Hollywood's next act -- It better be good.

For most of us who claim a place in the civilized world, the events of this past September were not only unforeseeable; they were unimaginable. Then came the images themselves. Sterile, glistening metals juxtaposed with orange balls of flame, captured with stunning detail against a crystal blue sky. No single, rational imagination could house, let alone conjure, horrors of such enormous scale.

Except, perhaps, for the mind's eye we call Hollywood. The action played out almost as if upon a grotesque back lot, a production of hideous special effects devised not only to kill, but to shock. Almost, had it not been so real. Which introduces a question that the American film industry will have to consider repeatedly as it attempts to move forward: how do you manage the business of selling dreams when reality itself becomes a waking nightmare?

In response to the tragedy, many upcoming film releases have been postponed, shelved or are undergoing substantial re-editing. Not only is this appropriate, it is crucial to the American psyche. If we allow ourselves to view subjects such as violent terrorism, bomb threats, and indiscriminant killing as entertainment during such a sensitive hour, we may never regain our objectivity. In fact, one of the most disturbing aspects of this alleged re-examination of entertainment values is that we've made it necessary in the first place. Sure, we all like spectacle in our movies, but that doesn't have to mean senseless and often glorified destruction. I, for one, could happily go to my grave without watching another building blow up or plane go down. Does anyone who watched this recent terror unfold feel differently? Can themes of cataclysm and anarchy ever bring us cinematic pleasure again in this lifetime? Being that there is no official statute of limitations on national sensitivity and disgust, the answer could very well be "no." If that is the case, then in what direction does Hollywood ride off? How will it create without its primary colors of anti-heroism, epic catastrophe and sanitized mayhem?

The answers may lie in Hollywood's own history. While this new cloud over America undeniably looms large and black, it is not the first she has weathered. Throughout some of our most embattled periods of the twentieth century the movies and the theater experience have not deteriorated but instead flourished in the spirit of innovation. Consider the magical escapism offered by the huge, ornate movie houses built in response to the great depression. MGM and the classic studios of the time realized that they weren't just selling seats, they were providing an alternate reality. That reality could never be too big, or too positive. Film and music were wedded then, with average folks breaking into song if for no other reason than that they could.

While not originally created for film, it is notable that Superman first appeared as an antidote to both depression anxieties and the looming Nazi threat. Like the amplified emotion of colorful musicals, the patriotically clad hero represented a larger-than-life embodiment of salvation, yet he was also an average Clark by day. Superman stood as an icon of the idealized American individual: basic good transformed into spectacular good. This is the role of the all-American hero of literature, then radio, then moving image big and small. Across all these media, this figure has guided us through war and western, between solitude and romance, from refusal to redemption.

Today, Hollywood would be wise to remember what it is that endures as legend. Studio decision makers need to realize that they aren't just dishing out disposable products, but have become the keepers of our culture's stories. Occasionally, films stand out as clear examples of our lore. Artworks like It's A Wonderful Life and Star Wars are timeless because, like great odysseys of literature, they enable individuals of every generation to discover and better define their own sagas. Special effects disasters are one form of escapism. Stepping outside oneself to learn through the eyes of a worthy protagonist is another. What would be wrong with suturing the cynicism that seems to drip into most current film? Hollywood is so good at showing us worlds that worsen, yet it has at times created facades that not only inspire happiness, they leave us clues pointing to a better way of life. If we have reached a point where it seems utterly outrageous to hope for a rebirth of the golden-age musical, then perhaps that is exactly what we need.

Films at their worst have the ability to numb us. At their best, they have the power to awaken our hearts and minds within a common dream, an epic that lifts us out of our seats and into our greatest potential. Movies have so often reflected our worst tendencies. Let them once again affirm our best selves.
 
 

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