American Ideals: American Cinema. This essay is about how the ideal american is depicted in the cinema.

American Ideals: American Cinema

A bit part of American way of life is American Cinema. The United States is known worldwide for their brilliant techniques and ideas for films. Through American Cinema, you can see characters that can reflect the "Typical American." For example in the fifties, many of the films that were created were westerns. People came to terms with referring to Americans as "cowboys" like John Wayne. Soon after came the James Dean movies and other like 12 Angry Men. Through the year American movies had helped change the "Typical American" from Cowboy to Rebel. American values are mirrored in the films we create. In the early 1900s, films portrayed Good vs. Evil, with the "good guy" as the hero. In the new millennium film values are no longer reflection but a mire example of how times have changed. In the movies anything can happen and good doesn't always triumph over evil.

The character of the "Typical American" has changed as the years have gone by. Once a cowboy, to rebel, to mobster, to war hero, to hero, to villain, to ruler. The values of this character, "Typical American,"have change as well. When the "Typical American" was a cowboy, his values were one of honor and good character. As the rebel, the values were ones of mayhem, like portrayed in The Rat Pack, featuring actors like Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. The mobster movies are my favorite. They are main thing that attract me to watch movies. The mobster movie character do have values, they believe in family, love, and respect, evidence of this are easily seen in The Godfather, staring Al Pacino and Marlon Brando. One can't forget the War films. They brought issues of history and pride to the silver screen, like Good Morning Vietnam, featuring...