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Film & Society
"Film is a reflection of society, both present and past. I think the film and it’s innovations sometimes has to catch up to society but sometimes it leads society too. Movies are stories, movies are people who come out with ideas about something they want to say, something they want to tell someone. Movies are a form of communication and that communication, those stories, come from societies- not just where society is presently and what it’s doing now- but where society has been." - Tom Sherak, former president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, 2009-2011.
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Search Tips
Search for books on your topic in the library catalog. In addition to searching for books on your topic, you may also want to search by broader terms to include the cultural and/or socoiological context of the film.
Sample keywords include:
- film criticism
- film genre and criticism (teen films and criticism)
- film title or director (Edward Scissorhands or Tim Burton)
- motion pictures and social aspects
- motion pictures and psychological aspects
- culture in motion pictures
- racism in motion pictures
- women in motion pictures
- motion picture industry and diversity
Select 'Request Item' to have books from other NOVA libraries sent to Loudoun for pick up. If your book is at Loudoun be sure to write down the call number in order to locate the book on the shelf.
E-books and e-videos are accessible through the catalog. If you see any in your search results, click 'Online access' to open.
Library Databases
The best way to locate articles is through the library databases. Go to Databases by Subject and look under Communication Studies, Film, & Theatre (CST) to find a list of relevant databases. Depending on the scope of your topic, you may also want to look in the subject listing Sociology (SOC). You can also perform a search in the databases below.
Remember not to write sentences in the search box. Search by keyword, film/book title and/or name of director/author.
Look for additional keywords or subjects offered. Also make sure to look for toolbars that provide print, email, and citation options.
- Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
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A multi-disciplinary database which offers information in many areas of academic study. This database supports high-level research in the key areas of academic study by providing access to journals, periodicals, reports, books and more. (VIVA) - Communication & Mass Media Complete (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
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Journal articles related to communication and mass media studies. (VIVA) - SocINDEX with Full Text This link opens in a new window
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This resource offers comprehensive coverage of sociology, encompassing all sub-disciplines and closely related areas of study. In addition to nearly 900 full-text journals, SocINDEX with Full Text also contains informative abstracts for more than 1,500 "core" coverage journals dating as far back as 1895. (VIVA) - JSTOR This link opens in a new window
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Scholarly journals; does not include the most recent few years. (NVCC)
Suggested Resources
American Film and Society Since 1945 by
This post-World War II survey of American cinema provides an in-depth exploration of how film acts as a powerful cultural expression of the American public's dreams and desires. Includes an introduction that addresses the history of the last decade and discusses events such as the attacks of September 11, 2001, Hurricane Katrina, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the economic crisis, and the election of President Barack Obama.
Call Number: PN1995.9.S6 Q37 2011
Bigger Than Blockbusters: Movies that Defined America by
Profiles one hundred motion pictures from the twentieth century that influenced American culture, arranged chronologically, and provides synopsis, critic reviews, awards, availability, and other related topics.
Call Number: PN1993.5.U6 R64 2009
Hollywood Blockbusters: The Anthropology of Popular Movies by
Certain Hollywood movies are now so deeply woven into the cultural fabric that lines of their dialogue have been incorporated into everyday discourse. The films explored in this book have become important cultural myths, fascinating windows into the schisms, tensions, and problems of American culture. Hollywood Blockbusters uses anthropology to understand why these movies have such enduring appeal in this age of fragmented audiences and ever-faster spin cycles.
American Cinema / American Culture by
Looks at the interplay between American cinema and mass culture from the 1890s to 2011. This book begins with an examination of the basic narrative and stylistic features of classical Hollywood cinema. It then studies the genres of silent melodrama, the musical, American comedy, the war/combat film, film noir, the western, and more.
Call Number: PN1993.5.U6 B365 2013
Cinematic Sociology by
The only text of its kind to explore central topics in sociology through feature films. Cinematic Sociology's 15 essays from expert scholars in sociology and cultural studies explore the ways social life is presented-distorted, magnified, or politicized- in popular film.
Call Number: PN1995.9.S6 C543 2010
Heroines of Film and Television: Portrayals in Popular Culture by
Heroines of Film and Television examine the changing roles of heroic women across time. In this volume, editors have assembled a collection of essays that broaden our understanding of how heroines are portrayed across media, offering readers new ways to understand, perceive, and think about women. These essays help readers gain a more complete understanding of female heroes, especially as related to race, gender, power, and culture.
Native Americans in the Movies: Portrayals from Silent Films to the Present by
Since the early days of the silent era, Native Americans have been captured on film, often in unflattering ways. Over the decades, some filmmakers have tried to portray the Native American on screen with more balanced interpretations to varying degrees of success. More recent films have offered depictions of both historical and contemporary Native Americans, providing viewers with a range of representations. This book looks at portrayals of Native Americans, covering more than 800 films.
The Secret Life of Movies: Schizophrenic and Shamanic Journeys in American Cinema by
Using movies to explore the unconscious realms of society in order to reach a better understanding of what drives it, this book examines filmmakers and films that center around schizophrenic themes of alienation, paranoia, breakdown, fantasy, dreams, dementia, violence, and that address--as entertainment--the schizophrenic experience.
Call Number: PN1995.9.S247 H67 2009
"Un-American" Hollywood: Politics and Film in the Blacklist Era by
“Un-American” Hollywood reopens the intense critical debate on the blacklist era and on the aesthetic and political work of the Hollywood Left.
Understanding Indian Movies by
A cultural-cognitive analysis of Indian cinema intended to increase understanding and appreciation of Indian films in the English-speaking world. Hogan analyzes 11 important films, using them as the focus to explore the topics of plot, theme, emotion, sound and visual style.
Reinventing Cinema by
Reinventing Cinema examines film culture at the turn of this century, at the precise moment when digital media are altering our historical relationship with the movies. Spanning multiple disciplines, Chuck Tryon addresses the interaction between production, distribution, and reception of films, television, and other new and emerging media, and navigates the shift to digital cinema and examines how it is altering film and popular culture.
- Pictures in Our Head and Sociocultural Issues of the Moving Image Vrasidas, Charalambos. "Pictures In Our Head And Sociocultural Issues Of The Moving Image." Journal Of Visual Literacy 20.1 (2000): 101-110. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2016. This article reports research conducted to examine the images and stereotypes of the Native Americans as presented by the film industry. Extensive literature review and detailed discussion of several films will illustrate that the image of the Natives had been established long before film was invented, and with a few exceptions, it has remained the same since then. Stereotypes were created to confirm the superiority of Western civilization, to perpetuate the myths on which the American nation was built, and to offer entertainment through literature, art, and film. Film, because of its visual nature and mass appeal, played a major role in perpetuating the misconceptions about Native Americans.
- Women Flip the Script Dockterman, Eliana, and Daniel D'Addario. "Women Flip The Script." Time 186.18 (2015): 44-47. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2016. The article discusses the efforts of actresses such as Sandra Bullock to promote equal opportunity and pay for women in the U.S. motion picture industry as of 2015, and it mentions gender-blind casting for films, as well as Bullock's role in the political film "Our Brand Is Crisis" directed by David Gordon Green. Gender roles in films are examined in relation to fellow actresses Julia Roberts, Emily Blunt, and Charlize Theron. The views of actress Jennifer Lawrence are also examined.
- State of the Art Rapold, Nicolas, et al. "State Of The Art." Film Comment 52.1 (2016): 36-38. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2016. The article discusses the state of the motion picture industry and motion pictures in 2015. Emphasis is given to topics such as gender and racial diversity, the use of computer-generated imagery in films such as "Mad Max: Fury Road," and distribution of films through television networks and online platforms.
- Hollywood Wrestles With Diversity Fritz, Ben. "Hollywood Wrestles With Diversity." Wall Street Journal - Online Edition 25 Feb. 2016: 1. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2016. Diversity -- or lack thereof -- has become the hottest topic in Hollywood ahead of this Sunday's Academy Awards, but as industry leaders start considering how to tackle the problem, it is turning out to be particularly complex.
- Complex Masculinities: The Superhero In Modern American Movies Roblou, Yann. "Complex Masculinities: The Superhero In Modern American Movies." Culture, Society & Masculinities 4.1 (2012): 76-91. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 29 Mar. 2016. The first decade of the twenty-first century has seen an exponential increase in the production of superhero movies made in Hollywood. One of the ways to explain the phenomenon has to do with reading these fictions as answers to contemporary issues following the 9/11 trauma, one of which concerns the understanding of the multi-faceted problematic of masculinities. This essay attempts to present some of the essential elements that make masculinities complex and to inscribe them in the larger context of their production.
- There's No Place Like Home Chadwick, Bruce. "There's No Place Like Home." American History 49.2 (2014): 42-51. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2016. The article discusses the significance of several motion pictures that were released in the U.S. in 1939 that depicted an optimistic view of U.S. society and history, and boosted U.S. morale during the ongoing Great Depression. The article discusses the significance of films such as "Gone With the Wind," "The Wizard of Oz," and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." It also discusses the performances of actors in films released in 1939 such as Henry Fonda, Jimmy Stewart, and Clark Gable.
- All Too Human: Edward Scissorhands Clarke, Julie. "All Too Human: Edward Scissorhands." Screen Education 50 (2008): 93-98. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2016. The article discusses the fantasy motion picture "Edward Scissorhands," directed by Tim Burton. The film depicts a cyborg brought to a suburban neighborhood. The author discusses how the film's protagonist illustrates the cultural roles of both monsters and disabled people in society and notes Gothic imagery in the film. She suggests the film's title character represents a metaphor for technology and its effect on the world and notes the influence of the motion picture "Frankenstein."
- The Role of Film in Society
- In this exclusive interview we talk to Tom Sherak, President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (best known for their Academy Awards, also referred to as “Oscars”). We look at the role of film in society and how it has grown to become such a ubiquitous art. We discuss what makes a ‘great’ movie, some history of film, the economics and future of the industry, and how the internet and other technologies such as CGI and 3D have affected the movie business.
- Film as Social and Cultural History
- Written by Tom Gunning, this guide offers an overview of early film and how historians use it, tips on what questions to ask when watching early films, an annotated bibliography, and a guide to finding and using early film online. Tom Gunning is a Professor in the Art Department and the Cinema and Media Committee at the University of Chicago.
“Racial Stereotypes in the Media.” Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2008, digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=98275&xtid=37006. Accessed 15 Oct. 2020.