Open Forum Friday: Can Message Movies Make A Difference?
The movie Blood Diamond opens this weekend, and I’m pretty interested in seeing it. Reviews seem to be mixed, but I do like Leonardo DiCaprio and I am interested in the movie’s subject, which is the diamond mining conflict in Sierra Leone. The movie seems to be getting a lot of press over the fact that some analysts are predicting it will hurt demand for diamonds during a key shopping season. Director Edward Zwick has stated before that the point is not to stop people from buying diamonds, but to make them more aware of where they are coming from. The question is, can a Hollywood movie actually influence people so much that they might change their habits as a consumer?
So-called “message movies” are always a risky proposition, because a lot of people go to the movies in order to escape reality. If a film is perceived as being too preachy, it may alienate audiences. On the other hand, if a message movie dumbs down its subject matter, it will not accomplish its goal and the viewer will take absolutely nothing away from watching it. So I guess my question this week is, do message movies actually work? And with regards to Blood Diamond, can a movie like this actually make a difference on this issue (at least, more than certain rappers and documentaries have in the past)? Give us your thoughts here on Open Forum Friday.
Comments (2)
I’m quite anti-diamond, but i dont see this putting a dent in diamond sales unless theres still a swoon of girls who need to follow anything Leo DiCaprio says.
Posted by Goon on December 8th, 2006Apparently Platoon made a big difference in how the world perceived the Vietnam war…
When Sideways opened Pinot Noir sales sparked 20%, and Merlot sales were down significantly according to the back of the DVD.
Sure a movie can make a difference. Some movies will connect with you personally, and you will come away slightly altered for lack of a better term, and that change may manifest itself in your consumption.
As for this movie however, it was made by one of the worst directors and worst people ever to be born and raised by humans. I seriously hope this will change nothing but the fact that he doesn’t get to make another movie.
Posted by Henrik on December 8th, 2006Leave a Reply