Y200 Politics and Film
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Transcript of Y200 Politics and Film
Key Questions about CultureWhat is the relationship between mass or
popular culture and the broader culture of society?
What is the role and importance of film in popular culture at different periods in history?
Can film makers exercise power or influence through their privileged access to cultural production?
Early Beliefs about the Power of FilmIn its early days, as with photography, people
assumed that film was an accurate representation of reality
The early response to films was so strong that many observers thought that film could play a key role in politics
The first attempts to use film explicitly for political purposes were during World War I
The use of film for propaganda purposes by the Nazis and by Stalin was a continuation of this tradition
In the US, the private film industry volunteered its services to the government
Historical FilmsWe have seen a series of films about
fictionalized historical eventsIn the midterm, one of the questions dealt
with the relation between a specific film (Apocalypse Now) and the director’s claim that the film “is Vietnam”
Some argue that a film like “The Hurt Locker” is an accurate portrayal of the war in Iraq; others disagree
How should we think about such claims?
Key Question about HistoryIs there such a thing as “objective” history?If so, how does one differentiate objective
from subjective history? Assuming objectivity is possible, how do
social institutions and popular myths (as reflected in cultural artifacts) push the telling of history away from objectivity?
History as a Unifying Myth vs. “Objective” History
The importance of a shared understanding of history in maintaining social cohesion often conflicts with the internal need of the community of historians to entertain opposing viewpoints in the interest of “objectivity.”
Film as MythWhat is the role of myth in society?What role does myth and mythology play
in the stories told by films and other artifacts of popular culture?
How do myths change over time to reflect new or different understandings of reality and/or history?
ArchetypesSwiss psychologist Carl Jung (1873–1961)
tried to understand the psychology behind world myths. Jung asserted that all humans share certain innate unconscious psychological forces, which he called archetypes. Jung believed that the similarities between the myths from different cultures reveals the existence of these universal archetypes.
Claude Levi-StraussMyths reflect patterns in the mind that are
characteristic of all humans, and therefore all human societies.
Most myths reflect mental polarities (pairs of opposites):Good vs. EvilHeroic vs. CowardlyMale vs. Female
People who agree with Levi-Strauss were called “structuralists”
Joseph Campbell (1904-1987)Early writings on Native AmericansMajor work: The Hero with a Thousand Facestwo different types of mythology:
myths that "are metaphorical of spiritual potentiality in the human being
myths "that have to do with specific societies“George Lucas was strongly influenced by
Campbell’s ideas, especially the importance of the heroic quest or journey in mythology
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Good vs. Evil in Star WarsRepubliRepublicc
JediJedi ObiwaObiwann
LukeLuke
YodaYoda
EmpireEmpire SithSith VaderVader
SiddiouSiddiouss
MaulMaul
DookuDooku