and people make the amount of money that are being paid and made in today’s image altering entertainment industry. This is very much different from any time in history, it seems to me, and must somehow have a major sociological impact on lives, families, and communities lived.
Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), directed by Elia Kazan, with Gregory Peck, Celeste Holm, Dorothy McGuire
How does it feel to be a member of a community that is singled out for special treatment – special treatment that unfortunately for you – makes you feel bad, hurts you? This film’s impact, for me, is to get one thinking along the terms of answers to this question
In this film’s story, it’s the community of Jews, those who are identified as Jews. But any community could be the subject – African Americans, Catholics, gays and lesbians, lawyers, people with big noses, people from West Virginia.
We all belong to not just one community, with the number only depending on and limited by boundary definitions. Unfortunately, too often, too maliciously, one, or more, of those communities come under attack, attack that brings harm.
And, as those communities come under attack, often only so very subtly and hidden, sometimes nothing more than by a gentleman’s agreement, the attacker, as the film shows for me, is doing injustice, causing evil, being mean. Often the attacker is only so very subtle and hidden, and the attacked is nothing more than a cultural inheritance. So, it is for all of us to pursue enlightenment and renaissance and to block out all such injustices, evils, and meanness’s.
How Green Was My Valley (1941), directed by John Ford, with Donald Crisp, Roddy McDowall, Maureen O’Hara, Walter Pidgeon
We see in this film the coming of a new way of life necessitated by increased populations. The change is on an economic unit of old (a valley) that, because of its success, eventually outgrew its capacity to support its self. Whereas for previous generational periods, a valley was green for its inhabitants, the economic unit was successful, that very success would require changes of the community.
The Welsh valley of the Morgan family and the other families was able to provide the necessary income from the coal mining sufficient for a period of time to make the valley and its community content and happy. But what has now happen to the Morgan family and this Welch valley? Now we see five, six healthy, strong working age Morgan family sons off to work in that same coal mine. We have a population growth that exceeds the manpower needs to sustain the population’s income stream. Economic success, a valley that has been very green, now has produced thriving families, but that now exceed the input needs of the economic system.
And the answer – the needed result? Migration, change, one must go, one must seek out those locations where the needs are. And this is what we see in this film. We see at least two of the Morgan family brothers go off to America, and the narrator, the youngest brother, eventually also leaves.
We see here a story that reflects economic pressures on a community and the results that such economic pressures bring.
This Is Spinal Tap (1984), directed by Rob Reiner, with Bob Reinis, and others
This “documentary” film brings us into the sociology of a rock band. We enjoy the process of being “brought in” through good humor and interesting story. But it is all staged; it is all an act; a contrived version of the “real”. So, is this film really a truthful account of what is the sociology of the community that the rock band functions in?
We do not know; we only know that what is presented is in the minds of the creators, and we do not know if the creators really know and are presenting the truth. The film, then, really is about propaganda, about how film media creators can show us a “truthful” account that is totally contrived. The film is an important commentary on the potential dangers of the medias as they relate to society. The sociology issue here, dealt with, really is much broader than the community of a rock band. The issue is that of mass media and its potential influence on all of us.
After all – how many viewers left the film looking for “Spinal Tap” albums – not knowing “Spinal Tap” is totally fictitious?
Oliver Twist (1951), directed by David Lean, with Alex Guinness, John Howard Davies, Kay Walsh
What I like about this film is the information presented on a social group that likely existed in England during the 1800s in a way that was unique (because of the conditions) and has largely disappeared – the large group of orphaned children, who were either gathered together into communities, or were on their own, independent, surviving, probably in large cities where they could more easily survive and remain “free”, and often turning to crime to do so.
Oliver Twist is good story telling. The thrust here for me is the depiction of a social condition unique to the times.
Topaz (1969), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, with John Forsythe, Frederick Stafford, Nancy Robin
This film is suspense playing itself out fairly routinely as we proceed along – interesting story telling that carries us well. But what I find most interesting about this film is its perspective – it is almost documentary quality insight into the function of a government's intelligence community, the interplays between people who populate, these professionals, and the functions that they do, that are being portrayed here. This quality, no doubt, has a lot to do with the accuracy of the original source - the book - but it also has a lot to do with the skills of the translator of that book unto film – the director.
This film, for me, is a difficult one to categorize, to place into one of my film’s categories – it is not quite about any one individual in a way that it becomes biographical; it has a "macro” quality as it deals with relations between nations and could be placed there; but I think more than either of these characteristics, the more profound treatment I get from the film is the characterization, alluded to earlier, of a community – a government’s “intelligence community”.
Thus for me this is a sociological film – it is characterizing a community, and because of the film's “documentary” accuracy and conciseness, it is a memorable experience.
Blow-Up (1966), directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, with Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Mills, David Hamming
Abstract – an impression that this film leaves. A lot of symbolism exists. The symbolism and the abstraction and the impressions, left me, are that the creators are making interpretations of society as it exists (in the 1960s).
We now (by the 1960s) have sufficient resource to no longer be pursuing only the necessities (work, home, and family), but cultivating extravagant behaviors. (The mimic/mine players.)
We now (by the 1960s) are not so much concerned with the original, fundamental purposes and characteristics of human behavior, but how we look, what is our image which we carry to these behaviors. We are more interested in seeing the image of the behavior than in living through the behavior. (Taking photographs while making love.)
We have become (by the 1960s) self-absorbed to where we are oblivious to what is going on about us, around us – we are self-occupied in ourselves to the exclusion of a greater awareness about and around us. (Photographing a murder, without actually realizing the murder is happening.)
We pursue (by the 1960s) strange objects to give us gratification; fanciful, unpractical objects without much concern as to their practicality and usefulness. (Buying a 20-foot propeller for a photography studio.)
We have come (by the 1960s) uncommunicative. We are so absorbed within ourselves and in our needs. We have stopped searching out, with concern, to others to effectively communicate! (The lack of intelligent dialogue throughout the film.)
I find symbolism in this film that suggests each of the above about the age lived in (the 1960s).
Alice’s Restaurant (1969), directed by Arthur Penn, with Arlo Guthrie, Pat Quinn, James Broderick
This film, for me, deals with the sociology – not so much answers, but questions – of a group coming of age in the 1960s. By coming of age, I mean coming to the age where children generally begin to leave the homes of their parents.
The film suggests, and we know from history, that certain characteristics associated with portions of those Americans that did come of age in the 60s, are unique in cultural history. This film portrays some of these unique characteristics, and in doing so, triggers, at least for me, an interest in generating some general underpinning understandings that might account for how this happened.
I have found some ideas in family economic trends, national economic needs, and population. Up to the 1960s, the American economic system was such that coming of age children were overwhelmingly absorbed into their family farms and businesses or the industry employment needs. Family farms and businesses were a much greater portion of the American economic system going into the second half of the 20th Century. Beginning around the 1960s, children coming of age begin to greatly exceed these historic employment needs and opportunities. What was now on the rise was the need for better trained employees, as the “advanced training systems” (schools beyond high school) were developing to meet this need.
The result was a significantly greater proportion of young adults being sent off into a school system that expected them, yet not into a yet to developed “expected” behavior, sociological path, and “expected” outcome result. Parents and children and schools simply did not know how to manage this new situation. Along with this, came advancement in American family resources in ways that allowed for the support of the coming of age children during this period, even as they were unproductive economically, and as they no longer needed to be productive economically.
The results were the unique characteristics of the 1960s generation portrayed in this film.
Anatomy of a Murder (1959), directed by Otto Preminger, with James Steward, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara
Justice. Where does it come from, how is it administered, who decides it, what kinds exist, what is the community’s role in seeking forms of it? These are some of the questions that come to mind in thinking about this film, which for me deals with community and justice.
I am left in this film completely certain that community’s attempt to satisfactory and completely administer justice is never achieved. Along the way, we see roles that participants play in seeking a form of justice – community justice related to community mandates. We see this in very good form – how competitors go about fighting for their input to be heard – how systems are needed in seeding the administration of justice.
We are exposed in this film to the concept that justice should only be applied when a lack of reasonable doubt exists. These are pretty weighty concepts, pretty subjective views about courses to take
This film, I would think, would be high on law schools’ film series lists focusing on films of interest to their community, films that might be provocative.
Absence of Malice (1981), directed by Sydney Pollack, with Paul Newman, Sally Field
The power of information – how incredible! Whether the information is truthful or not too often is beside the point. Get enough people to believe in information’s accuracy, and a power can become associated with the information. This is nothing new; what is new is how the world now is so flooded with information. Therefore, films like Absence of Malice are very relevant.
This film is about a couple of communities (the news reporting and law enforcement) that are important in the effect they can have in their use of information.
As we enter deeper into the information age – and how deep we go, where we go, what standards are applied to the acceptance of information, is in many ways, it seems to me, telling us that some key questions need to be addressed. This film examines decisions made against standards in both the news reporting and law enforcement communities. The film suggests that the correct standards were not applied.
One standard that is especially important, it seems to me, is to give information a chance to be “kicked around”. By this, I mean first everything about the information to be open - in other words no secrets. The more a conclusion is made and presented, based upon secret information, the more likely the conclusion is to be wrong. There is too much opportunity for a few people to get it wrong. The more everybody has an input, the more the information will be considered correctly.
McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971) , directed by Robert Altman, with Warren Beatty, Julia Christie
Robert Altman may be one of the best, if not the best, “sociology” directors, past, present, and future. The films I have seen, M*A*S*H, Nashville, Gosford Park, and the recently viewed, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, are intriguing and motivating community portrayals. They combine professional acting and entertaining story telling with a sense of being in the world of the film.
In McCabe, a remote mining town in the still developing west, we have no heroes, only men trying to rise up, out of the mud. We have women who are limited to choices – marriage or whoring – for a living. And a very big credit to this film, we have a glimpse of what few of us know about this environment – what effects of the environment, such as cold, snow, rain, mud, poor drainage, lack of paved roads, and other infrastructure, can have on the lives of men and women.
Adam’s Rib (1949), directed by George Cukor, with Katherine Hepburn, Spenser Tracy, Judy Holliday
With this film perhaps the first of its kind, we explore questions about women’s roles, equality, treatment, and fate as they have developed in western society.
For me, what are questions? How are roles, equality, treatment, and fate determine? Culturally – yes, as shown by the film. But the answer, ultimately, is by women themselves – a major point of this film is exactly this – in Amanda’s goals. Do limitations exist for woman in these determinations? No – not absolutely, as history is showing. Again, ultimately, women can determine their roles, equality, treatment, and fate – but certainly constraints exist, some of which are identified in this film. In this sense, it seems women are no different than race, or any separable group.
Another interesting point, I think, is made in the film. Differences exist between men and women – and as this film’s concluding comment – these differences are indeed very fortunate and advantageous to both men and women. The differences should be nurtured and respected and developed – they are needed. It seems to me it is in these differences that man and woman are united in as close a bond as can exist between humans. This bond is important to the human race, and breaking it comes with great risk, it seems to me.
Working Girl (1988) , directed by Mike Nichols, with Melanie Griffith, Sigourney Weaver, Harrison Ford
This film does have to do with women; it is the story of circumstances and emotions that women can find themselves in. The male characters seem to be only there to complete the story that woman is telling in this film – a story that does have to do with the workplace.
This film is made about 40 years later than Adam’s Rib. Although both deal with women’s lives, the different problems addressed provide interesting insight on how problems for women in society have changed.
It seems to me, rather than being a handicap in the world of business and organizational advancement, as it would have often been in 1949 (Adam’s Rib) being a woman, in 1988 is a definite advantage, as shown by this film.
All of this is done very entreatingly.
Sense and Sensibilities (1995), directed by Ang Lee, with Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant
Of course, what else, British social systems in the 1800s. Where better to go than Jane Austin? And, when you discuss “social systems”, you, of course, should mean money, welfare, avoiding the difficulties of life and work, and gaining the pleasures that life has to offer. This is, or course, what society (and social systems) is all about and is what Jane Austin so well comments on. Fantastic!
Broadcast News (1987), directed by James Brooks, with Holly Hunter, William Hunt, Joan Cusack, Albert Brooks
This film gives us a behind the scenes glimpse at forces going on in 1980s network-related broadcast news organizations.
The film, while being entertaining, also gives what seems to be a fairly good insight into various forces that are fund in such a community.
This film might be a good one for organizational effectiveness students to take a look at. Interesting areas related to organizational effectiveness, it seems to me that a class of students could discuss include: performance needs unique to an organization’s mission; human factors in such an environment; long-term strategies for environmental factors that impact organizations; ethics within organizations; and the importance of culture within an organization.
Elmer Gantry (1960), directed by Richard Brooks, with Bur Lancaster, Jean Simmons, Shirley Jones
I have resisted the temptation to characterize this film, a film with a religious bent, as the principle message. It certainly has secondary messages related to religion. For example, there is a sense of the “blessed are the meek” message, as Elmer Gantry stands up and realizes the needs of the Shirley Jones prostitute character and rejects the revivalists tent cult as unlikely to be relevant to meeting the needs of the meek.
But, ultimately, I consider this film a portrayal of a community (the revival movement of the first part of the 20th Century), and its interactions with other communities – established religion, local business interests, the police, the news media, and society at large. We see all of this in this film, and also, through Elmer Gantry’s rejections, described above, a prediction of the revivalist’s tent movement demise.
Serpico (1973) directed by Sidney Lumet, with Al Pacino
This true story about the New York Police Department (NYPD) community of the early 1970s provides insights into an undesirable feature of an organization – the unethical conduct of the members of the organization.
This is a really interesting topic (ethics) – dealing with organizational effectiveness – and this film should be of interest to management students interested in effective and ineffective organizations.
Ethics is an important characteristic of an organization. Good ethics may not guarantee an organization’s success, but poor ethics usually catches up with the organization’s operations, and often, if not always, leads to its demise. A connection between ethics and effectiveness in an organization, I believe, exists. Ethics is not easily measured; therefore a lot of uncertainty exists about it in an organization. Not being easily measured, ethics is not easily managed. Certainly, important in ethical organizations, is effective leadership. This is a leadership performance measurement. This film shows where leadership failed, as measured, in the NYPD.
Another difficulty, when bad ethics is present, is the change of the ethical culture. This film deals with this, and how hard a culture can be to change.
This film only touches upon the ethical problems of the New York Police Department of the early 1970s. It could serve as a good jumping off point for further study into the NYPD, its ethical history, and organizational effectiveness.
The Last Waltz (1978), directed by Martin Scorsese, with The Band
In this documentary, we have members of The Band providing reflections between sets, filmed during one of their last, if not last, concerts, before disbanding.
The Band had been together for 15, or so, years, prior to this filming. Some, or all, the members were no longer interested in continuing The Band. Reasons were given in very general terms, e.g., the rigor of being on the road and the need to go on to something new.
The music created and played during the documentary was terrific. Guests from the top ranks of their genre appeared. It was, for the viewer, a moving experience of listening and observing the musical creation, and good feelings associated with the music.
Also, added to this, was a good opportunity of thinking of what this band community was all about, what it might have taken to be successful, to stay together, to live such a life in such a community.
These were interesting thoughts. Only in modern life, are so many offered the opportunity to be in such a venture. We have new vocations, being created, as the world moves on, as obsolescent vocations disappear. This is a good thing.
Roger and Me (1989), directed by Michael Moore, with Michael Moore, Roger Smith
This documentary’s examination of the relationship of corporate organizations to themselves, to their employees, to their ex-employees, to the communities to which they have belong, and, even on a wider scale, to the nation in which they exist, is, ultimately, and most broadly consider, a matter of society.
What is the correct relationship to society for corporate organizations? This has certainly been a topic of discussion in our schools and research centers, and this film contributes to those of us remote from these schools and centers, by bringing the discussion to us.
This film is able to succeed at the above very well, and at the same time, be very entertaining. Obviously, the film’s makers have a point of view, but seem to try to bring some balance to that point, by allowing others to tell the story of their views.
Business schools should be interested in this film.
Norma Rae (1979) directed by Martin Ritt, with Sally Field , Ron Liebman
This film, it seems to me, demonstrates that there are social groups, or communities, which because of certain characteristics, need special representation, as a group (or class) – representation that means an organized, planned, thoughtful strategy, whose goal is to promote the group against injustices because of their “group” characteristics.
In Norma Rae, we are dealing with factory workers whose individual characteristics such as the lack of sufficiently developed educational and analytical skills group them, more or less, into a defined social class (or group). This social class, than because of such characteristics, qualify (from, e.g., moral and ethical considerations) for special societal/community representation. This group has been served by unions.
Other groups are, because of group characteristics, in need of and should have “special” representation for social justice. Details vary according to the groups and their characteristics. . Many groups can be identified that have had these “special representations”. This is not a constant. Group characteristics change, and the need for “special representation” changes. Also, those who provide the special representation can vary.
This film excellently brings this observation into focus.
The Last American Hero (1973), directed by Lamont Johnson, with Jeff Bridges, Gary Busey, Valerie Perrine
This film gives a good insight into the early days of the modern NASCAR racing sport. Based on the car racing life of an early hero, this film likely shows adequately much of what the early days of this growing community was like.
Those who attend as spectators, it seems to me, are a unique community, with interesting fulfillments are gained by them from their sport of choice. I think this fulfillment (unique to this sport alone) is found in the early sequences of this film and the starting point for our hero’s craft development to skillful level – outrunning (or trying to) the law.
I suspect that most NASCAR spectators are doing just that, as they identify with the cars and their drivers, and they watch them go a round and round. There must be a connection within, that he (or she) (the spectator) is in that car, and is outrunning that police, or some other burdensome authority, that is shackling, and is racing ahead, in front, just as Junior outran the law, and delivered the goods.
There is something about the early American experience – one could pick up and move over the next hill, and in the process achieve a new life, just as one could, if he (or she) were fast enough, on the back roads of Appalachia, do the same. And there is something heroic in such an event, something mythical in that if good, indeed, is the end result, the good justifies all else.
It is an era gone by, a lost heroic tradition, but somehow still lives on in the great, powerful NASCARs, as they thunder across their finish lines, and draw that black and white checker flag.
Blazing Saddles (1974), directed by Mel Brooks, with Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks
This is a challenging film – where does it fit, what is it about, what is the main message I get from it? I am believing, after thinking about it, that the film ultimately is about the stereotypes that can be created by the process of mass communication (including the present day definition of media).
And, of course, by definition, created stereotypes are superficial, wrong, incorrect, misleading – choose your adjective to express that which is a lie.
Throughout the film, we repeatedly, and with great humor, encounter preposterous situations, which are only common fare in a typical Hollywood western’s portrayal of frontier life, met to show us just how preposterous the situation is.
The film certainly takes on the misleading impressions left by the typical western, which for me is not too serous a situation, but, for the film’s credit, also takes on the villainous lies perpetuated about African Americans through mass communications, . And, in this, the film serves me well by getting me to think about how mass communication can be very harmful.
So, for me , then, this film goes to the sociology of communication – how communication is, the results that communication can create, results which can be total lies, some not so harmful, others destroying.
Beware of mass communication.
Days of Heaven (1978), directed by Terrence Malick, with Richard Gere, Sam Shepherd, Brooke Adams
You want to know what it was like to have been totally poor – no family, no nothing – at the turn of the 20th century, in the United States – when social service support systems were all, but nonexistent. View this film.
This film is an excellent window on this social group of that period, developed out of the large growth around American cities, and their spillover onto society, with no education, no family support, totally dependent upon what was offered, which was not very much, and the effects of all of this on their soul.
Not much was offered (or available) to this group, and they were left with what they could squeeze out of that which was available – the skies, the wind, the grass, the sunshine, their fellow comrades in poverty, and what advantages they could make out of unexpected opportunities.
Such unexpected opportunities are not always without dangers, as we discover in this film.
The Breakfast Club (1985), directed by John Hughes, with Emilio Estevez
What are some feelings and desires, and revelations and attitudes, and truths and falsehoods of being a teenager? Watch this film and you will find out some. With five teenagers, three males and two females, each different, and met to represent different types of wide spectra, you get a really large output of these characteristics as you watch these teenagers interact, over a short period, when they are more or less, lead down the path of wanting to tell each other what it is like to be them.
My Beautiful Laundrette (1980), directed by Stephen Frears, with Rochan Seth , Daniel Day-Lewis
Diversity, diversity, …. Diversity! This film is about diversity – in a country when once if you were different, you had no chance to break into other classes, out of your class. And, maybe more, than anything, this “isolation of the diverse” stagnated the country.
But now, this stagnation has faded, as the diversity is taking a front stage. Is there a correlation? I have no idea for sure but suspect so.
Anyway, I see this film as a look at social structures, individual differences, diverse styles, and acceptance.
Coming Home, directed by Hal Ashby, with Jon Voight, Jane Fonda, Bruce Dern
This film does an excellent job, based on my understanding, of showing the feelings represented in that segment of American society that came to strongly oppose the Viet Nam war.
The film gives us some insight into the basis of those feelings, even amongst those who entered the war committed and wanting to serve and to support.
The film gives us some insight into a conversion process that was going on within a few, the characters of the film and how we might imagine the forces behind this conversion working through American society.
I cannot imagine a more meaningful film to those who participated in, and around, the Viet Nam era, with respect to sensing the anguish that was present in American society.
The Greatest Show On Earth (1952), directed by Cecil B. DeMille, with Betty Hutton, Charlton Heston, James Steward
This is commercial for a circus. The best parts are the actual footage of setting up the tents, loading equipment on trains, and the circus acts being performed during an actual circus.
Unfortunately, it is a commercial and has a lot of unreality to it, like most commercials, especially the unbelievable catastrophic train wreck, followed by the circus going on the next day, if you can believe it.
The sociology of a circus community could be the basis for a good film (and probably has), but unfortunately, not in this case.
Twelve O’clock High (1949), directed by Henry King, with Gregory Peck, Hugh Marlone, Gary Merill
Sociology – covers a lot, including how organizations perform, how leaders do and what they do to be successful, failings of organizations.
An organization is a community, and the 918th Air Group was a complicated one. This film, a classic in human resource and organizational effectiveness studies, is also an excellent, interesting story. The message – leadership is important in communities.
Fury (1936), directed by Fritz Lang, with Spenser Tracy
I would have to say this is a sociological study, depiction of how a community can react under certain conditions, what a group is capable of doing.
This film does well at taking a complex subject, as a lynch mob, and mob behavior, and dissecting its origins, mid-life, conditions, affects, and what such behavior means for the life of the community.
The Long Voyage Home (1940), directed by John Ford, with John Wayne
Although it may not be the most thought about community, seamen at sea are still a unique community with unique sociological interactions, and this film gives us insights into that community.
Seamen seem too often find family, as seamen, at sea, a family they do not have on land.
The Asphalt Jungle (1950), directed by John Houston, with Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern
At first thinking, my conclusion is that this is a good versus evil category film. Certainly, a message is that crime does not pay, good wins out.
But, now I believe this film is more related than that, the film is a good portrayal of a certain type of criminal group, a good sociological study.
One probably could pick apart the motives, background, etc. for the individuals involved in this group and come away with a fairly good set of conclusions about what leads to crime.
One could examine this society, that of the police, that of being poor, that of coming from broken homes, etc., of those seen in this film and end up with some insights, I think.
And one could look at what causes the failures, how the events went wrong, and see fairly well why criminals usually get caught.
Salaam Bombay! (1988), directed by Mira Nair, with Shafiq Syed
Even though it might be tempting to write that what we are watching in this film is mainly portrays the human condition, I will not. The reason is I do not believe that the community, and its people, seen in this film is a permanent “condition” of the human situation. This condition, that we are watching, can be changed. Such a condition surely has been considerably eliminated in many places, such as in the United States. Poverty is not a permanent condition. Only relative economics.
But rather, we are watching a sociological condition, that has characteristics that can be analyzed, has reasons, affects, causes, and an ability to change.
Rome, Open City (1945), directed by Roberto Rossellini, with Anna Magnani
This is a story about groups: a group of Italians who resisted the German occupiers; a group of Italians who collaborated and cooperated with the German occupiers; and the third group – the German occupiers.
The main focuses, and most important insights, are on and from the first group – the Italians who resisted the German occupiers.
Being about groups, and their interactions and workings, leads to the conclusion that this is a film useful to sociology studies.
The Story of Qui Ju (1992), directed by Zhang Yimou, with Gong Li
Do special and unique social interactions and relationships exist between groups; between country folks and city folks; between government and non-government people; between leaders in a community and the ordinary people living in that community?
They do in China, and those special and unique interactions and relationships are explored in this sociological – focus film.
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