Viewing Trama: The Role Film Played in the Audience Healing their Trauma during the Great Depression and Vietnam War
Open Access
- Author:
- Graham, Elizabeth Linley
- Area of Honors:
- Media Studies
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Kevin J Hagopian, Thesis Supervisor
Michelle Lyn Rodino Colocino, Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Great Depression
Vietnam War
Film
Historical Trauma
Comparing
Trauma - Abstract:
- This thesis compares the eras of the Great Depression and the Vietnam War through the films of the time. Both eras were burdened with traumatic experiences for the nation and films looked for a way to heal that. The conflict during the eras in real life was portrayed cinematically in creative ways. They discreetly showed the audiences conflict in the films that they would then relate to the real life events. With resolution of the conflict or seeing how the conflict was handled in film, was able to resolve conflict in the audience’s own life in a way. There was the sense of home that was taken on by these films. Either the desire for home or desires for something better to make the audience want to improve their own home life or realize they have to look for something better. The portrayal of authority, either good or bad, led the audience to continue their mistrust of authority in real life or start to trust them again. The films Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, It Happened One Night, The Maltese Falcon, Philadelphia Story and Pinocchio are films of the depression era that looked to heal the trauma while Bonnie and Clyde, Chinatown, A clockwork Orange, The Graduate, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Night of the Living Dead looked to do the same during the Vietnam War. The main purpose of films of the era was to bring closure to the audience or to leave them with something more desired. If closure was achieved, the audience could leave feeling better about the traumatic time they found themselves living in. If closure was not achieved, this called for them to do something about it so they could reach that closure outside of the cinema. Films had the power during this era to have a cathartic effect on the audience and to provide resolutions to the trauma experienced by each seat filled in the theater.