The Transiton to Post- Classical Cinema

With the advent of post-classical cinema, many changes occurred within Hollywood that altered the type of movies made as well as the way in which these movies were presented. During the classical period of Hollywood film making, most of the movies adhered to the traditional image of the mature, active, and stoic male protagonist. Post-classical films often depart from this image and instead favor a more undisciplined, young, and neurotic male protagonist. Instead of mature actors like Gregory Peck and Humphrey Bogart, new, less experienced actors such as Marlon Brando and James Dean were cast as the main protagonist. These ‘new’ heroes were targeted specifically at a young male audience, and unlike their older counterparts often had no logical driving force behind their actions.

At the same time, Hollywood began to develop ‘New Movies’ in an attempt to capture the attention of the more intellectual and educated audience that was becoming more prominent. As more people attended college and received a higher level of education, the general audience that went to see films expected a more artistic, intellectual experience when viewing films. These ‘New Movies’ offered purely visual content coupled with open-ended interpretations that allowed members of the audience to interpret the meaning of the film for themselves instead of being lead to a specific conclusion.

Hill, John and Pamela Church Gibson. The Oxford Guide to Film Studies. New York: Oxford University Press,1998. Print.

-David Zwick