Saturday, February 15, 2020

Success of Hollywood Films despite Restrictive Conditions Essay

Success of Hollywood Films despite Restrictive Conditions - Essay Example In response, Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association drafted a production movie code that censors material viewed as morally unfit. Despite this censorship, restrictions of the Production code (1930-1968) and HUAC political pressures, highly artistic and regarded films such as On the Waterfront, Citizen, and Scarface were produced. Films formulated in accordance with specific genres were produced at the height of Hollywood studio system’s commercial and artistic success. The success of these films is not an anomaly. The restrictive production code created a platform for creativity and art that prospered films of this era to success (Rosenbaum, 1998). The gangster genre established itself in the beginning of the 1930’s. Howard Hawks’s Scarface (1932) was far more powerful than many others. The popularity of gangster and horror pictures was a reason for concern for the Motion-Picture Producers and Distributors Association and the Catholic Legion of De cency. Therefore, a Production Code was formulated forbidding excessive cinematic violence and sex scenes. The most crucial film of the decade was Citizen Kane. It success was due to its stylized lighting, deep-focus photography, and overlapping dialogue among other valuable techniques. It is one of America’s most significant contributions to the development of the movie industry. Despite several restrictions by the Production Code, the movie was one of the best in the period (Rosenbaum, 1998). Films such as Scarface presented antagonists in a favorable light; making heroes out of everyday villains. The Production Code reinforced and redefined the American cinema in the 1930’s. The basis was that every form of art should have it laws, and if the laws are surpassed, the art is recognized as something different. The Code introduced strict rules for film producers to abide by. This highly affected the manner in which Hollywood narratives were structured, and it is evidenc ed by films which were re-released in order to abide by the Production Code. Scarface provided the first significant test of the new Production Code. It attracted the attention of Will Hays, the chief censor of the time. It was a typical gangster film that focused on the gangster life of Tony, and his rise and fall. The original film portrayed Tony in a favorable light throughout the film; thus there were concerns that the film glorified the gangster culture. The code demanded the unsympathetic portrayal of Tony and minimal detail be shown of the brutal crimes. In accordance with the general principles of plot laid down, Scarface violated the principle that no plot theme should openly side with evil and be against good. It also went against the principle that suggests that, in a plot, evil should not be presented alluringly (Code, 1934). In order to show how concerning and serious the gangster culture was, the Code demanded that certain scenes be eliminated. The title was altered, a nd a prologue added that suggests to the audience that Scarface is against the gangster culture. An entirely new scene was also incorporated into Scarface to address the Code’s concerns over people confronting the newspaper publisher, angered by the publicity gangsters received from the press. A technique that ensured the success of films at this time is the idea of the audience being active readers. In Scarface, scenes that hinted at Tony’

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Going Green Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Going Green - Essay Example As a result, temperatures within the atmosphere rise, albeit gradually, to cause global warming. The United States Environmental protection agency has listed five gases as composing the greenhouse gases. These are Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases. (U.S Environmental Protection Agency, February 2012). Although carbon dioxide is also produced naturally, it (and the other gases) is primarily produced through human activities, especially ‘†¦ through the burning of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), solid waste, trees and wood products, and also as a result of other chemical reactions’ (Environmental Protection Agency, February 2012). This is where automobile manufacture becomes relevant. Green house gases are emitted, not only during the production of cars, but also during their use; i.e. while on the road. This calls for safer methods of production as well as designing ‘green cars’-those that emit less harmful gases or n one at all. Such are solar-powered or electric cars. 2. Reality Check Greenhouse emissions have been on the rise in the last couple of decades thanks to increased industrialization. They have risen â€Å"†¦ by 15 percent since 1990, reaching over 7000 metric tons in 2006.† (CQ Researcher, Feb. 29 2008, Pg 200). ... To curb the effects of global warming, governments, business organizations, activist groups as well as individuals have come out to advocate for more initiative and responsibility-more specifically in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save the planet. The car industry is squarely on the spotlight over taking responsibility over greenhouse gases emissions, since it is arguably the chief consumer of fossil fuel products. 3. The Great Controversy Green products are not costly; neither do they hurt the economy, as some people may have claimed. The problem with such an argument is that the proponents are looking at short term profits and benefits, which may not be immediately realized in the green market. They look at the rate of input versus output; and it looks like a losing game, at least from face value. For instance, relying on solar energy in car production means that we can only reap benefits during the day only- and closing shop at sun set. This means that a 24 hour eco nomy is not possible, and therefore profits may reduce by half. However, this may be the only [greatest] disadvantage with solar energy. On the other hand, we may benefit from a 24-hour economy driven by coal and gas, but we will begin counting our losses sometime soon down the road. Green house effects may be slow, but they are certain. They cause ripple effects that result to consequences that eventually cost more money to mitigate. For instance, more toxic gases are emitted to the atmosphere through industrial wastes; the mean global temperatures rise over time; more ice melts causing dams, rivers and lakes to swell and burst; floods sweep over businesses, animals and humans; more money is required to rebuild the dams, compensate the affected