Can a movie change the world?

[one eyed jack]

I dont mean like special effects revolutionising the world stuff but a movie that could emotionally influence people en masse to change their outlook on the way things are?

There have been many great movies and I wonder if amidst the block busters and the art house movies whether such a movie is possible.

Is it?

[Guilbert]

I would have to say NO, mainly because CHANGE is such a big word.

However if you said INFLUENCE, then maybe yes.

I would say that about all "art", CHANGE no, but INFLUENCE yes.

Charles Dickens, for example, was a social commentator at the time and he wrote books like Oliver Twist to highlight the appalling way young children were treated in Victorian England.

These books were read by the "well to do" and this gradually influenced the way people thought about children and laws were brought in to stop children working in factories at a young age, and to reduce the hours they worked.

Films like say Easy Rider brought drug taking and rock music into the mainstream when it was released, the first "youth" movie to feature those things, and it influenced people (and of course the studios rushed to make more "youth" movies on low budgets hoping to make a killing).

But overall anti-war films have done nothing to stop wars, a comedy like Life of Brian did nothing to change people's views on religion, and Schindler's list has not stopped extremism or ethnic cleansing.

No matter how powerful a film they generally only have an impact amongst the more "educated" classes, and in the end little, if anything, changes.

[one eyed jack]

I like what you have Guilbert.

Influence is still impact. You are right though. Many people are resistant to change and it would have to be one hell of a movie to have that kind effect on people.

[Steve R]

If such a movie were to be made, it would be banned.

[one eyed jack]

Sorry I meant to say I like what you have written.

Thanks.

[planeterotica]

Well this movie certainly would have had some influence as it was the first celluloid film ever made back in 1888 but if you blink you will miss it as it only last for two seconds, but think what it set in motion and what was to follow !wink!

[The Cream Bun]

Has "An Inconvenient truth" changed the agenda on climate change?

In the US maybe?