Why are movies important to society?

In the case of The Thin Blue Line, it could be a matter of life and death.

[quote=Loner]Why are movies important to society?

Because they allow us to see what REAL life is like. Movies are all about real feelings and real people and real circumstances.

Just like in real life, the ugly loser always gets to tap the hottest girl.

Just like in real life, the nervous, ugly, useless kid can play a 5 minute electric guitar solo at the school talent show at the most important time.

Just like in real life, all women have gorgeous bodies, perfect skin, and always reach orgasm.

Just like in real life, when women shower its always seductive.

Just like in real life, the good guys always win.

Escapism
Entertainment
Dissemination of information, education
To see others who are having the same problems we are
To see how others handle problems
To see justice served, for a change
To see others who are having bigger problems than we are
To feel connected to humanity
To feel connected to aliens, robots, talking lion cubs, etc
To see the art of it
To see the reality of it
To explore "what if"

Aye, not forgetting "to get out of the rain" (which is the only explanation I can give for paying money to see Cabin Fever). ;)

The whole 'escape' issue is a bit murky for me. It's really the same problem I have accepting movies as 'entertainment.' I've certainly used movies as an excuse to avoid work or given specific tasks before (procrastinate from doing homework, to avoid hanging out with people you don't want to see or whatever) but for this purpose movies are merely a tool and frankly interchangeable with just about anything else you can think of which takes up time: reading, other types of work, listening to music, alphabetizing your comic collection, walking in circles endlessly, hanging out with people, etc. etc. etc.

I also wouldn't agree with the other idea of escape which assumes 'movie reality' is somehow better than 'real reality.' It just doesn't stack up, for me. Real reality is much richer and more interesting than any movies I've seen. And anyway it doesn't account for the fact that many of the movies I like are much more bleak and depressing than real life. You have to be pretty ****ed up (or at least a good deal moreso than me) to say the world in Vengeance is Mine, Andrei Rublev or Aguirre: The Wrath of God is a happier, more pleasant world than the ones we live in, for example. Movies that have likeable and believable characters whose experiences and emotions I can share do have a certain appeal but it's just so rare that I come across stories that have these characters that I can't point it out as a major reason to watch movies. And anyway sympathetic characters don't have to exist in a pleasant world for the movie to have the same sort of appeal, so it doesn't really characterize a form of escape there either.

So reasons to watch movies would include:
1. to meet interesting and sympathetic characters and share their experiences. ->(it's pretty rare that I meet them in a movie so this isn't a major reason but more of an added bonus for me.)
2. procrastination (fill up time while I wait to do nothing.) ->I still use movies for this sometimes, but not too often anymore (fortunately, but there are plenty of other procrastination tools besides film in the world.)
3. (a) to be taken to interesting conceptual and/or visual places that I wouldnt experience otherwise. And (b) to find the rare movies that do this to me. ->this is the best reason I know, and my reason for watching a movie usually falls into one of these two subcategories.

4. Various combinations of the above three.

And nonreasons to watch movies include:
1. Entertainment -> because to be entertained just about anything suffices so there's no real distinguishing qualities here. Presumably crappy movies can be just as entertaining as good movies can be just as entertaining as a good novel can be just as entertaining as a good/crappy comic book, television show, conversation, experience etc.

2. Escape to a better world -> because 'real life' always beats out movies. This assumes your experience of real life is greater than going to classes/work, eating pizza at the roller rink with your friends, and sitting in front of a computer screen at home (definition b). If that's what you mean by real life then movies probably are better, but I would posit that that sort of life is itself a form of escape from 'real life' (which would make movies an escape from escapism.) My answer might be different if I was living in crushing poverty working at an emotionally and physically incapacitating job, but I'd like to think I'd still choose 'real life' over movies.


EDIT- this last aside isn't in answer to anything specific in this thread or a reason to not watch movies but just some thoughts on the one thing that I think makes movies more appealing than real life, versus the rest of my post -EDIT
There is one place that I agree movies do beat out real life:
they are faster and more predictable/familiar than real life.
The appeal of this isn't from movies' familiarity with our real life experiences but with our simulated experiences in other movies that we've seen. An example of this is when you see a movie about teenage romance and know that the nerdy wimp hero is going to win the bombshell because of other movies that you've seen. You further know that they will live happily ever after eternally in love. Not from experiences in real life but from shared experiences in movies. You know what a laser gun sounds like from watching Star Wars (the same place you know what space ships look like.)

Note that I'm saying that this appeal isn't the pleasance of the outcome but in our familiarity with the rules. Compared to real life (at least, the real life that I've experienced) movie worlds are much easier to navigate, the experiences easier to assimilate and enjoy. There is a certain appeal in this; such is the power of genres, formulas and symbols.

for me personally, i see them to escape reality, because any problems that occur in those movies seem petty to me, and i sometimes like to imagine "what if i could do that"

Why do people go to the movies? I don't know. Does it matter? Do other peoples actions really mean that much to you? If you like movies, go. If you don't, then don't. One of my friends might like a movie because of the effects, while I like the movie because I was able to relax for awhile. Who cares. Either way, I'm going.

I personally like to think of films as another art form. How much talent must go into producing a good film? It must require real talent and skill and energy. I think it's fantastic to watch a product of all that hard work and effort. I'm a big reader too so it's like seeing characters really come alive and opening a gateway to other worlds, especially for those who don't read a lot. When you read a book you get to use your imagination, people who don't read don't get to have that but a film allows them to see it in 'real' life.

I like to see films to enjoy myself, and, like a lot of people, to escape from reality for a while. What makes the experience even better is if I get a warm fuzzy feeling afterward, knowing that the film I've watched was going to stay in my mind for years.
So far that list consists of 2. Empire Strikes Back and Pirates of the Caribbean.


Oh, and I also like cinemas because it's a social event.

Why are you on this site? Why are you bothering to post on this thread? Who cares. Bugger off and let others enjoy their banter.

And like art they can be interpreted and enjoyed by so many different people, so to put it simply whether you are entertained or movies help you to escape from your life it's still your own reasoning, so it's pretty difficult to generalise all movie goers from our personal viewpoints because we've seen so many movies over our lifespans that we unintentionally will have bias from our personal experiences. So I think it's better to say that everyone loves movies for their own reasons and leave it at that. :)

Another point to raise is where this 'unreal world' of movies ends and the where does the 'real world' begin, I've seen countless young girls emulating their movie idols and gangs forming in areas who seem almost exactly like the gangs in movies + TV. Why is this occuring? It is because people want to live in a dream world, a fantasy world, a world where there is certainty about tommorrow and by conforming to these movies they feel secure in these roles. Thus is the power of movies + media and the almost slave-like pressure on young people that drive the youth suicide rate so high (personal experience).

Sorry if that's a bit of a tangent but I was just responding to previous posts. Have a nice day -SpoOkY

Someone asked, I answered. I guess I should have known that answers are only right if they're okayed by you. Unless, of course, you were just being a pizza-face. If this is the case let me know. I'll be glad to continue this.

what and pizza-faces are all that bad? I guess you are suggesting they are........anyways lets keep this thread rolling and not stop to argue :)

my film professor would say:
"The ultimate goal of films is to ensure a sense of social stability" I dont know if ive ever agreed with it, but its worth thinking about. I think the simple entertainment of the movies can indeed make us believe that 'everything will be ok'.

Imagination. Inspiration. Laughs. Shocks. Cheap thrills.

General entertainment.

Every person on the face of this planet does something to "escape" every day life. I wouldn't say that movies are always "someone else portraying something we live out everyday". many movies are NOTHING like real life. and im not just talking about movies like Lord of the Rings, Terminator, and, oh....Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. even your run-of-the-mill romantic comdies about a girl and a guy that fall in love are often NOTHING like real life. i think it tries to trick you into thinking that this is supposed to be similiar to real life. sorta like how when you look at models in magazines, its a message to teenage girls and boys that THIS is the normal way to look. but it isn't.

but anyway, i think i got off track. ;) like i was originally saying, everyone has a past-time that allows them to escape. in some ways, that could be the very definition of 'past-time'. just something to do to get you to escape the icky parts of life - maybe its dealing with icky people all day at your crummy job, for example (my personal example). :) what better way to do this than to sit down in a dark theater (or on your own comfy couch) with a cup of your beverage of choice, and watch the cutsey actors and actresses onscreen say their clever lines? what better way to do this than to watch a really interesting, original plot twist thought out by a director you really admire for their genius?

anyway...thats my reason...

I think everyone goes to the movies for a different reason... Some to try and escape a rather humdrum existence, others just to get away from the kids for a few hours (that's me!), and some just to be entertained. Regardless, it's a wonderful medium that can at times be funny, moving, violenct, gory, etc... Basically just a heck of a lot of fun!

Re: Why Are Movies So Important To Society?
 

Escapism is the one thing I don't get - I get a sense of engagement if anything. When I see something amazing, that feeling inside is why I love film.

Re: Why Are Movies So Important To Society?
 

I don't think they are that important, especially modern movies made for the sake of entertainment, as if 'entertainment value' is some god-given gift from heaven. People could live without entertainment. I don't see why it's so important. Now, that's not to say I don't enjoy the occasional escapism every now and then of course, but my point is, I don't think it's as important as, say, politics and art.

With films that engage me emotionally and intellectually, on the other hand, now that's important. They shape society and culture. They actually do something more productive than kill two hours of your boredom while you wait for the next Walking Dead season to be released so you could kill more time at home sitting in front of your boob tube.

Now, I'm no movie-historian, and I'm probably mistaken, but it's been a while since I last watched a movie that has set some kind of major milestone that revolutionized the movie industry in a more significant manner than "Hey, we've connected a comic book universe together on-screen so that you'll pay more money, sucker."

Re: Why Are Movies So Important To Society?
 

To address those questioning the "escapist" claims. I think that rather than providing an escape route, movies serve as a guiding path, just as stories generally have served to educate humanity for Millenia about proper behavior and whatnot (think parables, stories about the tortoise and the hare, religious texts, etc.). Movies now serve as the medium for transmission of stories and lessons because they are tremendously rich and easy to consume,