Week 5

When looking at the history of Japanese of Kabuki Theater, one can see the many ways in which society and artistic culture influence one another. Again, in the era of Kabuki Theater’s inception, Japanese society was strictly governed by rules created by the office of the Shogunate, which were enforced by the warrior Samurai class. Following what seemed to generate public interest and favor, the themes popularized by Kabuki Theater reflected a culture obsessed with the forbidden. Popular stories included upper-class men falling in love with prostitutes, forbidden lovers enticed by the choice of double suicide, and other plots dominated by elements of sex and violence.

No art is made in a vacuum, and in this sense modern film continues the influential exchange made between society and artistic culture. In the 1995 film “The American President”, one sees a divorced United States president lose public approval when his personal relationship with a lobbyist turns into romance. Reflecting the controversy surrounding actual President Bill Clinton and his connection to Monica Lewinsky, “The American President” depicts American values behind marriage and their influence on daily life. In the TV miniseries adapted from the novel “Roots”, author Alex Haley traces his family’s lineage back to his Gambian ancestors, who were captured and taken from their home by early American slave traders. “Roots” reflects the rise of racial minorities against political and social discriminations during the 1960’s and the mark left by slavery on American society. Fascination with violence is also an element seldom forgotten by modern film and in “Saving Private Ryan” is shown to great detail with the depiction of America’s infamous Normandy invasion during World War II. In “We Were Soldiers” and also “Windtalkers” the element of violence is again heavily emphasized while recounting the history behind America’s involvement in both World War II and the Vietnam War. In one way these examples show how politics and society influence American cultural, while in another way the values probed by these examples reflect the interests of the individual. More importantly, it is through the art of cinema that the values of American society and culture can be represented.