Prologue

This is part one of a two-part introduction to our new series on the history of world cinema. These two articles will serve as an outline and mission statement for what I will cover and some of the questions I plan to explore.

First, it’s important to state here that while this series is based on the viewpoint that there are important cinematic contributions from filmmakers and filmmaking industries from all around the world, the majority of it will focus in one way or another on the Hollywood movie industry. Hollywood became the center of the film industry for a number of reasons, but perhaps the most important factor is geographic location. Los Angeles is sunny, dry place with a range of scenery, making it ideal for filmmaking. What’s more, relatively cheap real estate in a flat expanse of land meant that a range of film-related businesses were able to sprout up and flourish in the region—including production companies, different craftspeople and artists, and talent agencies. Hollywood was both an industry and a physical city. When World War I left Europe reeling, Hollywood effectively enjoyed a monopoly over the industry.

In the first half of this series, we’ll look at Hollywood history and its most important directors, actors, actresses, craftspeople and artists, as well as important genres and films.

In the second half of this series, we’ll look at filmmakers and films from the U.K., France, Italy, and other parts of Europe, as well as in Japan. We’ll see how with the U.K., a shared language did not necessarily mean a shared cinematic language with Hollywood, although the two are inextricably linked. Meanwhile, while filmmakers in France and Italy were heavily influenced by Hollywood cinema, their work naturally went in a more artistic direction. While their influence would touch Hollywood filmmakers in the late 60s and early 70s, in terms of general audiences they have greater renown among cinema fans in Japan than they do in other areas of the world.

We’ll also look at the cinema of other parts of Asia, India and the Middle East, and Mexico and other parts of Latin America. The spread of video streaming services has made it easier than ever to watch foreign cinema; who can forget South Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite becoming the first foreign language film to win best picture at the Oscars. With COVID-19 keeping so many of us indoors, interest in foreign cinema is at a high. With it unlikely that people will be eager to return to movie theaters anytime soon, now’s the perfect time to get acquainted with cinema from around the world.

1.The Dawn of Cinema and the Birth of Hollywood

We begin in Chapter 1 with the pioneers of cinema. Thomas Edison invented an early motion picture exhibition device with a peephole viewer window called the Kinetoscope in the late 1800s. Just a few years later, the Lumière brothers developed the Cinématographe, a revolutionary device that would record, develop, and project motion pictures—effectively giving birth to the big screen. These developments would lead to the birth of the silent film industry in the early 20th century. As most silent films are poorly preserved, we tend to think of them as primitive, rudimentary works, but in fact a lot of our modern cinematic language was developed during this time. In the second half of the 1920s, technology would advance to the point where it became commercially practical to couple synchronized dialogue to images, creating what came to be known as “talking pictures" or “talkies". This development would trigger a massive change throughout the industry, and in the 1930s, talkies became the predominant style of cinema enjoyed by the masses.

2.The Hollywood Studio System and the Early "Talkie" Era

Chapter 2 will cover the pre-war years leading up to World War II. As talkies came into vogue, movie studios had many trials and tribulations ahead of them as they made the transition. Their growing pains coincided with social changes spurred by women’s suffrage and the Great Depression. In other words, they were tumultuous times—the setup for any great American story. The films that they made and the way in which they made them would come to define a large portion of cinema for decades to come.

3.Hollywood During World War II

In Chapter 3 I will write about the role Hollywood played during World War II. The day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, the U.S. declared war on Japan; a few days later, Axis powers Germany and Italy each declared war on the U.S., and the U.S. responded in kind. The attack on Pearl Harbor turned U.S. public opinion in favor of entering the war, and united the country behind the flag. Nevertheless, the now awoken giant would need sustenance to carry it through the subsequent years of fighting on multiple fronts. That sustenance was provided by Hollywood, which would throw its full might into boosting U.S. morale and focus.

4.The End of the Golden Age of Hollywood

In Chapter 4 I will cover the years between 1945, when World War II ended, to around 1965, when the Golden Age of Hollywood came to a decisive end. The two decades following the war were also a tumultuous period for Hollywood as an industry. Its success in raising morale during the war signaled to the U.S. government that movies could and should be used for a greater purpose: spreading the ideals of freedom and democracy. The end of World War II also segwayed into the beginning of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Anti-Communist fervor was stirred up within America and the creation of a Hollywood Blacklist forced many out of the industry for years—or for good. These factors and more would lead to the collapse of the Hollywood Studio system.

5.The Counterculture Movement and New Hollywood

In the post-war era, filmmaking auteurs would give rise to movements such as the French New Wave, Italian Neorealism, and more across Europe. These movements would in turn inspire a new crop of directors to rise in Hollywood during the second half of the 60s. This generation of filmmakers and their work is called New Hollywood, or in some countries like Japan, American New Cinema. Their work dealt with major themes of the times, including the counterculture movement, youth culture, the Vietnam War (*5), and the dark side of American society.

6.Leading Hollywood Directors

In Chapter 6, we will look at the important movie directors from each decade starting the 70s. In the 70s, masters like Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg rose to prominence. These directors were affectionately known as the “Movie Brats"—film-school types that had both reverence for the classics as well as the youthful energy to push the medium in new directions. In the 80s, directors like James Cameron, Robert Zemeckis, and Ridley Scott started creating blockbusters that captured the imagination of an entire generation of American moviegoers. In the 90s, directors like Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson and the like brought independent film stylings to a large audience. This second wave of American auteurs came to be known as the “Video Generation" because they had grown up watching movies on VHS.

7.Leading Hollywood Actors

In Chapter 7 we will look at leading Hollywood actors by era/decade. Legends of Classical Hollywood include Jimmy Stewart, Paul Newman, Humphrey Bogart, and Marlon Brando. In the 70s a new generation of actors ruled the screen, including Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Dustin Hoffman. In the 80s, a group of young actors known as the “Brat Pack" starred in a string of coming-of-age movies. Then in the 90s, actors like Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, and Kevin Costner became worldwide stars. Plenty of talented Hollywood actors have risen to prominence in the 21st century as well, although it’s interesting to note that they often must first go through the rite of passage that is the modern superhero movie.

8.Leading Hollywood Actresses

In Chapter 8, we will look at leading Hollywood actresses by decade. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, actresses like Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Katherine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn positively lit up the screen. The 70s and 80s saw the rise of free spirits like Faye Dunaway and Jane Fonda as well as acting powerhouses like Meryl Streep and child superstars like Jodie Foster. In the 90s, actresses like Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, and Sandra Bullock were each called “America’s sweetheart" for their charisma, beauty, and likability onscreen. From the 2000s onwards, more and more women have fought to break down old Hollywood stereotypes and forge a place for actresses beyond roles like “the love interest". We’ll also look at the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements and Hollywood’s long overdue reckoning.

9.Different Hollywood Players

In Chapter 9, we will look at different types of Hollywood players. First, there are megastars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, who are not the type to win critical accolades, but for decades had the star power to greenlight films based on their involvement alone. Then there are actors like Clint Eastwood and George Clooney, who started off as actors before becoming critically acclaimed filmmakers in their own right. We’ll also look at character actors, bit players, and actors that people love to hate for their villainous roles.

10.Hollywood’s Artists

In Chapter 10, we will focus on the craftspeople and artists that make Hollywood films come to life. First we will look at acclaimed screenwriters and films highly regarded for their scripts. As the famous saying goes, “It's possible to make a bad movie out of a good script, but you can't make a good movie out of a bad script."

Then there are famous authors whose works have been frequently adapted into films, such as Stephen King and Michael Crichton. These days it often seems like Hollywood has just run out of original ideas and is over-reliant on proven properties, but films like The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and Jurassic Park (1994) show that some film adaptations can be classics.

We will also look at composers known for their film scores and some of the most iconic soundtracks of all time. Unlike a pop or rock album, a good soundtrack is more than just a collection of good tunes—it reflects and amplifies story, setting, and characters’ emotions in a subtle and unintrusive way. For example, even someone who has never seen a Star Wars movie would recognize John Williams’ “Imperial March" and brace themselves for whatever ominous thing is about to come around the corner.

Cinematographers, costume designers, and makeup artists are just some of the other indispensable professionals that create movie magic. This is an area where several Japanese artists have received recognition: costume designers Ishioka Eiko and Wada Emi, and in recent years makeup artist Kazu Hiro, who has won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling two times.