I have often wondered at the impact of movies on humans, as
a species. Don’t get me wrong, I love going to the movies, but are movies in
general good for us? (Two of my favorite things growing up were high-fructose
corn syrup and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil…get my point?)
One of the things I like about movies is that I can walk
away from a movie theater feeling happy or sad or scared or romantic with just
a 2 hour investment. My life is often transformed for a day or more as the
images and themes work their way through my conscious mind. I think there is a
little residual that, like memory, remains behind, and that is a little scary.
I firmly believe there are things you can’t unsee.
When my lads were far younger, I was concerned by the
anthropomorphism rampant in Disney movies. My sons were being programmed, I was
sure. Could I really put out mouse traps each spring, knowing my kids might ask
me if I killed Bernard or Bianca, yet? There was an Ikea commercial a few years
ago that made me laugh almost every time I saw it. There is a lamp atop a pile
of junk awaiting the arrival of the trash man. Sorrowful music played, and a
Swedish voice says: “Some of you feel bad for this lamp. That is because you
are stupid. It is just a lamp. Get a new one.” Of course, I thought about the
Brave Little Toaster… I wonder how many people are vegetarians today because
they are convinced on some deep, dark level that Disney & friends were
right? That our food has feelings? (Funny, when I suddenly realize Disney did
not often select food animals for characters? Cows, pigs, chickens…not a lot in
the Disney pantheon…hmmm. But there was an awful lot of vermin!). Could a
lifetime of Disney movies impact how you see animals?
Horror. This really seems obvious, doesn’t it? Who doesn’t ever
think about Jaws when they go swimming? There are images in my head I wish were
not there, thanks to horror movies. It was bad enough when movie technology was
a little hokey—I could chant, It’s not real! It’s not real! But nowadays,
special effects are so special…seeing is believing (?). Side note: scariest
movie for me, “Silence of the Lambs.” Still scared.
Ugh, movie romance. My contempt is sharpened by the fact
that I am not immune to it…damnit. My favorite romantic comedy is “Serendipity,”
and what a scourge that has been in my life! I’ve watched it several times, and
I hate myself a little each time I do. Fate? Ooog. Not sure I believe in that,
and this movie really pushes the boundaries. For Kate Beckinsale, I am tempted
to believe… Love the movie, hate myself.
A recent conversation pointed out a bifurcation with move
sex scenes: the morning after, they are either in love (95%), or mortified
(5%). There is no middle ground. Is life like that? Should life be like that?
In the movies, a couple falls in love based on 3 or 4
magical scenes that push the characters together, irresistibly. Are those
scenes enough to sustain a relationship? Of course not, and every filmmaker
would say, it’s just a story and a lot of stuff happens off-screen. Duh. But
why do I so rarely think about the off-screen parts? Movies are like modern day
fairy tales that skip over a lot of the mundane stuff. Sleeping Beauty…one kiss
and she didn’t even have to give her permission. I’m thinking of the sexual
assault charges these days. One kiss, she opens her eyes, doesn’t scream and is
suddenly in TRUE LOVE.
I think the difference between fairy tales and movies is
simply speed. In fairy tales, people fall in love in 30 seconds; in movies, 2
hours. Is that realistic? Oh, and if we’re talking realistic, how often is
movie courtship even close to realistic? Can too much schmaltz impact how you
view dating?
