By Emmanuel Gundran
American culture’s changing socio-political climate has changed radically over the past one hundred years. These changes have also shaped the way that filmmakers craft their work, whether they encourage the current culture’s trends or challenge them. A film like Zero Dark Thirty (Bigelow, 2012) re-enacts, in gruesome detail, the hunt for Osama Bin Laden in 2011, practically making it a reactionary tale of the events. However, a film does not need to have overt references to real-life events for it to be rooted in a particular time and place in history. It is very clear that Mean Girls (Waters, 2004), from the fashion to the pop culture references and even the technology (or lack thereof), is a product of the mid-2000’s culture. Films such as these preserve culture, like a time capsule of sorts, and show either what filmmakers or audiences at the time valued about their culture. The same holds very true for animated films, and, in addition, it shows what filmmakers at the time wanted to communicate to children, the primary audience for most animated films. Animated films in the 2010’s, by analyzing their culture and content, portray the decade as an era of mass connection, individuality, and emotional vulnerability.
American culture’s changing socio-political climate has changed radically over the past one hundred years. These changes have also shaped the way that filmmakers craft their work, whether they encourage the current culture’s trends or challenge them. A film like Zero Dark Thirty (Bigelow, 2012) re-enacts, in gruesome detail, the hunt for Osama Bin Laden in 2011, practically making it a reactionary tale of the events. However, a film does not need to have overt references to real-life events for it to be rooted in a particular time and place in history. It is very clear that Mean Girls (Waters, 2004), from the fashion to the pop culture references and even the technology (or lack thereof), is a product of the mid-2000’s culture. Films such as these preserve culture, like a time capsule of sorts, and show either what filmmakers or audiences at the time valued about their culture. The same holds very true for animated films, and, in addition, it shows what filmmakers at the time wanted to communicate to children, the primary audience for most animated films. Animated films in the 2010’s, by analyzing their culture and content, portray the decade as an era of mass connection, individuality, and emotional vulnerability.
Ralph meeting with other, familiar video game villains from various franchises.
Due to the growing accessibility and overall usefulness of electronic devices, especially smartphones, American culture in the 2010’s has become more interconnected than ever before. Marshall McLuhan correctly predicted that technology would allow everyone to become more connected with one another, and compares what society has become to “a global village” (63). Films like Wreck-it Ralph (Jackman, 2012) and The Lego Movie (Lord and Miller, 2014) are the result of inter-connectedness in pop culture because of their inclusion of characters that the filmmakers knew their target audiences would instantly recognize. The Lego Movie features Batman (Will Arnett) from DC Comics as one of its main protagonists while other familiar characters like Dumbledore from the Harry Potter franchise, Han Solo from the Star Wars franchise, and Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings franchise play supporting roles throughout the film. Meanwhile, Wreck-it Ralph has the title character (played by John C. Reilly) meeting up with Bowser from the Super Mario Bros games and Zangief (Rich Moore) from the Street Fighter games in a ‘villains anonymous’ meeting. The way that these characters from vastly different franchises are able to crossover with such ease demonstrates how online social media has created a space for fans of all of these franchises to connect with one other. Users on the Internet can post on online forums where they can discuss their favorite games, shows, or movies, create a web of other fans, and even encourage outsiders to join their fandom.
Merida rebelling against her mother and asserting her right to deviate from her family's traditions.
While American society in the 2010’s has become very inter-connected through online media, it is also very adamant about idividuality and self-discovery. Ever since the country’s beginnings, individuality has been a strong American trait. The Declaration of Independence was written as a means for the country to individualize itself from Great Britain and recognize its citizens’ rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (US 1776).” Brave (Andrews, Chapman, and Purcell, 2012) and Moana (Clements and Musker, 2016) both display through their protagonists that aggressive individuality that American’s have. Merida (Kelly MacDonald) of Brave is a great example of individuality at work, as she rebels against her family’s marital customs to forge her own path using her bravery and skill with a bow. Similarly, Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) breaks with her family’s comfortable, isolationist traditions to explore the open seas and follow the adventurous traditions of her ancestors. Both Merida and Moana do eventually return to their families later on to make amends, emphasizing the importance of family in an individual’s life. However, each of them do so in different ways. While Brave ends with Merida reconciling with her family and strengthening her relationship with them, thus emphasizing a greater need for community rather than isolation, Moana ends with Moana not only returning to her family but also shaping her tribe’s culture through her strength and courage, thus showing that someone can inspire bravery in others. Both films deal with the issue of individuality and one’s relationship to their community in different ways but recognize that one cannot always live in total isolation.
Joy putting Sadness in a circle in the back corner of Riley's mind, suppressing Riley's negative emotions.
Finally, there is the idea of allowing one’s emotions to shine through and show kindness to others that is becoming more important to American society. In an interview with The Atlantic’s Julie Beck in 2015, psychologist David Caruso states that American culture has a “relentless drive to mask the expression of our true underlying feelings" ("How to Get Better At Expressing Emotions"). It’s this drive that’s demonstrated in Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out (Doctor, 2015). The film’s main characters are the five basic emotions of a young girl named Riley Andersen (Kaitlyn Dias) who help her through her day-to-day activities. Throughout the film, Sadness (Phyllis Smith) is pushed further and further away from the other emotions when they she causes Riley to have unpleasant moments in her life. This perfectly represents the mask that Caruso says is so common in America. To paint a better picture oneself as a strong, self-reliant individual, one may hide their sadness or other negative emotions behind a mask of happiness or strength. However, Inside Out teaches that sadness cannot be held for long, and that people have an innate need for catharsis, an outlet for embracing sorrow. Before Riley can run away from home on a buss and give in to depression, Sadness is given back control of her thoughts. Thus, Riley runs back home to her parents from the bus and tearfully hugs them both, finally giving her a moment of catharsis.
Because culture is always changing, one has to wonder how films, especially animated films, will change with the times. With racial equality, gender dynamics, and political correctness becoming more relevant issues, perhaps more films such as Zootopia (Howard and Moore, 2016) will come out of the woodwork to address them. Then, who knows how other films will respond to, or even reshape, the culture moving forward? These films preserve the values and challenges of a generation, and will give future generations a perspective of where American culture was and where it is going.
Works Cited:
Beck, Julie. “How to Get Better at Expressing Emotions.” The Atlantic, 18 Nov. 2015. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/11/how-to-get-better-at-expressing-emotions/416493/
McLuhan, Marshall. The Medium is the Massage. Ginko Press Inc., 1967.
