Tempory Relief

"Genre films have been defined as pure myth, as well-made plays, and psychodramas bearing within themselves a working out of unconscious anxieties inherent in the pyschological make-up of us all." Judith Hess Wright

Film is a form of escapism and yet at the same time it is an extension of social realities. We identify with the themes, characters, and live in another actuality as the story unfolds. They reflect profound conscious and subconscious social attitudes, feelings, and values. Specific genres mirror the period they were conceived in, serving as a kind of collective mind set of the time.

The film noir gave birth to such hard-boiled detectives as Sam Spade and Phillip Marlow and marks a time of hopelessness and moral decay as portrayed in the works of "The Maltese Falcon or "Murder My Sweet." The psychology of these characters are a reflection of an era coming from world war II. The lines are fuzzy. There is distrust amongst the "good guy" cops and the "good guy" private dick; which represents the confusion and anxiety stemming from society's low morale while struggling to repair the broken psyches of post war. Spade, a shop worn private eye who has a grim point of view and his own code of ethics shares the faults of the criminals to a certain extent. The police hound him as if the detective himself has almost become the criminal. Spade investigates by becoming part of the crime. He is a man on the razors edge of good and evil. This corresponds with the roaring 1920's gaiety of ramped materialism, frivolousness, greed, and capitalism at it's worst.

As with Disney films, as with all Media, there is always more than meets the eye, because, messages of fears and beliefs, ideas and ideals, exist and are conveyed with or without our knowledge. Until we look deeper into the psychology of the characters, plots, and genres we consume, then (with awareness of what's fed to us and what's shared) we can be a part of shaping landscapes instead of being a victim to them. Be it for entertainment, artistic expression of the creator, or the perception of the viewer, thoughtful consideration of the profound meaning within narratives play an important role in understanding how we collaborate or not in the collective consciousness of our times.

The Maltese Falcon trailer:
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/31035/The-Maltese-Falcon/trailers
Scene from The Maltese Falcon:
The Fall Guy Clip: (subtext of social anxiety)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9uV6IxG66A&feature=related
NY TIMES critique as it pertains to our period of social consciousness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwv71mDyyLE&feature=related