The Message

          It was interesting to watch how two movies from two different times examined the same subject: war. Because of the change in culture from the creation of one to the other, these movies handled the same subject in very different ways; the post WWII movie was proud of the American's successful and heroic involvement in the war, while the post Vietnam War movie portrayed war in a much more terrible light. Media is a means of spreading a message, so conventional political thought is a strong undertone in both films we watched, and most others.
          These two war movies are excellent examples of the way political sentiment influences works of media, and how the change in popular political thought over time is reflected. Each can almost be classified as propaganda, one for and the other strongly against war. Assuming that all, or most, movies carry an underlying political or general message, movies from the post WWII era and the post Vietnam War era would strongly differ, as would movies from any different time period.
         

Media Reflects Culture

     
                   Watching the two war movies "Platoon" and "Twelve O'clock High" highlighted how cultural differences of various eras in history are reflected in the media. Especially in use and portrayal of violence, language, and explicit content, works of cinematography prove to be very characteristic of their respective eras.
          When "Twelve O'clock High" was made, a male-dominated society of gentlemanliness and respect was the norm. Profanity, nonconservative dress, and certain behaviors were not widely accepted; this is well reflected in the movie. The men are finely groomed and dressed in the style of the times, and carry themselves with dignity. There is one woman in the movie, a stereotypically beautiful and caring nurse. Bad language in the movie is kept to a minimum, and almost all violent scenes are avoided.
          "Platoon" was created in the post-Vietnam war era about a subject which influenced the culture much, the war itself. Approaching the turn of the century, the culture had progressed to the point where more explicit content was more accepted. The counter-culture was well under way, and as such, clothing and grooming style, as well as choice of language and behavior, are reflected in the movie as of the times. Additionally, the sheer amount and gruesomeness of violence portrayed is indicative of the culture of this time period.
          Both the war movies we watched, and other movies from all ranges of time periods, subtly reflect the times in which they created and, are therefore different. As the culture has changed so much from post WWII to post Vietnam war, so have the portrayal of characters in movies, and what is acceptable to show in movies.