Very little has such a wide and long-lasting impact on popular modern culture as film does. It shapes thought and actions, spawns trends in fashion, and allows us to live vicariously through the eyes of others.
There is something intrinsically magical and captivating about film. From its very nascency, it has been a siren’s song that calls people to watch and be obsessed. There are likely things that have had broader and more lasting impacts on culture, the invention of the printing press, the combustion engine, but not many. Film influences so many aspects of our lives, from the way we talk, think and act, to the way we dress, move and view each other.
Sometimes it can be something as simple as a witty line or a look that gets referenced and repeated and becomes enshrined in the culture. Other times, a film so perfectly captures a concept or idea that it comes to be representative of that idea. Or maybe a character is just so iconic and cool that it becomes, on its own, something that people identify with.
This article will briefly touch on a few of the ways that film has been culturally impactful.
Film’s impact on gaming and other media
A good way to look at how film has been impactful in our culture is to look at how other forms of popular media have been touched by it. One of the other most popular forms of media in the last two decades, other than film, has been gaming.
Console and PC gaming
For players of console and PC games, the influence of film is undeniable. From games based directly on films, the much maligned ‘movie game’, which are famously bad but often in fun ways, to games made as love letters to movies and the characters in them. Late 2024 saw Indiana Jones and the Great Circle get critical and fan acclaim as accurately capturing the tone and feel of an Indiana Jones movie.
Many games have hidden easter eggs to movies that helped inspire or are simply favorites of the developers. In some games, the easter eggs are less hidden, and the game itself is more of a patchwork of love letters to different movies. Conker’s Bad Fur Day might be the best, if a somewhat dated, example of this.
Casino gaming
While it might seem a stretch to you, the world of casino gaming is heavily influenced by film. Online casino games, like the ones you can find at bonuses.com, often try to allow their players to make a personal connection with the games they are playing. One simple way to do this is to borrow themes or characters from popular films. If players are able to feel as though they are in familiar territory while they are playing, they feel more enriched by the experience.
Television
We won’t spend too long talking about other media, but television demands a section for itself. You could view television as films little brother, working in the same medium but not quite as big or influential. If we want to see how film has influenced television, all you need to do is look at any series of a long-running sitcom or cartoon or just about any show. You will see hundreds of references to famous and influential films throughout the show titles, the content of the shows and the character arcs.
Movies hold up a mirror to culture, while also setting trends
Like most artistic mediums, films are a reflection of the culture in which they are produced. What is interesting is that this mirror not only shows what is occurring in a culture, but it also will influence it. The act of watching something changes what is watched, after all. By showing us parts of our own lives that we might otherwise ignore or take for granted, film invites us to show deeper appreciation or compassion and to act differently.
At times, film can set trends that have nothing to do with the mirror of art reflecting our culture. The Matrix is a perfect example of this, as while it dealt with discourses about the nature of perception and reality, it also inspired fashion trends of leather trench coats and smoked glasses, which is an excellent look. The film also has an enduring legacy, with phrases about being ‘red pilled’ taking on new meaning more than 20 years after its release.
Film and fandom identity
For many people, the enjoyment of a film becomes part of who they are. Being part of a global fandom that all agree on something as simple as a certain character being cool can be a great sense of belonging for many people. Being able to meet a stranger and bond with them quickly through a shared love of a film is an important piece of what makes film so important to so many people.
By giving people characters they can relate to, aspire to and fall in love with. Film helps people to find a part of their own identity, even if it is as simple as being someone who enjoys a certain genre or series of films.
Film is a strong cultural force
Despite newer forms of media taking off in the last two decades, such as short-form video and social media, much of that content is still produced around and influenced by film. With stories that have touched and shaped generations and the introduction of concepts that still resonate with millions to this day, film is one of the strongest cultural forces shaping our lives.
A reader may live a thousand lives, but a film-goer watches them happen.
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