Blog Module 6: 1970s: Hollywood Renaissance

MPAA Rating System

After audiences showed interest in more mature films, the MPAA introduced a new film rating system in the late 1960s. The ratings consisted of G, for younger audiences, M for mature audiences with parental discretion, R, for no one under 16 without an adult, and X for no one under 16 regardless. This received support from major studios and essentially put to the old Paramount decision.

Popularity of Pornography

The X rating in the new rating system led to a rise in hard-core sexual content. Surprisingly, these types of films, such as Deep Throat, saw success in the box office. Once these films became very popular amongst mature adult audiences, the government banned hardcore films from public theaters. The ban still allowed for adult content, however restricted the use of hard core adult content to the public (Lewis 297).

Easy Rider

During a rise in mature content in Hollywood, Easy Rider by Dennis Hopper reminded Hollywood of the importance of younger audiences. The film is in documentary style which combines biker teen with the French New Wave. The success of this film led to a small rise of countercultural films, which not only focused on youth culture but also their independence from old Hollywood filmmaking (Lewis 298).

The Godfather

The Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola is a famous film that brought gangster films back to life in Hollywood by featuring a story about family loyalty and capitalism. Coppola taking artistic control and portraying emotion in a way that reflected American society is something that older gangster films did not do. This storytelling contributed to the auteur artistic style that filmmakers used in Hollywood (Lewis 301).

Chinatown

Chinatown is an auteur film by Roman Polanski that features a combination of modern and nostalgic film styles. It follows the film noir formula as it uses dark and shadowy cinematography along with a femme fatale. The story is an old-fashioned crime and detective story, but sticks true to its time, with the story ultimately being about political corruption. It ultimately proved that older film genres and styles still have a place in Hollywood (Lewis 310).

Martin Scorsese

In 1973, Martin Scorsese entered the A-feature market of filmmaking with his movie, Mean Streets. In Scorsese’s films, he would feature everyday, working class people who have normal problems, such as the need to pay off debt. In addition, the themes of faith, crime, and morality in his films successfully captured the real life of people and the gritty reality of society (Lewis 311).

Robert Altman

During a time when the Vietnam War dominated news coverage, Robert Altman took advantage and released MASH, a film about a doctor in the Korean War. In the film, Altman experimented with different filmmaking styles and elements such as overlapping conversations and running commentary, which resulted in more realism (Lewis 314).

Stanley Kubrick

With his background in photography, Stanley Kubrick is known for his visually striking shots, attention to detail, and experimentation with sound. He is also known for his ability to immerse audiences in films such as Paths of Glory, which gave viewers a sense of what war combat was like. He pushed the boundaries of the new Hollywood, particularly through the violence and censorship in films like A Clockwork Orange (Lewis 316).

George Lucas

Before Star Wars, George Lucas entered auteur filmmaking with his film, American Graffiti. The film showed his ability to utilize various camera angles to tell a story, along with music that narrated his film, all while staying true to the depiction of teen life. He later introduced Star Wars, which, through its combination of entertainment and consumer marketing, would lead to the introduction of blockbuster films (Lewis 324).

Steven Spielberg

Similar to George Lucas, Steven Spielberg contributed to the rise of blockbuster films. Spielberg released the hit film Jaws, which, although it followed the same theme as many horror films, used fast-paced camera movements and Spielberg's ability to manipulate storytelling in horror to create a box office hit. The use of special effects, along with the long hours spent in postproduction, showed how audiences would pay for films that specialized in this aspect (Lewis 325).

Ultraviolent Western

The Ultraviolet Western is a genre that introduced a new level of violence in Hollywood. Films such as The Wild Bunch by Sam Peckinpah brought a darker side to western films, where characters would be killed off with no question. It’s argued that the heightened violence in these films was influenced by the violence in Vietnam, in addition to the violence seen in urban America (Lewis 334).

New American Horror

With the new rating system implemented, Horror filmmakers were able to introduce scarier and more graphic films that were often psychologically scary. Brian De Palma brought in this new style of horror through his film, Carrie, which featured a girl being tortured by her classmates and included bloody gore. This would lead to other horror films that appealed to the mature teen audience and even led to the making of slasher films such as Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street (Lewis 335).

Woody Allen

While Woody Allen specialized in comedy, he spent much time making films that poked fun at the modern world. He later shifted his focus to autobiographical and narrative style comedy films, such as Annie Hall, which saw much box office success. Although these films were considered comedies, they often reflected movements from his life that would come off as awkward or feel uncomfortable (Lewis 342).

Mel Brooks

Mel Brooks is another comedy filmmaker however, he made jokes that could come off as offensive to some. His film The Producers used this crude style of comedy in scenes such as Springtime for Hitler, which showed his ability to combine culturally relevant events and sensitive topics with comedy (Lewis 344).

Richard Pryor

During this time, Richard Pryor’s comedy became popular because of his ability to tell the truth about culturally relevant topics such as race and drugs, despite how painful the topic is to some. As an African American, he made people laugh but also face these uncomfortable truths. His success showed that Hollywood and audiences could handle comedy that was socially aware without facing many consequences (Lewis 345).

Blaxploitation

With audiences consisting of a large percentage of African Americans, Hollywood began producing films that were led by black characters. The stories in these films would often consist of strong African Americans who fight against adversity and corruption. These films ultimately gave African Americans some of the spotlight in a white dominated industry (Lewis 347).

The New Woman’s Film

The New Woman’s Film began a new type of film for women that challenged the traditional Hollywood films that would feature women tied to motherhood, taking care of homes and children, and being there for male leads. These films focused more on women's independence and allowed them to take the lead in a male dominated industry while changing the way they are casted in films (Lewis 351).