The Cinema: Highlighting a Number of Issues - Essay Example

Students Name Professor Course name Date Introduction The cinema has often been used to highlight a number of issues affecting the world over and film makers have directed a lot of attention to the political arena. Numerous films shown in cinemas over the years have been used to highlight the inside story of the political spectrum to the public masses, though different film makers have had different motives in producing such films. The cinema in a way provides an illusionary democracy to the viewer, which only lasts as long as the film runs given the aim of the producer. In reality democracy within the political spectrum remains a wanting topic since power issues are involved and unlike in the cinemas, it is not stage managed in order to achieve a particular outcome. During the early years of cinema, films were used more as a technique of communication rather than as a source of entertainment (Gunning 382). This period saw the boom of the nickelodeon movie theatres which were characterized by an influx in the numbers of people who went in to view the motion pictures. This can be called the silent era of cinema because the films shown contained motion pictures with the absence of sound, though in certain instances there was a narrator and music during the show. However, what started off as an entertainment venture slowly evolved to become a platform for different groups to pass their messages to the larger population. The cinema; is it ‘democracy’s theatre?’ The growth and spread of the nickelodeon across the nation provided an alternative public sphere as (Hansen) views it in her work Early Silent Cinema. However, (Herbamas 60) argues that this sphere brought about the emergences of a bourgeois democracy, where ideas would be brought forward, scrutinized and form the basis of social debates. The cinema in its own cannot be a democracy, but it provides an avenue for democracy to be scrutinized, promoted and debated on. During the early years of cinema, different groups of radicals and reformers used the medium of cinema to promote their ideas well as educate and influence the public. The cinema can viewed as a hypothetical democracy since it is often used to depict how real democracy should exist. Given the reality of society where capitalism and political self interests rule, the cinema then becomes a playground for the disgruntled groups to highlight the flaws of the system and give their own perceived democratic solutions. On the other hand the cinema becomes democracy’s theatre by offering a public space for the public to meet, share and analyse ideas while scrutinizing the social, cultural and political environment in which they live in. In his work, (Ling 178) explores this subject by highlighting Plato’s views about the theatre being parallel to democracy, where a once silent audience gets empowered and starts to use pool together their voices. This empowerment gives rise to arrogance judgement and opinions. However using the cinema as a democratic emblem does not promote democracy because the cinema contains a lot of information which remains untrue and wanting. The development of the cinematic sphere during the nickelodeon period The nickelodeons became very popular as from the year 1906 and they gained autonomy from the other forms of popular entertainment such as the vaudeville shows. They attracted a diverse audience, thus becoming an alternative public sphere in terms of the social platform they presented for the audience. According to (Hansen, 95), the nickelodeons provided a public sphere since they allowed the viewers to connect and interact with other viewers. This was enhanced by the practices carried out within the nickelodeon theatres, where there would be music and the viewers would sing along to it. Much as the films were silent with only motion pictures being shown, the accompanying live music, and the presence of a narrator ensured that the viewers enjoyed the film. To begin with, we explore the reasons why the nickelodeons became very popular to their audience and also examine the composition of the population that flocked in to watch the silent films. According to (Hansen), going to the cinema gave many viewers the opportunity to belong to a group which provided a sort of social security since many of them felt left out from the other social activities that took place during that time. She goes on to define this audience as being composed of women, immigrants as well as the urbanized working class. According to (Waller 20), the population that flocked into the nickelodeons was composed of a naive audience; mostly immigrants who were eager to learn the way of life and culture of the neighbourhoods into which they had settled. Other scholars argue that the nickelodeons attracted the working class people because admission into the theatre was inexpensive. The other major factor that attracted the large audience is the fact that the movies were silent therefore one did not need to understand English in order to enjoy the films. According to Czitrom, the new concept of the cinematograph screenings was seen and accepted as a platform that could be used to reach out to different people regardless of their national, social and cultural status (40). The films became a medium for passing on information to the public mass mostly highlighting issues that affected their day-to-day life. The cinematic public sphere during this period grew from just a form of entertainment and social interaction to a medium of relaying information to the general public. The public sphere as described by (Herbamas 50) refers to the domain of human social life, where public opinion can be created. On the other hand it is open to everybody who wishes to be part of it in regard to the laws of the freedom of expression. In regard to this definition, the films aired in the nickelodeon theatres provided a cinematic public sphere in terms of the information they were used to pass on to the diverse audience and on another perspective, the films could be made by anybody with the financial ability to produce one. This therefore meant that different stakeholders produced movies with the particular content they needed to pass on to the audience with the hope that they would influence public opinions with time on different issues such as political and labour concerns. This gave rise to competition in terms of what was produced and how many people would be able to view these productions. In America, the motion pictures were used as a tool for political education to the people by different groups of people across the political divide. These dingy movie theatres were the best medium available to influence the opinion of the larger mass of people regarding issues which were little known of by the public (Fuller 185). The cinematic public sphere during the nickelodeon period therefore became a socio-economic and political classroom for the general public, especially those who frequented the film theatres. It is evident that leaders and other stake holders understood the significance of making their ideas known to the public therefore this explains why the nickelodeons were a major channel for them to relay their information. The nickelodeons became a popular platform for different entities given their ability to reach out to a larger and diverse number of the people unlike other media like the newspapers and magazines. To support this argument, (Ross 40) analyses the attendance trends to the nickelodeons as from 1910 to 1930. In the year 1910, almost a third of the population would attend the movies, while in the 1920s this number had risen to represent almost half of the population and by the year 1930; the figures approached the hundred percent mark of the nation’s total population. Armed with the knowledge of this type of attendance, filmmakers understood just how powerful the films were when it came to relaying little know information to the public in comparison to the other forms of media; which were only effective in reaching a limited number of the audience and had little appeal. Due to the rapid growth and expansion of the silent films across neighbourhoods, they provided an environment for the spread of political ideas to the public and here, public opinion started to bud (Ross). These movies became an integral part of the social life of the people, since different issues affecting the larger population were exposed in the films providing the people with a glimpse of the issues they were up against, giving them a glimpse into the importance of their contribution towards their own well being. On the other hand the cinema acted as an independent public sphere that rivalled the other existing and already established public spaces. The films aired became the best medium of communicating and relaying ideas as well as any information considered necessary for the public since the film makers were able to incorporate previously written content into the films which reached a vast number of people In her works, (Hansen 190) argued that the nickelodeons gave way to a new world of hetero social commercialized entertainment that gave women the liberty to attend movie theatres unlike before when the world of entertainment only accommodated men. This new shift gave women a new public sphere, where they could also gather and discuss other issues affecting them apart from watching the movies. This cinematic public sphere did not only feature entertainment but addressed crucial issues that affected the public. Since the bulk of the audience was the working class, they shared common problems in their work life, such as being exposed to poor working conditions, working for long hours without overtime pay, and low wages. Labour unionists took advantage of this cinematic public sphere to enlighten the working class about their rights. They this social platform to air films addressing the controversial issues of the day through stories which addressed issues such worker exploitation and how government officials abused power of office ( Fuller). This way issues that had been hidden from the public were brought forth to receive renewed attention as well as shape public opinion. This platform became a convenient channel for enlightening the working population about the issues and struggles they faced at the different work stations. With this information workers were influenced to unite in order to find a collective solution to their challenges. Whether or not the workers felt a need to unite, the labour unionists who produced such films believe that the cinematic public sphere provided the best avenue for establishing a common ground for the working class to address the problems they were facing. Through these films the labour unions hoped to provide the working class with a platform where they could picture a different situation in their work life. A situation where every worker received fair pay and the standard of living was harmonized, workplace safety was enhanced and the nation was corruption free. Government agencies collaborated with major corporations to produce their own films disputing the work of the trade unionists. In their productions they highlighted worker carelessness as the major cause of workplace accidents, thus painting employers as putting much effort in ensuring employee safety and employees frustrated their employer’s efforts. In addition to these displays, the major corporations often aired films which discredited the work of labour unions in lobbying for proper treatment of the workers. The cinematic public sphere had now grown to be a battlefield between the perceived oppressor and the representatives of the oppressed. However this platform became a very useful space for the common people since they were able to take part in pushing for social reforms in the sectors they perceived to be wanting. The mid 1910s were experiencing a growth in the number and diversity of films produced, and the cinematic public sphere was now shifting focus from just educating the public. It became a platform for serious competition in lobbying for the rights of workers while the employers and government agencies hit back against the labour unionists in a bid to clear their name. The workers during this time were divided along the lines of race as well as class and more to that they were working during an era of growing capitalism, which further divided them in terms of work status. This drove film makers with workers interests at heart to turn the cinema into an arena for constantly enlightening not only the population that frequented the nickelodeons, but also those who hardly came in to watch the films. Their major aim was to use this platform influence the workers into forming organized groups through which they could push for change in the existing structures (Ross 47) in his work the Visual Politics of Class. This development of the cinematic public sphere experienced its own hurdles due to a conflict of interest. While political radicals as well as labour union officials used this platform to educate and enlighten the masses, there are other parties who were concerned with the dangers that this public sphere presented. The nickelodeons offered a space for the public to socialize and this caused quite a stir since some of the viewers used this space to practice irresponsible behaviour (Czitrom 44). This was promoted by the fact that the nickelodeon theatres were dark and poorly lit and teenagers took advantage of to defy the existing societal moral values. Reformers and conservatives were also concerned that the nickelodeons were became a haven for prostitution and it was possible that other immoral people would take advantage of unsuspecting girls. This newfound rapidly growing cinematic sphere caused a moral panic within the society since it overtook other places of public social interaction such as the libraries, churches and museums. Concern was growing over the content of some of the films which displayed all sorts of crime, and some reform groups lobbied for the censorship of these movies, and they were successful in censoring the content that would be aired in the nickelodeons on Sundays. There were also concern that the nickelodeon posed a physical threat to the viewers since they were poorly ventilated and since they were often crowded, there was little protection in case of a fire. Conclusion It is evident that the cinematic public sphere during the nickelodeon period developed through different phases defined by the social horizon and the structures that existed socially, culturally and politically. This cinematic public sphere grew from just that to an alternative public sphere where heavy weights would compete to influence public opinion. In today’s society the mass media constitutes the largest public sphere that determines what information reaches the common citizens. During the nickelodeon period as explored in the essay above, the films became the largest and best medium of communicating to and influencing the public on whatever issues were projected. It is important to note how the cinematic public sphere evolved form an entertainment sphere into an educative platform, and later became a channel for politics of labour. The government and other interested parties were very quick to realize the importance of the films in helping them maintain their relevance as opposed to other media such as magazines and newspapers. The nickelodeon period has a very significant contribution to the development of the public sphere, which helped shape the cinema industry today. Works cited Armour, Robert A. "Effects of Censorship Pressure on the New York Nickelodeon Market, 1907-1909." Film History 4.2 (1990): 113-21. Indiana University Press. Web. 29 Oct 2013 Czitrom, Daniel J. "American Motion Pictures and the New Popular Culture, 1893-1918."Media and the American Mind: From Morse to McLuhan. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1982. 30-59. Print. Fuller, Kathryn H. Boundaries of Participation: The Problem of Spectatorship and American Film Audiences, 1905-1930. Film & History, 1990. Gunning, Tom. The Cinema of Attraction: Early film, Its Spectator and the Avant-Garde. Wide Angle 8.3 (1986). Web. 29 Oct 2013 Herbamas, Jurgen. The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry into a Category of Bourgeois Society. Cambridge: MIT, 1989. Print. Hansen, Miriam. Early cinema, late cinema: permutations of the public sphere. Screen; autumn 34.3 (1993): 197. Web. 29 Oct. 2013 Hansen, Miriam. Early Silent Cinema, Whose public sphere? New German Critique; spring- summer 1983 29. Web. 27 Oct 2013 Ling, Alex. Badiou and Cinema. Edinburgh. Edinburgh UP. 2011 Ross J. Steven. The Visual Politics of Class: Silent Film and the Public Sphere. Film International 1.2 (2003): 44-50. Web. 28 Oct. 2013 Ross J. Steven. Working-Class Hollywood: Silent Film and the Shaping of Class in America. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1998. Print Waller, Gregory. "Another Audience: Black Moviegoing, 1907-16." Cinema Journal 31.2 (1992): 3-25. University of Texas Press. Web. 30 Oct 2013 Read More