英语论文 美国文化 美国电影文化 （大二下期英语A班期末论文）
movies,a mirror of American culture
written by lena supervised by Mr.Li
Abstract: Movies offer a window into American cultural and social history, it provides a host of insights into Americans' shifting ideals, fantasies, and preoccupations.
Key words: equality, democracy, heroism, individuality
Contents:
1. Introduction------------------------------------------------------------1
2. Analysis:---------------------------------------------------------------1
2.1 related information of American movies-------------------1
2.2 American spirit in movies-------------------------------------1
2.3 American movies’ incluence on the whole world-------2
3. Conclusion-------------------------------------------------------------3
1. Introduction
In history, people from different countries in the world rushed to America three times. They brought their own culture to America and later on different culture were mixed together.
Being called a ‘nation of immigrants’, its culture is unique, varied, like a salad made by different materials. The elusive concept of 'American-ness' is often defined by cinema.because “movies are treated as sociological documents that record the look of particular historical settings; as ideological constructs that advance particular political or moral values or myths; as psychological texts that speak to individual and social anxieties and tensions.”
2. Analysis
2.1. related information of American movies
For a century, Hollywood, ‘a district of Los Angeles, California. the principal centre of the Ameican film industry[①]’, plays an important role in the circulation of American culture. It serves as the nation's preeminent instrument of cultural expression. It’s well known for its represention of modern American culture, and attract thousands of movie fans and visitors every year. Movies offer a window into American cultural and social history, it provide a host of insights into Americans' shifting ideals, fantasies, and preoccupations.
2.2. American spirit in movies
Being called the state of liberty, US. attracted a great number of immigrants dreaming of freedom and changing their social class through their own efforts. This is what they called "American dream" at the early times. Ameican dream means ‘the traditional social ideals of the united states,such as equality,democracy,and material properity[②]’.Americans believe that everyone is free to be an individual, and everyone is born what he is. In the movie The Gold Rush, Charlie Chaplin exemplifies typically this Ameican spirit. The poor vagrant’s career is the represention of achieving individual value by self-strive and self-design. The movie Far And Way also offers a typical example. It tells about the story of an peasant, fell in love with a woman, moved to US. from England for his free land and finally suceeded. Afterwards, Ameican dream had become a strong desire of earning money and a success career by fair means or foul as Money worship prevailed in American society at that time.
Another famous movie Forrest Gump reflected every aspect of U.S.A.'s everyday life, important incident of social political life in a period of American history through the eyes of a feeble-minedeless person. it satirized the nation and government to a certain extent.it gave a chance to those who lack cynicism, but simply accepts things for what they are. It made us believe that everyone deserves an equal opportunity in life, everyone should be treated fairly and with the same level of respect,no matter what he is and where’s he from . Democracy and feedom is one of the most basic principles of American philosophy. So in the movie,we could see that even Forrest Gump, an idiot who is unfortunately born with a lower IQ and the muscle problem, has achieved lots of incredible success, he is a football star, a war hero, and later a millionaire!
Americans emphasize on achievements and respect heroes. They have great sense in their hearts to praise success and heroes. Personal achievements are one of those with the highest value in Americans mind. Some high achievers in their career such as entrepreneurs, scientists, artists and all kinds of super starts became modern heroes. Hollywood producted lots of movies singing a high song of heroes.The fictitious ones are Spiderman, batman,and The Hulk, and the real ones are Citizen Kane, Saving Private Ryan, Patton etc. by creating these typical hero characters, Americans consider themselves as heroes. When there comes the war,starvation,terrorism,disease and calamity,there must be one or more heroes who save the people from untold miseries.because they believe that there’s nothing they can’t do.
Many actors’ classic lines in movies widely become famous English sayings.here are some typical ones: ”It’s not the men in your life that counts, it’s the life in your men[③]”, ”tomorrow is another day[④]”, ”Life is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're gonna get[⑤]”. Americans’ humorous style and optimistic philosophy of life contribute much to their success. They believe in god and believe that god helps those who he1p themselves. Life is bittersweet, no matter how hard it is, just to smile and enjoy yourself, because god loves Americans, because tomorrow is another day.
Americans are open minded,they don’t believe in traditonal conforming to a general ideology or behavior. Individuality and self-expression are encouraged. That’s quite different from Chinese style. In the movies, they say what they say and do what they do, they sing and dance anywhere, they draw on their national flag, they make fun on the president and the government. They are adventurist, inventor, creater, etc. Hollywood did make lots of that kind of films like American Pies, Ture Lies, Harry Potter etc,.
2.3.American movies’ incluence on the whole world
Hollywood is not content with stories of their own, they also bring in culture of other countries,here are some examples: Mulan, a retelling of the old Chinese folktale is about the story of a young Chinese maiden called up into the army to fight instead of his lame father, is very much displayed in an American style; Troy, about a war happened in Greece history, Americans’ heroism and individualism are obviously seen in this movie.
Hollywood now has become the world's film capital. more and more Chinese movie makes and actors have a tendency to step up to the stage of Hollywood. For them to say that means the highest honor honor in filmmaking. To win an Oscar is also their American dream in a sense.
3. Conclusion
For a century, the movie industry has been the nation's most important purveyor of culture and entertainment to the masses, playing a critical role in the shift from Victorian to distinctively modern, consumer values; from a world of words to a visual culture; from a society rooted in islands of localities and ethnic groups to a commercialized mass culture. Whether film will continue to serve as the nation's preeminent instrument of cultural expression--reflecting and also shaping values and cultural ideals--remains to be seen.
notes:[①] 2001.The New Oxford Dictionary Of English.Shanghai:Shanghai University Foreign Language Press.(P875)
[②] 2001.The New Oxford Dictionary Of English.Shanghai:Shanghai University Foreign Language Press.(P53)
[③] I’m No Angle, Paramount Pictures, 1933
[④] Gone With The Wind, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1939
[⑤] Forret Gump, Paramount Pictures, 1994
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