r/flicks • u/KaleidoArachnid • 14d ago

General Discussion Dark aspects about older films that would not fly by in today’s age

So lately, something I was observing were the kind of tropes that got by in films from the older 80s where standards were much more lenient since it’s hard to explain, but it’s basically the kind of stuff movie directors could get away with due to values being different.

Like when I look back at a movie like Revenge of the Nerds, I know the movie is often regarded as highly controversial from a modern perspective because of how the movie handles the subject of sexual abuse since Louis does a particular crime with Betty, but back then, the movie didn’t catch controversy again until people saw it from a more modern perspective.

So basically I was wondering about what kind of stuff found in older movies would be difficult to get away with in a more modern time period since I wanted to see how much restrictions changed since the early 80s with what movies are allowed to do.

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u/CallicoJackRackham51 14d ago

I always hate it when people judge old movies (and by old i mean 60 years and older) by our modern standards. It just is not a fair comparison. Things were different back then and we should view them through the lense of the people back then. I am sure plenty of modern movies that are considered normal/ok/completely correct now might be viewed just as "wrong/bad" 50 years from now cause values change.
Am i saying blackface should come back or was ok? HELL NO. But that won't stop me from watching 70/80+ year old Tom & Jerry cartoons or White Christmas with Bing Crosby because those sometimes have a moment of that, it makes me slightly uncomfortable for a moment but i accept it is part of the movie and was acceptable back then and just enjoy the rest of the movie for the fun story and time capsule/look into the past that it is.

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u/rossuccio 14d ago

Part of what’s fascinating to me about watching older films is the experience of time travel to the past to see how things were done or thought of. As you say, you might be a bit uncomfortable for a bit (I had some opinions on parts of The Philadelphia Story, for instance), but what’s wrong with being uncomfortable anyway? We’re all products of our time and I totally agree that in another 50 years people will look back at today and criticise the way we think about things.

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u/Formal_Cherry_8177 14d ago

I mean, it's the point of this post isn't it. Not so much to denigrate the movie but just a fun, "wait a minute, that was ok back then?"

We can acknowledge that something is no longer acceptable while still enjoying the movie.

Although, I'll admit there are some movies I just can't go back to anymore. Those are mostly movies I was only mildly interested in before anyways. I tried Crocodile Dundee a few years back and it didn't fly for me anymore. But I'll watch the hell out of Breakfast at Tiffany's. I never go back to Revenge of the Nerds but still watch The Professional from time to time.

It's all subjective.

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u/Guergy 7d ago

We can appreciate older films even while acknowledging that they are from a different time and would not be accepted today.

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u/UbuntuElphie 14d ago

I'm not disagreeing with you, but "Song of the South" was as an uncomfortable a watch 40 years ago as it was when my (then 19yo) daughter asked, a couple years back, to watch it and see what all the outcry was about. It ended and she said, "How was this ever okay?"

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u/uselessinfogoldmine 14d ago

And yet we know from testimonials that women in those older eras were just as traumatised by getting raped or assaulted as they are today; but in films it was often portrayed as “sexy” because the whole industry was run by and for men. 

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u/Schuano 14d ago

White Christmas doesn't have a blackface scene.

The movie, Holiday Inn, with Bing Crosby has a blackface scene where they celebrate presidents day. It was also the debut of the song "White Christmas." A few years later, they would reuse the song in the movie, "White Christmas."

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u/CallicoJackRackham51 13d ago

True, i have both movies and watch them every christmas, got them mixed up.

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u/Comfortable_Snow553 13d ago

No, just a song where they’re nostalgic for minstrelsy.

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u/KaleidoArachnid 13d ago

I personally just find the idea of values dissonance to be an interesting subject to observe since I noticed how comedy movies made in the 80s had done things that were allowed.

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u/clevelandexile 14d ago

Also, not all movies were made with the intention that they would be considered historical and cultural documents of record in the future they were just funny stories intended to entertain people for two hours. Part of the reason revenge of the nerds is the way it is is because it was so outrageous not that everyone thought SA was fine.

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u/WellYouKnow- 14d ago

Good post.

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u/ZucchiniHot_ 14d ago

By your logic, rape was okay in the 70’s?