What Extent Did The Counterculture Movement And Foreign/Domestic Affairs Influence Popular Films In The 1960s

To what extent did the counterculture movement and foreign/domestic affairs influence popular films in the 1960s-70s?

Sophia He

Fritch 6th Block

May 8, 2023

During the 1960s and 70s, America underwent a period filled with anti-war movements and ever-changing youth culture. This was due to Johnson and Nixon’s presidential administration, the Vietnam War, and the rejection of conformity seen in younger individuals. However, political and social demise in the nation shifted the film industry to a new era of self-expression and broke down conventional norms, as seen through award-winning movies such as “The Godfather” and “Star Wars.” These movies proved that one of the darkest time periods of our nation was simultaneously one of

Presumably one of the most famous and talked about movies in history was “The Godfather,” published by Paramount Pictures and directed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1972. The movie shattered multiple records and was the first film ever to earn one million dollars a day. The plotline of “The Godfather” details a mob drama based on Mario Puzo’s novel. The movie explains a story about an Italian crime family and their refusal to be part of a drug community in exchange for mafia protection. The film depicts a vivid and interesting plotline that details public hysteria in the 1970s and gives audiences an insight into criminal activity such as mafia groups and drug deals. Throughout the movie, historical references to the negative use of drugs are made to give the movie a more realistic and modern approach. Public and federal opinions on drug usage and criminal behavior are referenced in the film, and some argue that the reason why the movie became so popular was because of the sense of reality being portrayed in the

Perspectives from the long-lasting and mostly stagnant Vietnam War, also known as “the living room war,” was also employed in movies such as the popular science-fiction film, Star Wars, released in 1977. Public disillusionment was strongly fueled by the Vietnam War as many citizens felt that the war was drawing too many stalemates for the number of casualties suffered and the lack of war aims. These factors all contributed to the anti-war movements that became especially popular after the Johnson administration was exposed by the Tet Offensive in 1968. President Johnson became increasingly less popular and decided not to seek reelection for a second term, leading to Richard Nixon being elected as president on a campaign of “law and order.” In 1973, Nixon finally withdrew America from the Vietnam War under the Paris Peace Accords. The end of American involvement in the foreign war after almost a decade stirred questions of whether or not America was really a world power. The themes of imperialism, war, and justice appeared frequently in the films following America’s withdrawal from the war. The release of Star Wars, directed by George Lucas in 1977, served as a major milestone in American film with its high-tech characters, fast-paced plotline, and amazing soundtrack and visuals, winning 7 Oscars in 1978. The film portrayed common and