Top 10 Most Culturally Significant Films!
In celebration of the launch of Obsessed With Film's new, far more diverse site What Culture!, we've decided to chronicle the 10 films we consider to be the most culturally significant ever made!
In celebration of the launch of Obsessed With Film's new, far more diverse site What Culture!, Ive decided to chronicle the 10 films I consider to be the most culturally significant ever made. We all know that cinema can be extremely powerful, even important, in shaping our culture. However, it isnt very often that a film really stands out as having an incredibly strong message that is powerful enough to shape or impact us as a society. This list is obviously very personal to what I would consider culturally significant of course, but I believe each of the films below have had some sort of impact on society and are worthy of their place here... 10. FAR FROM HEAVEN (2002)
Multicultural or bi-racial relationships remain a rather taboo subject in Hollywood cinema, with very few productions featuring such relationships predominantly. When they do appear in popular productions they are either fleeting (Charlie and Joey or Charlie and Ross in TVs Friends) or for comedic purposes (Guess Who ). Guess Whos Coming to Dinner? back in 1967 was one of the first films to explore this idea and could very well be included on this list. However, for me Todd Haynes Far From Heaven is a much more culturally significant comment upon this. Perhaps with the benefit of a far more open minded and liberal 21st century audience, the film delves deeply into the relationship between a Caucasian housewife and her African American gardener. The 1950s setting helps generate the tension between the characters and Haynes frankly explores the problems the couple face. The film also deals with homosexuality in the era, as Cathys husband is outted as a gay man. Tackling both of these subjects with an honesty that films of the settings era could not, Far From Heaven is culturally significant for precisely this. 09. THELMA & LOUISE (1991)
Ridley Scotts action thriller Thelma & Louise is one of the most culturally significant films of the 90s. Exploring a range of themes from feminism to enduring friendship, via escaping mundane suburban life and surviving potential rapists, the most successful element of the plot is the realistic portrait of friendship that is generated between the two leads. Thelma and Louise stick by each other through hell and high water, taking on a series of lowlifes and cops alike. Promoting a positive image of women and their ability to stand up to men, as well as the sincere and deep bond two friends share, Thelma & Louise is a film that speaks volumes to audiences of both sexes and a variety of ages. It also poses the question of whether Louise should be considered guilty of her original crime: did she shoot in self defence or with murderous intent? Whatever your opinion, the film remains a culturally significant piece of cinema that will certainly leave you pondering! 08. TRIUMPH OF THE WILL (1935)
Leni Riefenstahls Nazi propaganda film is one production that splits opinion considerably. Is it an abomination of cinema due to its horrific content, glorifying an evil regime? Or is it a piece of technical brilliance that remains beautiful despite its narrative? Either way, what is certain is that it is one of the most culturally significant films to ever be made. The debate surrounding content over technique and whether these can be judged separately can almost single-handedly be summed up in Triumph of the Will. Arguably, the film should not be praised due to its links to Fascism, but the overwhelming achievements in camera work, framing and cinematography cannot be denied. Essentially, Triumph of the Will remains a culturally significant film precisely for its ability to induce debate still and beg the fundamental question of whether form can really be split from content? 07. DONT LOOK BACK (1967)
Cinema until the 1960s had always been a very false medium, with realism in both performance and setting rarely being something of extreme importance (the overly histrionic romantic melodramas of the 1950s being the prime example of this high sheen Hollywood veneer). When D.A. Pennebaker decided to follow Bob Dylan on a series of shows in the UK, he adopted a fly on the wall documentary style that had never been used before. The use of handheld cameras and natural dialogue (that was often difficult to hear clearly and even completely inaudible at times) was inspired by the distinct style of the French New Wave filmmakers such as Jean Luc Goddard and Francois Truffaut. By todays standards the film may seem archaic and rather amateur in comparison to contemporary documentaries, but back in the 1960s it created a sense of realism that had rarely been seen before, therefore revolutionising the documentary genre as a whole. 06. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
Rarely does a film have such an impact that it benefits from a popular longevity over 70 years after its original release, but Gone With the Wind is as popular today as it was then. Set during the US Civil War, issues such as devastation, poverty, hunger, selflessness and selfishness, manipulation, but above all else hope, are explored. The character of Scarlett OHara displays the burning desire we all have inside to survive and it is her strength and determination that gives the film much of its significance. On a technical level, the use of Technicolor for the entirety of the film paved the way for the future of film and helped exhibit to the world the true magic of a bright and lavish production. Whilst The Wizard of Oz was released just before this film, Gone With the Wind took the use of colour to the next level. Far less garish and theatrical in its tones and hues, the fictional realms of Gone With the Wind demonstrated how colour could be used to add a sense of realism to Hollywoods productions. Had the film proved less successful at the box office, the use of colour may not have been adopted so quicklywho knows what the film industry may have been like today, had this been the case!? 05. SON OF INGAGI (1940)
This may not be the first all African American cast film, or in fact the best. However, this early foray into black cinema is extremely unique. Featuring a plot that focuses on a rampaging gorilla, this is quite possibly the only horror film to feature an exclusively black cast. Whilst it may not be the best horror film to have been created - its decidedly B picture material in all honesty - its choice of cast elevates it to an interesting level. For a film produced in 1940, the all black cast is an unusual choice. In an overtly racist society, such a film would have undoubtedly appealed to a very niche market. Therefore, Son of Ingagi is culturally significant for its attempts to provide roles for black actors that transcended the stereotypical parts they were only afforded in more mainstream Hollywood fare. A film that many have unlikely heard of, its definitely worth digging out and watching to see the attempts the filmmakers made to create more African American friendly characters on screen. 04. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
As mentioned with Gone With the Wind, very few films stand the test of time quite so well as these two films, both released over 70 years ago. Exploring the true meaning of friendship, respecting and loving where you are from as well as yourself, The Wizard of Ozs message rings as true today as it did back in 39. The impact that the film has had upon our culture is immense: you could probably count the number of people who dont know about the film and its message on one handliterally! Dorothy, her friends, the wicked witch and her wheelers and those famous ruby slippers are so iconic that the film is one of a select few Hollywood productions that have become so far embedded within popular culture that they are simply a part of us whether we like it or not (and regardless of whether we have actually seen them or not!). Indeed the film has had such a huge impact on gay culture that the humorous but affectionate term a friend of Dorothy has taken on a whole new meaning! 03. BIRTH OF A NATION (1915)
Upon its release, Birth of a Nation was probably significant solely for its epic nature and technical achievements. However, over subsequent years it has become a landmark film not only for director D W Griffiths pioneering of certain techniques, but its unashamed racism. The glorification of the abhorrent Ku Klux Klan and the brazen racism of black face makes it a distasteful and difficult watch for modern audiences. However, it does give us an incredible insight into racial prejudice in the early 20th century. The infamous chase sequence which sees a gang of KKK members hunting a black man is symbolic of 1920s white Americans feelings towards African Americans. Whats more symbolic is the fact that all of the black characters are performed by Caucasian actors in heavy make up, demonstrating how African Americans were considered such second class citizens that they couldnt even portray themselves on screen. Despite the narrative leaving a rather bitter taste in the mouths of far more liberal, modern audiences, Birth of a Nation is equally significant for the exploration and perfection of some of the most common filming techniques of cinema today. Griffith experimented with panning here and the shots of the carnage filled battlefields of the Civil War South are simultaneously horrific and beautiful. Similar to Triumph of the Will, this film is so important in terms of technical achievements, but utterly repugnant in terms of plot. That said, it s still one of the most significant films to ever have been released. 02. BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE (2002)
Gun crime in America is one of the most publicised and exaggerated elements of culture across the pond. Whether its to generate a culture of fear or another less patently obvious way to suppress non-white Americans, the myth of gun crime is something that lots of us have bought into. Michael Moores hard-hitting documentary may not be an entirely unbiased piece, but it does a lot more to dispel the hearsay and divulge the truth than any other previous efforts. Tackling a subject that is a major issue of our times, Bowling For Columbine is a warts-and-all glimpse of the American media, the NRA and the superstores that profit from the sales of guns and their relevant accessories. As gun crime proves an ever increasing danger within our society, the message Bowling for Columbine preaches has never been more significant to our culture. 01. AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (2006)
Another documentary, this time hosted by politician Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth looks at the devastating reality of global warming upon our world. Tackling a subject that affects all of us - and will continue to do so unless we can do something to slow down the destruction of our Earth, or better still alter the future - the film touches viewers in a way that many films (let alone documentaries) are unable to achieve. Approaching its subject in a very frank way, its true that the film is not without its biases. However, it appears to paint a rather even handed portrait that keeps it from ever becoming too preachy. Therefore, Gore successfully creates a film that displays its message without alienating viewers and causing detriment to its intentions. For this reason the film is culturally significant, as the majority of cinematic (or indeed television) media fails to achieve this. Anybody who has seen the film cannot deny the power of its message and its methods for achieving its intentions. Similarly, it is the message itself that makes the film my personal choice for the most culturally significant film to ever be produced. Global warming is a reality and An Inconvenient Truth helps demonstrate this in a way that encourages audiences to get out of their cinema seats (or living room sofas, whichever the case may be) and actually do something about it! As previously mentioned, these choices (as always) are personal to me and many of you may disagree to their cultural impact or importance. But whatever you think, leave a comment below to let us know your thoughts!