Chris in VA Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 What were some of the cultural/social themes of the 1950's? What were the "big questions" people struggled with that sort of defined the decade? This is indirectly related to ds' cinema paper--He has to relate a movie to a decade, and I don't really know what the themes of the decades he has to do really were. Any help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Anti-communism, mafia wars, J. Edgar Hoover, McCarthyism, Elvis, rock n' roll, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 The two biggies that come to mind are possible impending nuclear doom/Cold War and segregation/civil rights issues. Ooh! And teenage delinquents! There was a lot of hysteria about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 social theme, was wife stayed at home and husbands worked. Cold war was huge issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Korean 'conflict'. Sputnik. He might enjoy October Sky, to get the feel of the above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessieC Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Hmm...development of suburbs and new suburban (less communal) lifestyles, consumerism (cars, TVs), conformity and fear of differences, racial tension, HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 I think that for a boy in that age range, the issue of Sputnik/the Russian race to space and how that affected both NATO defense strategies and the scientific community would be interesting. Also, Zionism and the exodus of many Jews from Europe to the newly established Israel is an interesting topic along with Korea. Eisenhower's presidency is another. He was an interesting man - the amazing military leader of the nation during WWII who felt that every dollar spent on military might was a dollar taken away from those in need...a tough man when he needed to be, but a very soft, compassionate underbelly. Because of the Kennedy years and the assisination, a lot of modern texts really don't discuss his presidency on the level they should. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 is Rebel Without a Cause. Here is a brief article on 50s culture that he might find helpful. http://www.shmoop.com/1950s/culture.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 Hmmm. Okay, well, this is a film class, and the assignment is to pick a film from the 1950's and show how it reflects the themes of that decade. It's only a one page paper, which is actually harder to write, b/c you have to be so darned narrow. He has already picked the film--Night of The Hunter, the only film to be directed by Charles Laughton. It was not well-received by either critics or the audience, but went on to be defined as a classic, and is preserved in the National Registry. I read a synopsis (actually practically a scene-by-scene summary) and I have no idea what theme to advise ds to pick. I can't write it for him, nor am I asking for that sort of help--I just don't find anything in the film, except maybe the innocence of children, to be an overarching theme that was reflective of the culture--and I'm not even sure of that. Thanks for your help, tho! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 The two biggies that come to mind are possible impending nuclear doom/Cold War and segregation/civil rights issues. Ooh! And teenage delinquents! There was a lot of hysteria about that. I thought of the Cold War, and that led to Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love the Bomb, and civil rights, and that led to Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? But both of those were made in the 1960's, and those were very much 1960s issues as much as they were 1950s. Does it need to be a contemporary movie made in the 50's, or can it be retrospective? There's the original MASH movie... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 I thought of the Cold War, and that led to Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love the Bomb, and civil rights, and that led to Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? But both of those were made in the 1960's, and those were very much 1960s issues as much as they were 1950s. Does it need to be a contemporary movie made in the 50's, or can it be retrospective? There's the original MASH movie... See my post above--he's already picked Night of the Hunter. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 Ok, I read the link Zach's Mama gave me--thanks! Under the society part, it does deal with children and also with religion. I'm going to advise ds to go with that. (Vague, I know, but he'll understand) Thanks for everyone's help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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