The Dying Nature of Cinema

Once a prestigious and enjoyable experience, now turned into an expensive and infuriating one. The movie theater is an integral part of American and world culture. From the silent era to talkies to modern-day movies, the industry continues to make incredible jumps in technology and storytelling. However, recent years and films foreshadow a plateau and even a decline in the business. Reasons such as unoriginality, didacticism, streaming services, overuse of CGI, and the overall experience of attending the movies are responsible for the dying nature of cinema.

"I want to know where we are, where we're going." – Interstellar, 2017

The current state of cinema and film-making is highly underwhelming due to unoriginality and unnecessary sequels and remakes. The major production companies focus too much on creating easy and quick content to push out. Studios are shifting their focus away from making art and toward making money. Cash grabs such as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny or the most recent Star Wars trilogy are prime examples of this trend.

These movies are unnecessary and add nothing to the original works. One could argue they leave an off-putting stain on the franchises. Disney is in a phase of remakes of classic and successful films rather than one of creating new stories for new generations. Corporate greed seems to leave any concern of the audience in the dust. The rise of remakes and sequels is trending upwards, so people are less willing to see them in the cinema.

"Do you like apples?" – Good Will Hunting, 1997

Another issue that plagues the current state of cinema is the strong implementation of didacticism. In other words, the film purposely or blatantly preaches a moral lesson to the audience. Many movies in the past could do this with subtlety, but the current trend of film-making makes the lesson the purpose of the entire film. It is unclear where filmmakers picked up the notion that people attend the movies to receive preaching, but this is certainly not the case. People attend the cinema to escape their world, not to remind themselves of it. They want to explore worlds and stories that could never be real because that is where the magic of the movies comes from. So, no, audiences certainly do not like those apples.

"if you build it, he will come." – Field of Dreams, 1989

The creation of streaming services did, in fact, bring in the masses. As these various platforms grow, audiences willing to attend the cinema shrinks. When people can pay the same price as a movie ticket for an entire month's worth of streaming hundreds of movies and TV shows, they will be less inclined to go to the movies. A family of four who attends a movie and buys popcorn and drinks will pay over 60 dollars for the evening. Compare that price to a monthly payment of 15 dollars, and it's obvious why fewer people are going to the movies. The cost does not justify the means anymore. So, what did filmmakers and production studios do to counter the monster of streaming? They started releasing new movies directly to streaming services. It's as if the studios want the death of cinema. These increasing trends point to a future without theaters.

"I felt like destroying something beautiful" – Fight Club, 1999

If there is one aspect concerning the process of film-making that has destroyed the quality of cinema, it is the overuse of CGI. Otherwise known as computer-generated images, CGI is not being used in cohesion with practical effects anymore, but instead of them. Fewer and fewer directors are opting for practical effects in their movies. Christopher Nolan exemplifies how practical effects will always be better than CGI. His stylistic choices make his films feel dynamic, authentic, and immersive. He crashed a real Boeing 747 in Tenet, created a rotating hall in Inception, and created the entire prison for The Dark Knight Rises. Practical effects also create better acting because the experiences are much more realistic. James Cameron's Titanic, for example, featured a set where they could sink the boat repeatedly for different takes. The movie was much more immersive than it would have been if it had only used CGI. Practical effects show respect for the art of film-making. CGI is a cop-out solution for directors afraid to dream big.

"It's not personal. It's just business." – The Godfather, 1972

The studios and producers' focus is money and money alone. More and more audiences see films created for revenue rather than the art of beautiful and imaginative storytelling. Decisions made by those in charge of the film industry will continue down the path that makes the most money. Unfortunately, that path may not include the cinema. The magic that is attending the movies is losing any justifiability. Movies are expensive to produce on film, streaming services are more prevalent than ever, and the quality is spiraling down out of control. If families and people choose to attend a movie in theaters, they can expect to be met with talkative crowds, distracting children, or poor watching conditions. Movie ticket prices are far too expensive for an experience that often fails to match the price. There once were times when people would try to sneak into every movie showing, but now, the same people can’t make it to a single showing. The combined and continuing aspects of film-making beg the question: Is cinema approaching its end?

About Christian Mickelson

Christian Mickelson is majoring in English and secondary education. After graduating from Mount Marty University, he plans to continue his education in pursuit of his master’s degree in creative writing. He is a member of Men’s Basketball and the Education Club at Mount Marty. He enjoys writing poetry and fiction above all else. Christian is incredibly thankful to the English and Educational staff at Mount Marty for their continued support and dedication to his growth.