The Impact of Film and Its Manipulative Effects on Society

INT. University of Missouri, Office

We open with Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz, a professor in the Department of Communication and Associate Dean in the Graduate School at the University of Missouri. (University of Missouri, 2022).

Professor Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz

Cinema can change people’s opinions on specific issues without affecting more stable constructs: for example, the film ‘JFK’, dedicated to the Kennedy assassination, influenced judgments about the causes of this crime, but generally did not change the political beliefs of the audience; at the same time, the movies ‘Argo’ and ‘Zero Dark Thirty changed viewers’ opinions about the U.S. government and which were reflected in an improvement in sentiments about this government and its institutions. Movies create images of other countries and stimulate interest in them. For example, European films shaped young viewers’ ideas about other European countries—such results were obtained in a study of the role of films and series in the daily life of young Germans through interviews and focus groups. Another study showed that whether the movies were violent, scary or happy, the more the viewers were immersed in the stories, the more favourable impressions they had of the places featured in them.

Various positive effects of films on children and adolescents were revealed. Dramatic films taught teenagers about social interaction with the opposite sex, and had a positive impact on their self-conception. Also, and as shown by experiments, there was increased ethnic tolerance. Humanistically oriented movies improved the skills of children in communicating with peers, and increased their desire to help and understand others.

One of the prime examples of positive impact is ‘Cli-fi’ (short for Climate Fiction) movies, which clearly show what we can expect in the near future, and offer ways to think about what can be done to avoid the darkest predictions. Thus, after watching the film ‘The Day After Tomorrow (2004), viewers recognised their responsibility for the Earth’s ecology and the need to change consumer attitudes towards nature. In general, the screening of films on climate issues increases the number of online requests and media discussions on these issues.

It should be noted that when analysing the impact of films, conclusions about their effectiveness are the result of different methodological approaches, which have varying advantages and limitations. Content analysis reveals the images, attitudes, stereotypes broadcast by films (e.g., stereotypical portrayals of India, or images of scientists and current scientific ideas), based on large data sets. However, questions remain about the effectiveness, strength and sustainability of such films and their impact on audiences. The influence of films can be investigated through a survey of viewers; based on this, conclusions are drawn about the links between a person’s attitudes and his/her viewer experience, such as in the study of gender attitudes and their correlations with teen movie-viewing habits. In experimental studies, exposure effects are detected using pre- and post-film questionnaires. However, the time interval between testing and a film screening, such as a few weeks before viewing the film or several days after, can lead to distortion of the results that are caused by the influence on the viewers’ attitudes towards other factors besides the film. Moreover, usually it is not investigated whether new attitudes are retained over time. Often the effects of films are analysed in experimental conditions where participants watch only short cut scenes from existing films, which limits the extrapolation of the results.

According to the empirical orientation of our approach, the goal was to obtain new data on the positive impact of films based on a specific experimental study. The task was to identify changes in young people’s attitudes towards topical social issues after watching a specifically selected film. Participants had to watch the full version of an existing fiction film. They were tested just before and immediately after watching the movie in order to avoid the influence of other variables on viewers’ attitudes. Repeated testing (two weeks after the first viewing) was a strategy intended to reveal the sustainability of the changes caused by the film. (Kubrak, Tina, 2020)

Blackout, eerie music starts to play, fade in text of the narrators words as he speaks.

Narrator

Starting from its first spark in the 19th century, film has impacted society in many ways, it has become part of our everyday lives and links us as a society. (Saylor Academy, 2012) Here I will be dwelling deep into the human psyche to understand how films have this power of influencing a single person’s behaviour and attitude.

Slow fade out as eerie music continues to get louder, once the text completely disappears the main title appears.

MAIN TITLE: The Impact of Film and Its Manipulative Effects on Society: Influencing an Individuals Behaviour and Beliefs

Narrator

How do movies affect human behaviour? The human mind can be explained like this: think of a seed. As you water it, it grows, and as it grows, it branches out, its roots spreading. The seed that is planted changes into a beautiful plant. Now the mind can be compared to this in a sense that as you feed the brain with new information that being the films an individual watches, it grows but it also learns, it changes, shaping the person to become who they are. Films can just be a factor in influencing a person but they do have the power to make change, both good and bad. Films can have a greater effect on people if they find what they are watching to be relatable, given their personality, or their empathy towards a scene or a character. In this case it has a greater effect on the way they become. In this wondrous documentary I will be taking you through the psychological ways in which a consumer can be influenced by film.

INT. University of Missouri, Office

We return to professor Elizabeth Behm-Morawtiz

Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz

Studies from research that focuses on the potential of pro-social, ‘humanistic’ impact of films and their effectiveness in solving topical social issues reveal the influence of films on peoples beliefs and opinions, stereotypes and attitudes. Movies can have a significant impact on gender and ethnic stereotypes change attitudes towards certain groups of people and cause newly formed opinions on various issues.

Title fade in: The power of genre (fade out)

Narrator

Do violent movies such as horror movies create violent people, do romcoms affect the way a relationship is shaped? Does watching a particular type of genre influence you in anyway?… that is the question. It has been said that when subjugated to violence in movies as well as games, violent tendencies may start to occur from the consumer of such films. At a younger age, as the mind is still developing, this can cause a great change in the way a child grows up.

The mind at a young age is very fragile still very easy to mould, still learning. The movies we watch as children in a sense shape us into the person we will become, or bring out traits of our personality. An example, violent movies… do they make people violent? Violence occurs a lot in several movies, but can watching it make you behave differently?

Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center’s Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Research Center have shown that watching violent programs can cause parts of your brain that suppress aggressive behaviours to become less active. These scientists have shown that a brain network responsible for suppressing behaviours like inappropriate or unwarranted aggression became less active after study subjects watched several short clips from popular movies depicting acts of violence. These changes could render people less able to control their own aggressive behaviour. Indeed the authors found that, even among their own subjects, less activation in this network was characteristic of people reporting an above average tendency to behave aggressively. This characteristic was measured through a personality test.

A secondary finding was that after repeated viewings of violence, an area of the brain associated with planning behaviours became more active. This lends further support to the idea that exposure to violence diminishes the brain’s ability to inhibit behaviour- related processing. (Columbia University Medical Center, 2007)

INT. Columbia University Medical Center

We open with the narrator.

Narrator

Would you say that violent films have the power to influence violent thoughts and actions on a person?

Cuts to Dr Raz, fade in small title card right hand corner. Dr Raztneloiv, medium close up.

Dr. Raz

I would say yes… but also no… let me explain. I’m going say this, one, word… desensitisation. (Merriam Webster, 2022). It’s when someone has repeated exposure of something, let's say they’re a horror fanatic, watching film after film of violence and death. Now the idea behind desensitisation is that this person has watched so many violent films, that they would react less intensely to the idea of violence, thus rendering any violent thoughts, and thus creating a much more…stable person.

INT. Dr Hannibal Wagner

Dr Hannibal

I couldn’t help but overhear my colleague here rambling on about desensitisation. But he chooses to neglect the fact that in some cases this doesn’t have an effect on certain people. Everyone’s mind is different and in some cases it can trigger some violent tendencies, especially in a younger viewer. When we are at a young age our brains are still developing and learning so what we watch read and see can affect the way our personality is shaped.

Dr Raz

Yes, yes, that’s all very interesting… Listen let me tell you about a film that creates the perfect example. I’m sure you’ve heard of it Clockwork Orange. (Warner Bros. Entertainment 2011).

Narrator

Yes, I have.

Dr Raz

Right. Now if you remember. The movie follows Alex, a psychopathic individual who is in prison for murder and rape. So, in order to reduce his sentence he volunteers for an experimental therapy conducted by the government (Rotten Tomatoes, 2007). If you remember, they strapped him down and used eye speculums to keep his eyes open, and displayed in front of him was a series of gruesome violent images and clips shown to him. The idea was to DESENSITISE him… sorry I love that word. So yes, he gets so freaked out by the horror unfolding in front of him that the single thought of reenacting these actions is impossible for him.

Dr Hannibal

Seriously, that’s just ONE movie there are many cases were people have fully gotten into the idea of a murderous character and legit embodied their traits.

Dr Raz

LISTEN HERE, THIS WAS MY INTERVIEW AND YOU INTERRUPTED, THIS IS JUST PREPOSTEROUS, HONESTLY

Narrator

…Thanks, thank you guys for your time.

Looks to camera

Narrator

Cut the camera, cut the camera.

EXT. Kensington House Narrator is walking home with a friend

Lucy (friend of narrator)

Did you hear about the recent incident in Japan on Halloween?

Narrator

(Unlocks door and turns) What??

Lucy

Yeh there was a guy dressed as the Joker. He injured like 17 people it was insane. (McCurry, Justin, 2021)

Narrator

He was dressed as the Joker and was on a train? (He starts to contemplate something)

Lucy

Yeh.

Narrator

Lucy have you seen Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker?

Lucy

Nope

Narrator

Right, well, there was a scene in the film where he was getting chased by police officers. Now mind you this is where everything is more hectic in the film. The trains are full of people with clown masks who were praising what Joaquin Phoenix did at the beginning of the film. He was in full clown makeup and killed three wall street guys. (Flashback FM 2020) Now what happens on that train is a fight breaks out and the two officers end up getting severely beaten.

There have been many iterations of the Joker but I think this fits closers to the story you’re telling me. Speaking on the topic of movie influence… surely he found some inner calling to embody the Joker himself. What do you think?

Lucy

Can we have a look at this scene?

Cuts to train scene from Joker, once scene is finished we cut back to the narrator and his friend they are now sitting in the living room with a fireplace between them. (Trailerzz and Clipz, 2019).

Lucy

Ok, so I see where you’re getting at. You’re basically saying that this guy influenced by the scenes of Joker, took it upon himself to be similar to him?

Narrator

So this is my one theory of what might have been going through his head, because for certain we have no idea what he was thinking. Did he just want to hurt people for the fun of it or was there a deeper meaning maybe? Ok so there’s two things I want to point out. Perspective-taking and Fantasy Empathy, these are two out of four components of empathy developed by Davis (1996) (Trice, Ashton D. And Greer, Hunter W. 2019, p. 11)

Lucy

Right?

Narrator

So perspective-taking is the ability to understand a situation from another person’s point of view. This movie, by the way, creates a lot of empathy for this character which is interesting as he’s supposed to be a villain. The idea behind this film is that society doesn’t care for people like Arthur Fleck, he’s The Joker, hence why he killed those Wall Street people and started a whole movement… a movement that may have spread into… reality perhaps? Maybe this guy was like “hey this is some real shit, society is somewhat the same in the real world, they don’t really care about the ‘little guy’”. I gotta be like The Joker…

Lucy

Right but here’s the thing I don’t think you can just base parts of a film on the actions you take. Like maybe there is more to play than just a film influencing him to do that. Ever thought of how he was raised? Or the people he hung out with? These I believe may have a part to play in the choices this man took.

Narrator

Hmmmm, true, true. Growing up you are influenced by things that develop you as a person sure films can just be a small factor yeh I get what you’re saying. But what if films were everything to you and shaped your whole life? You’re watching like 2 to 3 plus movies a day and so imagine your influences now… So I’m going to talk about one more thing, Fantasy Empathy, which is the ability to become engaged in fictional situations and particularly to have an understanding of the emotions the characters are experiencing. (Trice, Ashton D. And Greer, Hunter W. 2019, p. 11)

Lucy

Your point?

Narrator

Ok so this is something much deeper. You’re watching a character and you feel extremely and deeply connected with him or her. You could maybe be entranced by how this character is feeling and soon start to feel those same emotions. You’re connecting with this character because maybe some part of your life is similar and maybe in some case maybe you start to believe you are that character.

Lucy

It’s quite rare that that happens I think… but yeh… yeh

Cut to video clip of Kim and Richardson (2003) talking about a theory of there’s. (Trice, Ashton D. And Greer, Hunter W. 2019, p. 11)

Kim

So during our research we found that the ability to empathise with movie characters spilled over from interest in the characters, and influenced audience members’ interest in visiting the location in which the film was set.

Richardson

Yes, yes. So we showed a group the movie ‘Before Sunset’ in which an American student meets a French woman on a train and they spent the next day exploring Vienna and falling in love.

Kim

So you see those who were high in Fantasy Empathy developed a higher interests in visiting Vienna after the experience…

Cuts back to the Narrator and Lucy having their conversation

Narrator

The Gentlemen, Spiderman Far From Home… two of my favourite movies right now.

Lucy

They were both filmed here right, in London?

Narrator

Yes they were. So I’m going to tell you a little story. I was planning a little video to film with my friends, in which we did a couple of challenges and tasks around London. Now knowing that these films were filmed here in London I was somewhat inspired to create the route of the video towards those locations: Regents Canal for The Gentlemen, and I’ll tell you the scene they shot there was magnificent. Because, and I’m not going to lie, this was a big deal because now we’re starting to get a lot of representation and being Asian British I’m seeing more Asian actors in the spotlight and that brings me hope you know. So anyway, I got influenced to create a route towards this very location just because I was immersed in this one scene. (Tyler Daniels, 2020). With Spiderman (BestScene, 2021), it was London Bridge, and I mean as a kid, man, we wanted to be like Spiderman and yeh going to a location where it was filmed and… acting out the scene being the character it was fun. (J-MANEY 2022)

Fade out to next scene

INT. Waterstones sitting at the table is author Ashton D. Trice, co writer of The Psychology of Moviegoing

Ashton

Thrill and adventure seeking refers to the excitement among sensation-seekers; they enjoy being “jagged up” and will pursue activities that will result in that sensation. (Trice, Ashton D. And Greer, Hunter W. 2019, p. 14)

Narrator

You think that’s what the guy from the train in Japan was feeling Ashton? Well you can’t ever say for sure what’s going through a persons mind. But one could presume this was a factor. He was definitely inspired by The Joker wasn’t he?

Cuts back to Kensington house with Lucy and Narrator

Lucy

Thrill and adventure seeking? I feel like that’s a perfect example to connect to this maniac.

Narrator

Pfft. Yeh, what else can I say this is somewhat of a resemblance to Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker.

Scene of the movie play then transition to scenes from a romcom film allowing the scene to bridge into the next topic.

INT. Studio

Narrator

Now let's go to something… less violent. Romcoms. Do rom coms teach us how to love or do they ruin them creating greater expectations for a relationship that will probably never happen? Yes… and no.

Camera man

It’s always a yes or no. When will there be just a yes or just a no.

Narrator

…Listen here, I talk you film. I ain't paying you for nothing.

Camera Man

This is an unpaid internship.

Narrator

Right… well continuing on, rom coms I would say create this fantasy that you may run into your one true love or you can magically pop out with the girl or guy next door.

Take Two gives great examples. Let’s cut to them.

Cut To Take Two Video

Take Two

Romcoms ruin us for love, propagating unrealistic harmful ideas of what romance should look like. Romcoms also help us love by setting a high bar from the magic we should except from relationships and modelling the personal growth necessary to actualise greater love stories of our own. (Netflix Film Club, 2021)

Narrator

I would say in most cases it’s always a yes or no scenario.

Glances at cameraman

Cuts too INT. Studio

Narrator

Love is a powerful thing, I would say, and it can be manipulated easily. Would you say that romcoms can shape our expectations of how a person relationship is shaped and how a person loves?

Dr. Tchiki Davis

So throughout my studies I have found that frequent viewers of romantic media content are less likely to believe they can change themselves or their relationship. They are also more likely to believe that their partner should intuitively understand their needs, and more likely to believe that sex should be perfect (Suarez, A. 2020).

EXT. Studio

Narrator

I would like to think that empathy plays a part in this. I’m going to talk a little further about Fantasy Empathy. Now what is that you ask? It’s the ability to become engaged in fictional situations; particularly to have an understanding of the emotions the characters are experiencing. So, in a sense, the person feels like they are that character and they believe that what happens to them may happen to themselves.

Cut to INT. Waterstones

Ashton D. Trice

How fantasy empathy relates to movie-watching is straightforward. People who are high in Fantasy Empathy follow the emotional storyline of a film and identify with and care about the characters more than those who are low in this trait. (Trice, Ashton D. And Greer, Hunter W. 2019, p. 11).

EXT. Columbia University Medical Center

Narrator

But is it just the genre as a whole that influences people? Particular concepts within a film may impact a watcher into believing in certain topics they may not necessarily have believed in before. I can say for a fact that after visiting an exhibition at Gasworks I myself was in the pit of thought and revaluation.

INT. Gasworks. Exhibition Area

Narrator

Here at Gasworks is Nosferasta, the first iteration of a Rastafarian vampire film starring and co-written by Oba, a Trinidadian artist and musician based in Brooklyn. Spanning 500 years of colonial destruction, human trafficking and blood sucking, the film reimagines Oba’s origin story, in which he supposedly becomes a vampire. (Khalil, Adam and Sweitzer, Bayley with Nosferasta, Oba. 2021).

Now as this film was supposedly based on real life it implied the fact that vampires in fact exist, and at one point in watching this it started to become very convincing. This was due to the way scenes were placed together as well as the interesting medic that read used. The only thing that snapped me out of this so called realness was the interview scene with Oba. In this he says “yes I am a vampire” and “disappears” this being placed in quote marks to indicate the fact that it was the use of editing, really bad editing that made him “vanish”. This was done several times to the point where I was ready to say this is bullshit.

Watching films, actions and beliefs can rub off on you and sometimes you don’t even notice, however watching this film I slowly starting to believe maybe vampires do exist… maybe.

INT. University of Missouri, Office

Narrator

Now we return to Professor Behm-Morawitz to run us through many more example of the topics within films that could change a person’s perspective on something.

Professor Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz

Many further examples include HIV films which contributed to sympathy to people living with HIV; TV series’ with transgender characters which contributed to promoting positive attitudes towards transgender persons and the portrayal of mental disorders in movies which had an effect on people’s knowledge and attitudes towards the mentally ill. Also, viewing an empathy-arousing film about immigrants induced more positive attitudes toward them, and watching a movie offering a positive depiction of gay men reduced homophobia. Other films influenced people’s attitude towards smoking and their intentions to quit, while a series with a positive donation message helped viewers to make decisions about their own donation (Kubrak, Tina, 2020).

Narrator

Now I decided to interview a couple of people to get an insider and to understand whether the films they watch, in particular their favourite film, affects or influences them.

INT. Studio

Narrator

Hello

Collins

Hi

Narrator

So we’re just gonna go straight into it.

Collins

Cool, Cool

Narrator

So first question, what would you say your favourite movie is and why?

Collins

Uhh probably Inception by Christopher Nolan. I remember finally getting the plot to that movie, it made me feel like a genius ya know.

Narrator

Are there any parts of the film that stand out the most to you can you explain why?

Collins

The part that stands out to me… the part when they’re at the café and its Leonardo Di Caprio and Elliot Pages’ characters, and they finally realise that they’re in a dream, and they’re like, you know, the world starts to fall in on itself. It comes up with that (creates dramatic sound effect), it was a really well-made scene. It was like… it was a quote. You don’t realise you’re in a dream until like (does side to side hand movement) pffft my brain (does brain explosion movement).

Narrator

Finally, have you felt at any point after watching this film it has affected you in anyway?

Collins

Uh, there was one where we ‘live in a simulation’ that got me, like are we in a dream or not? Like you wake up one morning… is this a dream or not? You can’t really do nothing about it, you just ponder on it like what is my place in the universe (chuckles). Getting a bit philosophical, but yeh, that’s what the movie does to ya (Collins Interview, 2021).

Fade out and into next interview. Person enters screen and sits in seat.

Sonya

Helooo

Narrator

Hi, so I’m gonna ask you a couple of question.

Sonya

Alright

Narrator

Ok, first question what would you say your favourite film is and why?

Sonya

You know this one’s a hard one. It’s between three different ones I would say. Coraline, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Midsommar. But I guess if it had to be one lets go for Midsommar yeh. And yeh, its actually a pretty cool film I would say it pushes the boundaries of the medium and captures something more abstract and unique.

Narrator

Second question. Are there any parts of the film that stand out the most to you, can you explain why?

Sonya

Well I’d say the psychological tricks used on the characters and audience. Those scenes really get up in your face.

Narrator

Alright last question. Have you felt that at any point after watching this film it has affected you in anyway? For example acted out scenes from the film throughout the day or made you think differently about a certain topic…

Sonya

Well after finishing Midsommar, I was depressed and stunned for the rest of the day, it made me think more deeply about cults, the collective, and toxic relationships.

Narrator

So in a sense the film kind of affected you for only a short period of time.

Sonya

Yeh you could say that (Sonyas Interview, 2021).

Fade out to Narrator walking down the street camera follows him at a medium C/U frame.

Narrator

It’s interesting to see how films can affect an individual watching something can affect you for the short term but there are some cases and I think this to be rare… but it does happen and affects certain people in the long run. It can be scary at times if it revolves around violence. But in other topics such as history perhaps, I’ll use this as an example. It gives us knowledge to grow.

Title Fade in, Neurocinema (fade out)

Neurocinema is considered to be one of the emerging interdisciplinary sciences and relies on neuroscientific discoveries to explore various aspects of movies’ effect on the viewers brain. The introduction of science not only investigates this effect but also seeks to answer how a good movie takes control of our neural pathways. Another part of Neurocinema investigates movies which, in their content, include patients’ neurological and also psychiatric problems. As cinema is heavily influenced by technology, the quality of cinema and whatever it deals with, will vary to response to advancements in technology. Considering that Neurocinema will face a new world in line with these changes, the various aspects effect of this new world and the human brain should be thoroughly considered (Moghadasi, Naser, 2020).

Narrator

Now what kind of film a person chooses is mostly based on their personality, I would say. They may be interested in films based around fiction or ones based around reality. But what I want to focus on is something more interesting, fictions influence on reality.

Title fade in, Fiction > Reality (Fade out)

As stated by Haifaa Al Mansour, a director from Saudi Arabia “Art can touch people and make them open up”. The art of film has that influential touch that can shape a person’s worldview (World Economic Forum, 2015). Which brings me to fiction and reality (TED-Ed, 2012). Fiction, in a sense has the ability to somewhat alter how we perceive our reality. Movies shape cultural attitudes and customs, as audiences adopt the attitudes and styles of the characters they watch on screen. A story to date back to is the Sopranos, which is inspired by a real Italian Mafia from New Jersey. In a sense, by watching the way the show portrayed them, the real Mafia family started to have traits which reflected those of their show’s counterparts, which led to their arrest. The show basically insinuated to them that they were supposed to be like this, and in a sense made them more like this as they were flattered by the way they were being portrayed.

Researchers in the psychology of neuroscience and of child development and biology, are starting to gain scientific evidence; showing what writers and readers have always known, that stories have a unique ability to change a person’s point of view. Scholars are discovering that stories shape culture, and that much of what we believe about life comes not from fact but from fiction. Fiction always brings in a bit of reality to the point where we feel as though we are part of that fantasy. An example of this, you could say, is society. Society is reflected in movies in many different ways, and in turn can influence society in reality, by changes in representation, challenging audiences’ morals, and transforming viewers opinions.

Title Fade in, Representation and Stereotypes, how films shape the way we see other cultures (Fade Out)

EXT. Marvel Studios

Narrator

Here we talk to the director and lead of Marvel Studios Shang Chi to hear their thoughts on Asian representation in this film.

INT. Marvel Studios

Fade in title card bottom right hand corner: Director of Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Destin Cretton. (Digital Spy, 2021)

Destin

I love making movies that reflect the world around me. I grew up in Hawaii, surrounded by such a huge array of ethnic backgrounds. All my friends were Chinese, Japanese, Korean Filipino, Hawaiian, Caucasian, and all those cultures mixed together in my upbringing. All those foods were spread out on the same dinner table, and that’s the world I am used to, and so I to try to have that type of diversity in every movie I make. That is something that I naturally lean towards.

Cut to Simu Liu Interview.

Simu

Every Asian person has complex feelings about martial arts. On the one hand I think it’s very empowering to watch Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee movies, I mean those very, very awesome badass kicking heroes that are aspirational. But on the other hand you know in a way a lot of those stories were told outside of an Asian gaze. They were told from a predominately white perspective, and didn’t kind of give us the authentic representation that I think we craved, and certainly that I craved as an Asian Canadian kid growing up in Toronto and predominately speaking English. There was a tendency sometimes to stereotype martial artists or Asian martial artists. So what I think what we have done with this movie, is we have kind of reclaimed that. Martial arts certainly does play an important part of the story and the world we inhabit but it is also done in a way that empowers our characters and deepens them rather than cheapens and stereotypes.

Narrator

Speaking from my point of view as an Asian British growing up myself I rarely saw Asian leads in movies and the representation was usually very stereotypical. Only now I have started to see Asian leads and even a full Asian cast. This was very empowering to me in terms of seeing myself as these characters, and relating to them.

Shang Chi in particular, which was the first Asian led super hero, really spoke to me. Quoting Simu Liu, it gives Asian kids the chance to grow up and see themselves basically. Seeing themselves and feeling relatable to the characters can really empower a person. Going to see this movie with my friends, we felt overjoyed that someone like us was on screen as a lead. Shortly after, and I can say for a fact this just happened naturally due to watching the film, we broke into various martial arts stances and fights. We felt empowered by the film and that we could express ourselves.

Fade out cuts to medium close up of fireplace and pans out revealing the narrator and another person, who is a friend of his, sitting and chatting, music is playing over but slowly decreases so we can hear their voices.

INT. Kensington home

Jakub

Remember 2012?

Narrator

2012 the year? Or 2012 the film (Starts to ramble on) directed by Roland Emmerich, starring John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Woody Harrelson… now Woody was an interesting character I think…

Gets cut off by Jakub

Jakub

(Looks at the narrator weirdly he takes a breath before speaking)

…Both (shakes head) both. When did that movie come out again?

Narrator

2009 I believe.

Jakub

Shit we were like 9 when that film came out

Narrator

Yes, we were… The brain still developing… learning… freakinggg the fuck out (takes a long glance at the fire). We were honestly so scared back then… of basically everything. But this… seeing this movie freaked me out.

Jakub

It freaked us all out.

Narrator

Pffft yeh. Its amazing ya know, how a simple… well not so simple but ya get what I mean, movie like that can influence a child of our generation.

Jakub

(Chuckles) yeh like I don’t know what was up but we got scared of a lot of things, kids these days are ruthless.

Narrator

But yeh anyway on to the main thing that film really made us believe the world was coming to an end.

Jakub

You would say that was like a short term effect on us right?

Narrator

You know what for me I would say yes and no… I guess because, this lasted like three years on us. It affected us for three straight years until 2012 rolled round. The minute it hit New Years’ of 2012 we were shitting bricks.

Jakub

I was grabbing onto my mum and dad for dear life

Narrator

(Chuckles) Then we waited… and we waited a bit more, nothing it didn’t happen. What an incredible effect this movie had on us. It had us in the ‘palm of its hand’ for basically three years.

Magnificent.

EXT. BFI IMAX Waterloo

Narrator

One of the ways in which films affect society is by expanding our knowledge of history and culture.

Some movies are like history lessons to the viewers, since they show real life past events. An example of this is Gladiator, which is a very well-made production and as close to perfect as few other get. Even though most of the plot in Gladiator is fictional, for example the love story and the revenge tale, the film does depict real life past situations. It shows life of gladiators, the political situation of Rome at the time, and the overall state at which the world was. People who have seen Gladiator surely gained some knowledge from the film and expanded their current understanding of Roman culture.

Films also describe and explore different cultures around the world. A perfect example of this is City of God which takes place in the underground world of Rio de Janeiro. The film surely impacts the viewer since it shows certain situations and truths about life in Rio de Janeiro that most people don’t know (Poutyboy, 2017).

Cut to INT. Kensington Home Narrator is now sitting around the fire with Shirley and Jakub.

Narrator

Now I wanna end with on a high note something that brought me joy and will hopefully get a little giggle out of you. Spiderman No Way Home. Haven’t even seen the film yet before this and I guess you could say it’s influenced me.

Jakub

This would be like a short-term effect on you tho right?

Narrator

You know I’m not quite sure. It’s amazing really that you don’t really subconsciously think if it affected you or not. But in my sense for this I would have to make it a half and half situation.

Lucy

How so?

Narrator

Well for starters I’m a big marvel fan, especially when it comes to Spider-Man and knowing for this movie they’re bringing back villains from the past two Spider-Man series the Tobey Maguire one and the Andrew Garfield one. Now people have been speculating that Tobey and Andrews Spidermen are going to appear in it.

Jakub

So where you going with this?

Narrator

Jheeez hold on, hold on. So the scene from Tobey’s third Spider-Man movie, the part where he’s dancing after he bonds with the symbiote and goes into his, well, this is what the fans call him; his bully Maguire phase. It's a whole scene of him dancing and then going to get a black suit and dancing again(TopMovieClips, 2017).

Cuts to scene

Narrator

As a kid watching that I was amazed, and wanted to be just like him. This movie came out in 2007. I watched it… when did I watch it? 2009 maybe? Yeh, anyways, fast forward to present time the culmination of all three generations of Spidermen. You could say I was influenced by the first generation of movies. This was my childhood mind you. I was influenced by that one scene to turn up to the film in a black suit myself. But it just wasn’t that and I’m not ashamed to say it… I did the dance before and after the film. I was influenced by a film I hadn’t even seen yet by another film. The power of something I loved that had an impact on me (jmaney_, 2021)

Lucy

Yeh, you invest a lot of your time into this Marvel shit.

Narrator

MARVEL IS NOT SHIT DON’T YOU DAREE…

Jakub

She said ‘Marvel shit’, mate not ‘Marvel is shit’.

Narrator

Oh… my bad.

Well, you could say Marvel has heavily influenced me into thinking they’re the best superhero franchise ever.

Jakub and Lucy

DCs better.

Narrator glares at them

Narrator

…

Roll Credits

---

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Primary Research

Collins Interview (2021) Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxyuA25_5-E

Sonyas Interview (2021) Available at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/ 1gkloqg6Rh189SB_48cHSUy-GT9fUI2qS4gv4pqyeer8/edit?usp=sharing