Dissertation Idea

The rise and fall of ‘New Hollywood’ and its influence over the development of post classical film narrative

This dissertation seeks to explore the reasons behind changes which affected the American film industry and the resultant impact on the way in which film narrative was presented during the post classical period between the 1970’s and the present day.

The paper will be presented with each decade being the subject of a dedicated section, each of which will be sub divided into categories which investigate the principal contributing factors that affected the American film industry and the narrative of the films released during those periods. I intend to explore how the increasingly graphic depiction of violence which emerged in action films such as Dirty Harry (1971), during the 1970’s, sparked controversy but then set a precedent for the action movies of every subsequent decade.

When considering the narrative changes that developed over the forty year period, it is important to ask why, how and by whom these changes were introduced. The collapse of the studio system of the 1950s and 1960 enabled a new kind of director to emerge. The 1970’s directors enjoyed levels of creative freedom greater than anything allowed either before or since. Reasons for this change are both interesting and fundamental and led to the rise in status of the auteur theory and its apparent accuracy. The auteur theory argues that, although a film is the product of the combined efforts of numerous industry professionals, the director or “auteur’s” creative influence and decisions project a clear and seemingly solo vision, bypassing the actuality of studio intrusion. The increases in director’s creative freedom coincided with economic difficulties being experienced in the USA and appear as a recurring reflection of those turbulent times. A powerful example is Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976) which provides basis for comparison with later decades, particularly the 1980s when there was a noticeable migration away from an adult target audience to one comprising mainly of teenagers.

The creative freedom generated during the financial slump was ended when films including Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate (1980) financially ruined their promoters. Studios reclaimed control and focussed on fewer, large budget films that were less experimental and more likely to deliver box office success. These 1970’s blockbusters, when combined with the popularity of home videos during the 1980’s, led to the introduction of highly profitable film sequels. An increase in independent cinemas in America during the 1990s provided a platform for creative freedom to a modern breed of directors which enabled films such as Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs (1992) to immerge and provide the catalyst for Hollywood to tackle serious topics once again.

Through my dissertation I will consider the impact of social, financial and creative elements on the film industry. Particular emphasis will be placed on the narrative style of films produced during that decade and the development of film narrative between successive decades. I will also investigate how film, arguably the most popular and influential of art forms, finds a way to repeatedly reinvent itself to impress and excite audiences of each new generation.