What is it that cinema-goers anticipate when flocking weekday nights to the Cinemaxxes and Cinestars throughout the world? And what expected the audiences of the 1920s during the heyday of the silent film area, when 100 million people a week were drawn to the movie palaces in America? Bare amusement? Weekend enjoyment? Or rather artistically challenging avant-garde films with politically provocative messages? What we mostly expect of the movies, is to satisfy a longing for something new and extraordinary. Still today and also at the beginning of the classic Hollywood era, movies have been attractive in that they have offered an alternative reality to that of actual ordinary life; be it through romance, action, exotic scenarios or mere entertainment. Especially in the 1920, with the establishment of Hollywood, movie-going became an enormously popular form of modern mass entertainment. King Vidor’s The Crowd (1928), however, is a rare exception. Its main interest is not the unknown or exotic, it does not function as an alternative reality. In contrast to the mainstream Hollywood productions of the 1920s, the film concentrates on ‘normality’ and plainness. Thus, what The Crowd offers is a stylized and satirized portrayal of the everyday lives of exactly the audiences who where watching the film. In doing so, the film does not charm or arouse passionate feelings. On the contrary, it functions as a mirror and leaves the spectators frustrated about the meaninglessness of modern life and their own ambitions for success and consumption. With its depiction of everyday middle class life and its critique of modern mass culture, The Crowd also challenges reductionist perspectives of the ‘roaring twenties’ as a permanent orgy, of wild flappers and frenzied Jazz parties, as is still prevalent in popular discourse today. The alternative view it offers, is that of a decade characterized by rising corporate power, the pressure to adjust and the powerlessness of the individual against an increasing standardization in the work and leisure sphere. Thus, in this paper I will examine, how the The Crowd differs from the mainstream Hollywood productions of the time and in what way Vidor’s film can be interpreted as a critique of 1920s mass culture. [...]
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Rise of Modern Mass Society
3. The New Middle Class and the Changing Face of the American Dream
4. Mainstream Trends in the American Cinema of the 1920s
5. The Crowd as a Mirror of Lower Middle Class Life
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Core Topics
This academic paper examines how King Vidor’s 1928 film The Crowd deviates from the mainstream Hollywood aesthetic of the 1920s to function as a social critique. The study analyzes the film's portrayal of urban life, the changing perceptions of the "American Dream," and the struggle for individual identity within an increasingly standardized and commodified mass society.
- The socioeconomic climate of the 1920s and the rise of mass consumer culture.
- The transition of the American Dream from labor-based values to consumerism.
- Mainstream cinematic trends of the 1920s versus Vidor’s realistic social commentary.
- The film The Crowd as a mirror for lower middle-class life and social alienation.
- The tension between individuality and the pressures of conformity in modern society.
Excerpt from the Book
The New Middle Class and the Changing Face of the American Dream
The first scene that introduces the grown-up John Sims, shows him on a ferry approaching the skyline of Manhattan. A suitcase under his arm, with his name ‘’John Sims’’ written on it, the ambitious protagonist is facing the metropolis. An older passenger however warns him of the dangers of city life: Passenger: You've gotta be good in that town if you want to beat the crowd. Johnny: Maybe...but all I want is an opportunity (Filmsite), is John’s eager answer. Obviously his world view has been shaped by a firm belief in the myth of the American Dream, that he, who tries hard enough, will in the end be rewarded by success.
The 1920s with their atmosphere of economic growth and abundance must be imagined as a time that made the dream of the rags-to-riches fairy tale seem realistic for almost anybody. The social changes described in the previous chapter had also a deep impact on the perception of the American Dream and on the way that Americans saw a chance to participate in material wealth and success.
A totally new social type, it has been argued, which made people more concerned with their own personality and self-realization came to the rise during the first half of the 20th century (cf. Riesman). During the twenties, this process gradually challenged an older self-image, which had rather depended on traditional norms and behavioral patterns, such as class affiliation or identification with one’s familiar background or profession.
This ‘’individualization’’ can be seen as a direct consequence of the processes of modernization: work, through rationalization and standardization, was becoming less meaningful for identification and the relative prosperity made it possible to devote oneself to the offers of the consumption and entertainment industry (cf. Dumenil 86). The dedication to consumer goods was also supported by a transformation of the concept of the American Dream from the former ethos of labor to a new ethos of economic success and consumption.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the research objective to interpret King Vidor’s The Crowd as a critique of 1920s mass culture, contrasting its realism with mainstream Hollywood entertainment.
2. The Rise of Modern Mass Society: It discusses the transition to an industrialized, standardized society in post-WWI America and how these shifts created an anonymous, consumer-oriented urban lifestyle.
3. The New Middle Class and the Changing Face of the American Dream: This section explores how the American Dream shifted from traditional hard work to consumer-based success and the resulting alienation of the "new middle class."
4. Mainstream Trends in the American Cinema of the 1920s: It examines how the Hollywood studio system promoted films centered on fantasy, luxury, and "cross-class" success to provide escapism for the masses.
5. The Crowd as a Mirror of Lower Middle Class Life: The chapter analyzes how Vidor’s film differs from popular genres by depicting the grim realities, tensions, and monotony of everyday life for a lower middle-class couple.
6. Conclusion: The summary emphasizes that Vidor’s film is a brave, stylistically innovative work that provides a cynical, ambiguous antithesis to the era's optimism, remaining relevant to modern questions about individual agency.
Keywords
The Crowd, King Vidor, 1920s, American Dream, Mass Culture, Consumerism, Silent Film, Urbanization, Social Realism, Standardization, Middle Class, Hollywood, Alienation, Modernity, Individualism
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on King Vidor's 1928 film The Crowd, analyzing how it functions as a critical representation of 1920s American mass culture and a departure from standard Hollywood escapism.
What are the core thematic fields addressed in the work?
The core themes include the transformation of the American Dream, the rise of modern consumer culture, the impact of industrialization on the individual, and the socio-historical context of the "Roaring Twenties."
What is the central research question?
The author investigates how The Crowd differs from contemporary mainstream Hollywood productions and in what ways Vidor’s film serves as a critique of the era's societal norms.
Which methodology is used to analyze the film?
The study employs a cultural and historical analytical approach, utilizing theories on modernity, social class, and film history to interpret the narrative elements and visual style of the movie.
What does the main body of the text cover?
The body covers the societal climate of the 1920s, the shifts in middle-class identity, an overview of popular cinema genres of the time, and a detailed look at the characters and themes within The Crowd.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as The Crowd, mass culture, American Dream, consumerism, and social realism.
How does the film depict the "American Dream" differently from other films of the era?
Unlike other films that presented the American Dream as an achievable rags-to-riches reality, The Crowd portrays it as a potentially destructive and unattainable myth that leads to frustration and alienation.
Why does the author consider the ending of the film ambiguous?
The ending is seen as ambiguous because it suggests that the protagonist might have found peace within the crowd, yet it simultaneously reinforces the idea that he has surrendered his individuality to the mass-consumer entertainment industry.
- Quote paper
- Peter Brüstle (Author), 2005, Cinema of Mediocrity - The Representation of 1920s Mass Culture in King Vidor's The Crowd, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/70472
