Are Movies a Reflection?

Are Movies a Reflection?
By Sherri Rabinowitz
The movies Nine and A Single Man have one major theme in common. No, its not that they were both nominated for an Oscar. Or that they were both released last year. Not even that both movies were well written, well acted and well produced. It was that they both revolved around two men who were having nervous breakdowns. Truly heart wrenching, sad studies of how the human heart can shatter.

It is interesting since it reflects what is happening in the world today. With the current economic crisis there are a lot of people who are on the brink of a shattering heart. Mental Healthcare is on the biggest rise ever. Here in Los Angles we are at a very high level of unemployment and it is very hard to even get an interview. There is a collective creative consciousness in the world that these movies reflect on.

The crisis of World War II was reflected by a surge of optimism that seems to have gone missing today. Nine had that those wonderful musical numbers but the torment of the lead character was driving force of the movie. A Single Man had no real happiness. There were tiny glimpses of the happy life he had with his life partner that had passed away but that was all.

Why do these movies reflect such sadness? Are these films just a glimpse of our current world? Its something to reflect on, isn’t it? Maybe we should take a page from World War II and learn to be optimistic again.