Over time multiple elements of film have changed but core plot elements and themes within movies have stayed the same since 1965. Audiences love a good romance and admire those who take action and rebel against traditional rules and confines. While topics covered may shift slightly to emphasize current issues, the root of the stories contain the same themes and situations. However, one aspect of film that has seen significant improvement since 1965 is the technological advancements made that are reflected in the ability to produce more visually appealing movies.

To begin we will explore the themes of Bonnie and Clyde which released in 1967. The movie was one of the last Hollywood movies before the dissolution of the production code. While it was released in an era of change, Bonnie and Clyde also marks the beginning of the time-span covered within this course. Kristen in her essay Bonnie and Clyde: Milestone or Tasteless? describes how, “Bonnie and Clyde is the beginning of a new era.” The movie poster emphasizes the fun and loving couple who seem to have no care in the world even though they are being shot at. The film pushes violence and sexual themes to the point where some critics of the time were hesitant to enjoy the movie. With the Civil Rights and hippie movement of the 1960’s the masses were beginning to rebel from the static and rigid lifestyle popularized in the 1950’s. The New Yorker in a 1967 movie review summarized the movie best in a statement that the movie was, “not an art that we learned over the years to appreciate but simply and immediately ours.” Even though the real life Bonnie and Clyde lived in during the Great Depression, their rebellious actions and ability to capture the hearts of the general public led Robert Ebert in his 1967 review to call the film, “a movie that defines our generation.” 

 

One scene that surely stuck with audiences was the film’s conclusion, a brutal gun-down of both Bonnie and Clyde. The audiences watch while the pair’s bodies are ripped to shreds by bullets and instead of a clean death, the shooting is messy, bloody, and realistic. 

E.T. the Extra Terrestrial was a blockbuster directed by Spielberg, one of the so called film-school directors, even though he did not attend college. Steven Spielberg drew from his own childhood and personal background to really bring his story to life. With E.T. he opened himself up to vulnerability by telling a deeply personal story of loneliness and the struggle to fit in. This message hit home with parents and children alike and although the visuals do not hold up to modern day audiences, it is the story that captivates the viewer. A 2012 retrospective article by The Herald Sun describes the process for which John Williams composed the movie’s soundtrack and created the score for the memorable scene of E.T. and Elliot soaring past the moon on a bicycle. The movie has gone on to become the 4th highest grossing movie of all time when adjusting for inflation. Even though the movie was destined for success due to Spielberg’s involvement with major films such as Jaws and Indiana Jones he still was able to surpass any expectations by depicting a relatable and impactful relationship between E.T. and Elliot.

While Spielberg does not tap into the romance and rebellious themes as much, he instead centers his work around the natural and relatable desire to fit in within a society. Elliot’s loneliness parallels E.T.’s abandonment and the two go through the process of growing up together. David Gibson in his Library of Congress film essay highlights how E.T. is a heartfelt and timeless classic.

Solaris makes a great contrast to the massively successful E.T. Solaris was originally released in the USSR in 1972 but the officials did not care for Tarkovski’s work thus it had a limited release in Moscow only. In 1976 the movie released stateside but due to a combination of the Cold War and Tarkovski’s unconventional style, the movie bombed at the box office as mentioned in Robert Ebert’s original review. Tarkovski takes a slow approach to unwinding his story and is evident in a scene where for five minutes the characters simply watch a painting without speaking.

 Solaris contains the same core themes of loneliness, rebellion, and love that I believe are constant throughout the industry. The slow churn of the plot leads to a complex dynamic where Kris falls in love with a recreation of his dead wife. He rebels against orders to return to earth and instead lives out his days on the surface of the foreign planet. Loneliness is certainly the centerpiece of the film as it delves into what could happen to human mind’s when locked in isolation for many years on a spaceship. 

Looking at the modern marvel Avatar the blockbuster formula is evident. The story contains the same tropes and themes of many movies prior just wrapped in a new coat of paint. The visuals are quite simply stunning. Although the technology made the creation of Pandora possible, it was a painstaking process that took many years in order to perfect.  Kory-Saxe argues in his essay, Two Ways that the Digital Revolution Changed the Film Industry, that newer technology has enabled blockbuster films to easily draw viewers with extreme effects. His point stands true but it requires major funding and time in order to get right.

Pandora comes alive with the vibrant colors and CGI created mountains and humanoid aliens. Visuals have undoubtedly come a long way from the unrealistic alien E.T. and the choppy puppeteering used in the Terminator to the crisp and beautiful world of Pandora. Cameron chose to embrace CGI and the new 3D wave that he believed was the future of the industry as mentioned in a rolling stone interview. Avatar, released in 2009, still has the highest box office of all time and manages to convey some serious social and political messages. Environmentalism is at the forefront of these and is emphasized by the natural beauty of the land and connection the indigenous tribe has with it. The humans plow through the jungle’s in order to make a quick buck and in doing so are destroying the environment and the native tribes’ way of life. This parallels back to the settlement of the Americas when Europeans took over by force of the native’s land and way of life as described in Joni Adamson’s journal article for American Literary History. Adamson goes on to relate the movie to certain indigenous tribes in Brazil who are being threatened by the occurring deforestation.

Cameron took some risk by ingraining these messages into the film. Clearly these messages did not stir too many people away as the visuals kept people coming back to the big screen. The story while not original still captivates and inspires the viewers due to it revolving around the same core themes that most major movies emphasize. These being rebellion and a convincing romance. Jake Sully over time comes to rebel against his orders from his militant boss and falls in love with a native. His strong actions are inspiring and come across as heartfelt.

Movies certainly do differ, whether it be by style, genre, technology, or various issues the director chooses to emphasize. Directors are able to portray a wide scope of emotions and complexities. Looking at Solaris the relevance of the Cold War is evident in how it was received poorly but in retrospect is regarded as one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time. Avatar and Bonnie and Clyde similarly take on different social and political messages but both specifically relevant to our nation at the time of release. E.T. is a vulnerable and relatable look into the growing pains of Spielberg and other suburban youth. Yet, throughout time the core of movies remains the same. This core of movies stems from basic human nature with themes of proving oneself, rebellion, love, and loneliness. Andrew-Cabri details how both Avatar and Forrest Gump revolve around these human themes and contain strong heart in his essay Becoming a Person to Believe In. An underlying takeaway from this is that over time we have remained the same messy, emotional and irrational people. Technology and social issues have been greatly improved over time but underneath we still have the same basic desires and messy behavior that has been documented throughout history.

Works Cited

1. Kristen’s Bonnie and Clyde: Milestone or Tasteless?
2. Bonnie and Clyde original movie poster
3. New Yorker review of Bonnie and Clyde
4. Robert Ebert review of Bonnie and Clyde
5. Bonnie and Clyde’ Death Scene
6. E.T. the Extra Terrestrial original movie poster
7. The Herald Sun retrospective analysis of John Williams soundtrack
8. E.T. and Elliot hug screencap
9. Robert Ebert’s 1976 review of Solaris
10. Silent Painting Scene
11. Kory-Saxe’s Two Ways that the Digital Revolution Changed the Film Industry
12. ChoppyTerminator Scene
13. Pandora Screencap
14. James Cameron interview
15. Mother Tree Destruction
16. Solaris greatest science fiction movie
17. Andrew-Cabri’s Becoming a Person to Believe In
18. Joni Adamson’s journal article
19. Library of Congress film essay