Society's Influence on Film and Vis Versa

The film industry has always been a very powerful one. One genre of film, fantasy, takes what we imagine and makes it a reality. Action movies do the same but use explosions and guns. Horror movies use lighting and sound, or the lack there of to make our worst fears come to life. These things we imagine and are made into reality come from us; they come from our society. Social norms that are broken or events that have happened in the past are used to fuel the stories of most movies. So does society influence film or is it the other way around? Does film influence society? What about documentaries? This genre of film is the most influenced by society. It is a reflection of the reality of our world, not the one we imagine. For example, after the tragedy of Columbine, director Michael Moore produced his documentary, "Bowling for Columbine." This film was about what happened and what helped it happen. He said that if America was more strick on gun control, then the chance of two teenagers killing in their high school might not have happened. His other films, such as "Sicko" and "Slacker" also deal with other "problems" in society. They show us what's really going on behind the scenes and most of the time something is changed because of them. I think documentaries are the most powerful genre of film for these reasons. So as movies influence us with turning fantasy into reality, I think film influences us by showing us reality. It works both ways and is effective on both sides.