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Give Me That Old Time Motion Picture!

I have alluded to being a student of history, and not film, a number of times, and this fact becomes especially relevant when I watch old movies – for our purposes, 1939 and before. To most film buffs, an old movie is appreciated for everything it achieved with its limitations, and for how well the story has stood up over time. While I would agree with them, I get a little something more out of it as well. An old movie is a relic of its time; we, the viewer, can see a contemporary portrayal of the great depression thanks to Frank Capra, we can see German innovation thanks to Fritz Lang, and we can laugh with the long deceased Groucho, Chico, and Harpo. The actors and directors are long dead by now, yet we are forever linked to them through this wonderful medium.
Many young people today think this man launched the world into the biggest war in history
What really sets my generation apart is that we will be the first generation without a single living link to these old films. Soon, everyone who was alive when these movies were released will be gone – most already are. These films are the last visual link to the interwar period. In subsequent generations the effect will be even greater. People who have never studied any sort of history will have the opportunity to visually watch the past of 100, 150 years before hand. Film is still a very young art form, so I am excited to see what films look like in a future time, but I believe I am more excited to see how old films hold up then. As my father put it the other night while watching Vampyr, 1932 is now 79 years ago – 79 years before that was 1853, and before that we’re in the seventeenth century. We are so closely and distantly related to the past.
The films of the 1930’s did exist in a bubble. Screwball comedy is a genre that cannot be pulled off anymore, musicals have gone dormant and romantic comedies look a whole lot different. In 1994, the Coen Brothers film The Hudsucker Proxy hit theatres. The film, set in the 1950’s, is homage to the films of the 30’s. It spent ten years in production hell, was the first big budget Coen Brothers film, and, when released, bombed hard at the box office and was panned by critics. It is essentially another Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, it has all the charm and wit of a classic film with beautiful visuals and a solid cast, but, in the 1990’s it failed hard. We simply are not living in a time period that resonates with these films on a modern level. The Hudsucker Proxy isn’t a perfect example – under all the beautiful style and tribute there isn’t the same heart that you had in a Capra film, which is something that also is probably something unattainable on a modern level.
Picture is from the Hudsucker Proxy. This fact was very unfortunate for the film.
Within the past twenty years Hollywood has seemingly given up on movies. Everything is now a remake, sequel, prequel, adaptation, reboot, or franchise. None of these movies are very good, yet they still make a ton of money, because audiences love movies and most theatres do not offer any better alternatives. Thankfully, an alternative has been created in Independent movies. Although they’re extremely hit or miss, they are not bound by the same restraints as Hollywood is, and actually have a chance of being good and relevant. On top of that, no matter how much time you have you will never be able to watch through all the old classics.
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