Classic movies and Modern films

Differences between classic movies and modern films: Which ones are better?

The history of cinema gives us a snapshot into the past and a window to imagination. It can be divided into two eras, classic and modern.

The classic era is characterized by films that were produced with cinematographic strategies used in the USA between 1900 and 1960. The classic movies were influenced by the ideas of the Renaissance and their topics were focused on psychological motivation. Some examples of classic films are “Casablanca”, “Gone with the wind” and “Citizen Kane”.

The modern films try to break the traditional and conventional style used by classics. Their style is unique since it depends on the artist´s imagination. They are defined by the innovative techniques used in their direction. The topics are about almost anything, like an impossible love or an alien invasion. “Dirty Harry”, “Titanic” and “Amelie” are samples of the modern era.

If we compare these types of movies we will find a lot of differences particularly in the style of direction. While the style of classics is traditional, the modern one is innovative. All the classic films share specific characteristics like the management of space and time, whereas modern films are different among them as they depend on the artist’s creativity.

Cinema is also a representation of the ideology of the society. Classic movies show the social, moral and ethical stereotypes of their time. Hence, it is common to see in the classics discrimination towards women and racism. However, the stereotypes have changed and modern movies show us a more open mind society. Due to the increasing globalization, modern films give us a window to the culture of different parts of the world, whereas classic movies were centralized in the USA.

Another big difference is technology. Modern films are examples of the revolution of technology and use spectacular special-effects, such as the computerized animation and high definition shown in “Avatar”. Classic films have obsolete special-effects, like the excessive use of extras shown in films like “Cleopatra” or “Ben-Hur”.

The differences between classic and modern movies make each one important. It is impossible to decide which one is better because they have left a trail in the history of art. While classic movies let us see the past and learn from it, modern films give us a taste of imagination.

To conclude, classic movies are traditional and modern films are innovative. In my opinion, these differences make each one unique and because of that I don’t have a preference, although as a woman I tend to prefer romantic movies more than action films. I think that if we want to enjoy classic movies we have to watch them in their context and to enjoy modern films we need an open mind to try to understand the artist’s vision.