Claudia Benfield

AP Literature and Composition

Angela Wilson

March 14th, 2018

Effects of Movies on Individuals and Society.

Thesis: Movies are important in bringing out who we are and what we have to offer the world.

Movies have a significant effect on individuals and their thoughts, emotions, and behavior and

also have had an effect on the past and present societies.

I. Positive and Negative Effects/ Benefits of movies. What needs to be done with negative

movie portrayals.

II. Effects of Movies on Individuals.

A. Psychological: Thoughts and mental state of individual after watching a movie.

B. Emotions: What genre of movies make certain emotions and what are the specific

emotions of individuals.

C. Behavior: Different genres of movies and their effect on behavior.

III. Effects of Movies on Society

A. Past effects: How movies have affected society.

B. Present effects: How movies are still affecting society.

C. Future Effects: Perhaps movies will make society and individuals more accepting of

different issues.

IV. Conclusion

Effects of Movies on Individuals and Society

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Movies allow individuals and society to be affected, motivated, and changed through the

messages that are portrayed and the stories being told. All of the aspects within a movie or film

are able to come together to create a meaning or feeling that a person can carry with them for the

rest of their lives. The art of cinematography contributes to current events, relates to important

historical eras, and also makes the audience feel excited and inspired. The actors within the

movies strive to show particular audiences the emotional and mental situations in which their

characters are involved in, which can sometimes relate to the feeling of a person watching the

movie. The people creating the movies and the storylines are just as important as the actors and

stars who are shown on film. They create the messages, characters, sets, music, plot, and much

more that contributes to the overall magic of movies that people over time have come to known.

With all of these factors put into a film there is also an outward effect on the audience, whether it

affects one single person in an audience or a whole society. Movies can often connect different

kinds of people and assist in bringing them together to share their interests and ideas. This is

very important in society in which we need cohesiveness and the ability to come together to

create and change and progress in our world. Movies can have so many effects on a person’s

emotions, mind, and their behavior and also in the past, present, and future societies. It is

important that movies remain in the arts and continue to make a difference and also to shape and

develop the lives of the people, communities, and societies.

There are unique affects that come from movies, in which they could either be positively

and negatively portrayed. Each one is important in displaying the overall mood of a person

while watching a film or their mood after watching a film. Some specific benefits are awareness,

date location, thrilling experience, laughing and bonding, inspiration, allowing someone to get

over a break up, passing time, therapy, stress relieving, and just for the purpose of entertainment
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(Dhar). These effects are what draws people to the cinemas in order to bring these feelings in or

to push away the bad ones. Awareness can be the form of addressing issues in films in the desire

to share messages important to society (Dhar). Simply going to the movies can be a time filler, a

place to go out with a significant other or a crush, and to get over a heartbreak (Dhar). Different

genres can bring out these benefits that people long for, such as seeing an action movie that

brings out the thrill that your mind and body needed or craved; and a comedy that brings about

laughter and ability to have fun and to enjoy oneself. Inspiration can be found strongly in

movies with powerful messages and strong characters that convey a story that shows

transformation, different perspectives, and the simple truths of life (Dhar). There is an idea that

using movies that mirror someone’s situation they are in can help with therapy of that person if it

is needed, this was stated by Professor Soloman, a psychology professor at the Community

College of Southern Nevada. He also states that finding therapeutic context can support the

overall message and meaning and can help the person finding therapy that they can be touched

and moved by the message being portrayed (Mann). The main reason people go to movies is

mostly for the purpose of entertainment, humans like to be entertained it is inevitable that fun

and entertainment are always desired (Dhar). Movies give the ability to find satisfaction by

many means that people long for whether it is through the inspirational movies that find a

connection to an audience or by a thrilling experience that offers an exciting adrenaline rush.

Even with the positive side of movies there comes a side of negativity in which movies

can display the wrong messages and steer people, mostly children and teens, in the wrong

directions. A lot of influences in movies can be wrong and directed towards negative actions and

thoughts. Certain points of this are the influence of alcohol and smoking, adult content

portrayed, and the provoking and conflicting messages displayed (Scribner). Although kids and
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teens will be introduced or shown to them at one point in their life it seems that certain movies

do the job before life can introduce them to all the negativity in society. Certain movies like 21

Jump Street and Neighbors always tend to show vulgar language, use of drugs, sexual acts, and

possession of alcohol as if that is all college is about. The National School Safety Center stated

that “With the children being the future leaders of out nation, it is only right that we provide

them with knowledge and films that promote good moral character and this will help not only in

shaping their future, but also in shaping our nation’s future as well,”( Scribner ). Movies today

need to focus more on spreading positive messages and less vulgar behavior in order to keep

youths on the right track to being successful. The art of film has been misrepresented with

certain negative and inappropriate films that have destroyed the reputation for the film industry

and it needs to be built back up with strong messages and moral narratives.

Each individual person has their own style and genre of movie that they particularly like

based on who they are and what they enjoy in life. The first part of the individual that movies

contribute to are by the psychological means such as the thoughts and mental state of an

individual during and after they watch a film. Movies have an influence over individual people

or an entire audience that allow them to experience different or similar perspectives, draw

conclusions and learn specific morals or messages that relate to their own lives or societies.

There is research that concludes the idea that minds become synced or connected with other

people’s minds when watching a movie. Synchronizing of minds with other individuals who are

watching the same movie means that all the people are enjoying the movie in front of them and

when they aren’t synchronized it means that the movie isn’t interesting to all of the audience

(Burks). Minds can be connected through certain shots and scenes of the movie that are

designed to draw the eye of the audience at particular times in the narrative. This ability to draw
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the audience’s focus to a certain moment in order to create synchronization shows their talent

and ability to use visual perception to entertain and engage their audiences (Braff). Spoken by

Jon Favreau, director of Iron Man 2 stated that, “We're constantly calculating where we think the

audience's eye is going to be, and how to attract it to that area and prioritize within a shot what

you can fake,”, and, “The best visual effects tool is the brains of the audience. They will stitch

things together so they make sense.” (Burks). Once synchronization occurs then an audience’s

mind or a single individual can be fully persuaded by a movie because their attention has been

observed by the intriguing work of the film. A director’s and the movie’s job is to get inside of a

person’s head through the art of film and be able to persuade, inform, or find a connection that

relates to the audience, but the creators can use other means in which they can affect their

audiences.

Along with people’s thoughts, their emotions can be altered by many different genres of

movies and the stories they tell. Scary movies can bring out frightening and terrified emotions

and romance movies can bring out the tender and flirty emotions, and science fiction movies can

bring out the excitement and risk-seeking emotions. Each movie genre allows individuals and an

audience to experience and discover feelings that are drawn from certain emotional-evoking

moments in movies or just the plot and narrative of the movie itself. One reason as to why

people have certain emotions when watching a movie is the Mirror Effect which allows the

audience to mimic or copy the emotion being displayed, so if someone is crying on screen then

the audience will most likely be crying as well or if a character is smiling then the audience

would mimic that smile (Pawlowski). Jeffrey Zacks, a psychology professor and a director in

the Dynamic Cognition Laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis, wrote a book titled:

“Flicker: Your Brain on Movies”, in which he analyzes the powerful effects in minds of people
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who watch films; and he said the following about why people cry in movies, “You’ve got this

facial mirroring that causes your face to wind up in a sad pose, and that evokes a sad emotion.

You’ve identified with the character and you’re reasoning about the fact that they would be sad

and that produces empathetic sadness in you.” (Pawlowski). In looking at this research, movies

can just be used to allow the audience to sympathize with the characters but also another way is

to connect personally with an audience or with a single person and relating with something they

have been or are going through. People go to the movies to feel the storyline and to also to

engage in the plot and how it might relate to their own lives, and can also go to experience a

reaction in their bodies.

Within the emotions and mind of a person involved in the theater there are also aspects of

movies for people’s bodies to feel and experience the unique effects of the movies. The

audience can be swept up in the action of the movie and the message or dialogue and how it

affects them individually and how their body reacts. In a research study documented by the

University of Maryland it was discovered that movies can be the same as exercising because they

can lower blood pressure and decrease risk of cardiovascular disease. This can be achieved by

laughing at comedic movies in which there is a twenty-two percent dilation of blood vessels

(Silver). Comedies can also relieve stress from the body and help the immune system. A

psychologist working on movies as therapy, Birgit Wolz, also stated that, “Laughter while

watching comedies can relieve anxiety, as well as reduce aggression and fear,” (Braff). Besides

comedies, there are other genres of movies that cause completely different body reactions in

response to the content of various films. Horror movies are specified for people who are looking

for thrill and risk-taking and they can be so intimidating that a person’s heart rate can increase

and if someone with a coronary disease is watching then their blood pressure and chest pains will
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likely increase (Braff). These movies can also affect the adrenal gland that is parallel to the

experience of riding a roller coaster and is made for people who seek adrenaline (Silver). In

whichever movie genre a person is watching there is usually an effect within the body whether

they realize it or not.

In societies, past and present, there are and have been many aspects that distinguish them

both. Movies have found and can find a way to enter societies and bring about influences and

have the ability to develop connections between unique cultures, generations, and types of

people. An associate political science professor at the University of Daytona, Michelle C.

Pautz, did a research study on the influence of films and she said that movies can be a way to

conversate and reflect with others. She also claimed that movies are “...one of the most

accessible forms of art out there,”, and that, “People of most walks of life experience movies,

from the working class to the super-rich, and it provides a common experience for society to talk

about issues with a bit of a ‘safety net.’’’ (Guida). Movies can eventually lead into sensitive or

intimidating topics by allowing an easy conversation about a certain movie to develop into a

more serious discussion about the big picture topic (Guida). Allowing movies to share different

messages and address many social, political, or humane topics can help to understand and talk to

people more openly about them and also assists in forms of communication. This generation is

intertwined in a web of multiple issues and movies can provide an understanding and open a

doorway into deepening the discussion or understanding the problem as a whole. A film that

has accomplished a change in society and allowed the audience to be influenced by the

information displayed is is the 2103 film, Blackfish, in which society was drawn attention to the

dangers of orca captivation. This documentary planted a reputation on SeaWorld and persuaded

the organization to shut down the “Shamu Show” because of the negativity placed with the
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captivity of the orcas (Thomson). Another film that affected society was the release of the

movie, Jaws, in the ways that it scared and still scares people from getting in the water and

allowed the stereotype of sharks and their vicious, carnivorous ways as to be human killers to

become the most recognized in the world. In the article, “Film and Society: How Films Impact

Society and Popular Culture”, there was a quote at the end that perfectly encapsulates the effect

of movies and it states, “Films of any genre, from documentary to drama, can have a dramatic

impact on real life.” (Engleheart). Society will always have its own views of issues and how to

deal with them but movies can help in solving these problems by either showing the truth or

deepening the understanding or can further the wedge in the issue. Problems will continue to

rise to the surface but there will always be ways in which they can be solved whether it's by the

art of movies or any other means of persuasion and change.

In the future, movies will continue to influence individuals and societies because there

are always going to be new stories with different messages that the audience can take with them.

In a study about movie’s influences, Dr. Michelle Pautz makes a statement about the message of

movies and says that, “While film affords us all a wonderful form of entertainment — and one

that I really enjoy — we have to stop and think that there’s more to it than just entertainment,

there are all sorts of messages being conveyed.” (Guida). Movies will not stop being made

while there are still so many more stories to tell, issues to address, and messages to portray.

Society is always changing and movies correlate with it in order to keep the world progressing

and changing to fit the wants and needs of individuals and to also interest the audience. Movies

out today like Avengers: Infinity War that is a massive and most highly anticipated movie of a

franchise that includes many fans and supporters who have willingly followed along with the

storyline of Marvel films for ten years with the beginning of Iron Man all the way to Avengers:
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Infinity War. This franchise has created a community of fans who have found through these

movies a connection with one another because they can incorporate these movies into their

conversations and can make a gateway to getting to know other people. Another franchise that

has been successful and is still progressing in society is the Star Wars saga. Movies in this

franchise will continue to be made as long as they have the support of fans and the money made

from the long-running sci-fi film adventures. The people were interested and they continued to

be intrigued with what was coming next so that movies of these corporations will continue to

have a future because of what they have made and are continuing to make. These films have

made history in society because of their huge fan support and ability to connect others. And

even not knowing these franchises, other types or genres of movies have affected society, and are

still affecting society today. The different societies will be able to make even more movies

because there are always issues present and also a need to escape from reality where no worries

are able to surface. A longing for artistic entertainment and enjoyment will never cease in any

society because it is human nature to want to be entertained. But the impact that movies have on

society allow the world to come together and share something with one another to build

connections and make discussions that will continue on forever through the magic and art of

movies.

Within individuals and society there are always aspects that connect and draw the world

together and usually it is a form of art since the majority of most people in the world are

involved with artistic hobbies and jobs that allow them to relate. Through the specific art of

movies like Rocky, Jaws, Schindler’s List, Wizard of Oz, Singin’ In The Rain, and many more

classics that are well-known in society and also through adventure and action packed movies like

Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: A New Hope, and Avengers: Infinity War
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society gets to see different storylines that can excite and engage their minds, bodies, and

emotions. The mind, emotion, and physicality of an individual is important in order to connect

the person with who they are, what they do, what they experience, how they think, and how they

feel. Movies have a large window of opportunity to impact all aspects of an entire person,

because film can connect and interact with, and also influence a person’s mind, body, and

emotions. Along with individuals being changed from movies, there is also a history and

ongoing journey of society being transformed through many films. Movies connect everyone

through so many ways but there is also a bond between the people who create the films and those

who choose to watch and be transported into the narrative of the films. Through the perspective

of the audience and the director, a relationship is formed in which the audience wants to be

entertained and the director, cast, and crew of the movies have the desire and job to create a

piece of art that people will enjoy. All kinds and types of arts always have a goal to find and

connect to a specific audience, and the audience always tends to search for art that speaks to

them or draws their attention.

Works Cited

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0622-movies-impact-on-body-20110622_1_horror-films-intense-movies-birgit-wolz.
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Burks, Robin. “This Is How Movies Manipulate Your Brain.” Tech Times,

MENU$(".Topsearchbutton").Click(Function(){ $(".Srcframe").Toggle(); });

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impact-society-popular-culture/.

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Pawlowski, A. “Your Brain on Movies: Why Films Make Us Cry, Flinch and

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affect-your-kids.html.

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Aug. 2016, www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/08/10-movies-that-changed-the-world/.