1920s Film Analysis

Film and Television and advertising can affect the way we see the world and how we interact with society. During the 1920s and 30s film and advertising had a big impact in spreading the ideas of capitalism to American society. In the 1920s, which was an era of new inventions and new thinking. The age just after World War I, where people saw the rise of a new America. America was changing, new clothing, inventions and a new sense of culture was being conceived. The idea of the American Dream was prominent in each and every American household. The indoctrinated ideas of a self-reliant society was widespread. A passionate Capitalist economy with the lack of government intervention was also born. “The Roaring Twenties” and the “Belle Époque” era

Movies during the time generated an enormous amount of people each year. Movies and movie theatres were an easy and accessible place to share information. In the 1920s marketing and advertising was also rapped and widespread around America, as a consumer driven society was created. Films during the 1920s were the first films to introduce products and other initiatives. Movies usually showed the product or indorsed ads before or after movies. Movies generally promoted products and most movie posters were positioned next to product posters. With America having a large middle class with disposable income this meant that product sales would grow due to the American audience being persuaded to buy new consumer goods and products. The American public lived in a consumer driven society, where they were constantly being bombarded with advertising. Film was the only real persuasive tool for Americans to buy products as the public grew tired of looking at ad marketing campaigns filled only with posters and fliers. Educating and comparing the American society was another important feature for film. With America being categorized as isolationist, other ideas from other countries created more interest for the American audience. Many Americans refused to travel and so film became the only source of information on how the rest of the world looks and thinks. Movies like The Toll of the Sea

In 1929 America fell into “The Great Depression’’ which lasted until 1939. The great Depression was a time where America was both economically and socially weak. The American economy fell due to the oblivious actions of the government. Many people had enormous debt and many banks had no money. Businesses fell because many people bought products on credit. The stock exchange fell due to people selling their shares. Businesses fell and jobs became scarce. Throughout the depression the only industry that did not fall was the entertainment industry. It was estimated that more people came to movie theatres in the Depression than in the “Twenties’’. Film during the 1930s served as a distraction for the American public from the hardships of the Depression. The industry grew and improved. Colour was finally initiated and film finally introduced sound and animation was formed. Movies known as “Talkies “were famous throughout