CODA is an honored movie that combines important elements of several recent movies. The presentations of a thriving deaf community and a unique artistic community are rich and nuanced. The dilemma of a world dependent on high quality sound and a world without sound are explored and made poignant. The complexities of lives managed between separate…

The movie "Lansky" presents a version of the memoirs of Meyer Lansky, a central figure in the origin and management of the national crime syndicate. The development of the Syndicate accompanies the story of Lansky's life and career. The evolution from a traditional to a modern organization is discussed as an example of the use by…

Movies have designated dance as a positive way for marginal and groups assigned a low status to cope with the enduring pain of inequality. A brief history of dance movies reveals the sentimental appeal of stories of coping with inequality by adopting dancer identities. The recent movie "Tango Shalom" offers an example of the use of…

Four recent movies and broadcasts have brought our attention to historical episodes of racism, anti-semitism, authoritarianism, and murder in the first half of the Twentieth Century. These episodes had been largely forgotten as the history of social progress has been celebrated. New attention to past events as presented in the four works is…

Subcultures can appear in multicultural societies not only by the contact of existing cultures but also by cultures that remain constant while the larger society changes. A recent movie, "Dark Waters," is an example of this process. "Parasite" and "Joker," two other recent movies, both Academy Award winners, differ…

The movies can be part of sudden and thorough revelations of attitudes toward current events. The ambiguities of our history can be seen in the swings of public sentimentality. In the movies, these swings are highlighted. Our deepest sentiments can be unexpectedly unstable. What we find in the movies can emphasize these discontinuities. "West…

Two current biopic movies, "Harriet" and "The Irishman," present the life stories of real people who have been involved with slavery and organized crime. These images contradict the virtuous image of America that is fundamental to our sense of national identity and patriotism. Could this contradiction lead to oppositional…

Recent movies have used the familiar conventions of classic revenge movies, but the former have avoided the latter's grim resolutions in favor of a wiser, more forgiving attitude toward those who have offended the wronged. This unconventional change in a familiar story line points to the contrast between the pleasure of vicarious vindictiveness…

Four movies, "Mary Magdalene," "Wild Nights with Emily," "The Wife," and "Slut in a Good Way," showing women as central characters are discussed. All of the movies have been made primarily by women. At this time, the Me Too movement has called attention to the perspectives of women and their life…

Two movies about Black protest movement leaders in the 1960s are playing on home screens during African American History Month during the COVID-19 pandemic. The movies are made by African American moviemakers and are focused on Black protest movements. One Night in Miami and Judas and the Black Messiah present the lives and activities of Black…

Four recent movies, "Hidden Figures," "The Zookeeper's Wife," "Their Finest," and "Colossal" exemplify a new cultural version of the movie heroine. This version combines feminism with commitment to solving an overwhelming problem. These heroines, thus, display the character virtues of Wonder Woman and Mrs.…

Contradictions between precious ideals and social realities are often handled by locating the problems of inequality in a limited setting, so that the rest of social life will not be disturbed. Racial inequality in America, starting with slavery, is concretely expressed in the troubled relations between agencies of social control, like the police,…

Contemporary political and cultural realities make the renegotiating of African American cultural images an urgent matter. A recent movement to improve the position of African Americans in the movie business has produced a new wave of debates. Current movies show a variety of approaches to defining those images. The success of "Green…

The movie awards for 2018 were dominated by works by and about marginalized people who are underrepresented in contemporary movies. The movies use established forms of superficial, sensational, and escapist movie-making. The conventions of these "eye candy" forms contradict and undermine the serious adult significance of the works, in…

"Detroit" and "Step" are two recent movies in the context of urban riots in protest of police brutality. They refer to time periods separated by half a century, but there are common themes in the two that seem appropriate to both times. The movies are not primarily concerned with the riot events, but the riot is a major…