Cinema's Power to Impact Society

Since movies are set and developed in a particular culture and background with the relevant social norms and standards prevailing, it can be said that movies mirror culture. They reinforce the cultural arts and practices and highlight societal norms and expectations through vibrant art and commentary. Even if a movie takes a stance against the culture it is set in, it still depicts something we are familiar with on the big screen, which serves as a solid reinforcement of our beliefs and practices, and makes us reconsider our blind faith and following of our cultural practices. Since movies mirror how we coexist as people, it is easier to see the flaws and benefits or attractions of our culture and our society as a whole, allowing us to embrace change and acceptance more easily, uniting us on both the big screen and the open field of society as a whole.

Getty Images / Moment / Fatima Guisado Iozano

Moreover, movies have the power to slightly alter and even shape culture with time, given how we copy the styles and mannerisms of movie stars and musicians. We absorb the values and beliefs from cinema and apply them to our own cultures and society to see whether they fit. Hence, it can be confidently stated that cinema holds power to render some cultural beliefs and practices redundant.

Furthermore, most movies depict history as well, the very roots and foundations of our culture, so we can trace back our values and practices to certain historical events. Cinema has the power to connect modern cultures to their ancestors and provide a raw, unfiltered, and unapologetic depiction of our cultures hence, our own selves. This is one of the foundational reasonings of how the cinema inspires us and what a heavy impact it has on the culture and society as a whole, inspiring compassion and improvement through vibrant and honest depictions of our past, present, and the eventual future.