Written By:Jason Boothe

Films have the power and potency within them to make an impact on society. The content within them holds the intensity to influence the audience and change society's views. This essay will prove this judgment. The first film example on the agenda has changed society’s views negatively. The second film example has changed society’s views positively. These examples will be followed up with reasoning by referring to particular scenes and research I have accumulated.

This first film changed society’s views undoubtedly. ‘Jaws’ was unleashed to the public in 1975. Spielberg’s thriller was responsible for giving the shark specie a inauspicious perception. It was the film that made people avoid going to far out to sea, it’s the film that brought you the quote “you’re going to need a bigger boat” (Jaws,1975). This wasn’t because of the strong winds and a high tide, people’s main fear of the sea was the shark.

The great white shark plays the role as a one dimensional instigator. The audience will immediately perceive the shark as a callus savage as he butchers two youngsters at the beginning of the film. The shark is depicted as a serial killer. This can be identified in the scene after the young boy is killed whilst on the lilo. A western style bounty is on the wall in the sheriff’s office which states ‘Catch and kill shark, $3.000 reward’. As Spielberg added this prop in the mise en scene, this will make the audience put the shark in the same bracket as a criminal. The characters in the film constantly put the shark in a bad light. This can be acknowledged in the scene were the locals are having a meeting about apprehending the shark.“It’s a bad fish, it aint going to be like catching blue gills and Tommy cats”.(Jaws,1975). Realistically the shark’s habitat is the sea, humans shouldn’t be there. Some would argue that the humans are provoking the sharks by being there. Spielberg doesn’t consider the shark’s food chain in ‘Jaws’, he makes it look like the sharks main objective is to consume humans. After doing some research I discovered that most shark attacks happen as a result of sharks mistaking humans as sea creatures. ”There not out to attack humans, we get in there way most of the time or they mistake us for seals and we cant really blame them” (Jaws – The Inside Story). As Spielberg didn’t apply such factual information, this has influenced the audience and changed society’s views.

Spielberg is also guilty of awakening the wave of shark paranoia. When ‘Jaws’ was released in 1975, it generated peoples huge fear for sharks. “Ever since I saw Spielberg’s iconic Jaws at a young age, I’ve been terrified of sharks”(thefilmstage.com). There are many scenes within ‘Jaws’ that would have induced this trepidation for sharks. One of them is the beginning scene were the teenage girl is severed by the shark. Whilst the teenage girl is running to the sea she is being pursued by a teenage boy. The boy shouts “Were are you going” the girl then replies “swimming”(Jaws,1975). This small piece of dialogue will tell the audience that you only have to go for a paddle in the sea to be prowled on by the great white. The suspense music which is used when the shark is approaching became a signal of danger. The infamous sound has been profoundly used in a vast amount of other films and media. This shows that ‘Jaws’ has influenced other directors to use the music which will also put the shark in a bad light and extend the paranoia.

Characters in other films have been inspired by the great white shark in ‘Jaws’. The directors of animated ‘Finding Nemo’ Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkirch try to portray the great white shark authentically. Bruce is a great white shark who wants to be a friendly creature, but his genetics let him down as he can’t resist acting predatorily. By Stanton and Unkirch making this unconventional animated representation, it won’t abolish the stereotype but it will only mock the reckless shark that was implemented in ‘Jaws’. In Spielberg’s ‘Jurassic Park’ the carnivore dinosaurs are portrayed as ferocious animals, but Spielberg shows the herbivore dinosaurs at the beginning to highlight that not all dinosaurs were implacable. If Spielberg approached the characterization of the shark in ‘Jaws’ with more clarity like he did with the dinosaurs in ‘Jurassic Park’, society’s views on sharks wouldn’t be as negative.

The wretched portrayal of the shark in ‘Jaws’ has literally damaged the shark specie.  The film’s release sparked a chain of great white shark hunting tournaments around the world. After doing more research on this subject I uncovered more information that justifies this point. “After “Jaws” was released shark-hunting tournaments began to gain popularity on the East Coast of the U.S. according to Burress, the shark-hunting trend dramatically reduced nearly all shark species over the following decades.”(Thedorsalfin.com). This information shows that ‘Jaws’ has       negativley changed society’s views.

‘Philidelphia’ was one of the first hollywood films to approach the HIV and AIDS issue (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_(film)). The 1993 drama defeated the stereotypes of homosexuality and changed societys perception of the AIDS virus. “this well-intentioned but soft and compromised AIDS drama may nonetheless perform the same function that Paltoon or Schindler's List have: Change public opinion about an urgent problem” (Rottentamatoes.com).

In the early 1990s before ‘Philidelphia’ was released, AIDS was a contreversial but subliminal issue in America. “From 1981 through 1990, 100,777 deaths among persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome” (www.cdc.gov) .The American society were aware that the virus was deadly, but they wernt aware of the scientific facts. “Most deaths from AIDS have occurred among homosexual/bisexual men”(www.cdc.gov). Information such as this would have put a dark cloud over the gay community and influenced the stereotypes of homosexuals.

The characterization in ‘Philadelphia’ played a major role in subduing these stereotypes and changing society’s views. Joe is a lawyer who Andrew (homosexual) turns to for help as he believes him being fired from work was a result of him contracting the AIDS virus. Before the climax of the court case, Joe comes across as extremely homophobic as he makes prolific remarks about homosexuals. This can be identified in the scene were Joe is affronted by the homosexual in the pharmacy. Joe is unaware that the African American male’s hand he is shaking is a homosexual. When the man reveals his sexuality, Joe erupts in rage. "You know that’s exactly the kind of bulls*it that makes people hate your faggit ass" (Philadelphia, 1993). Towards the end of the film Joe starts to understand and respect Andrew’s gay morals, this influences the court case. In the courtroom Joe exposes the fact that the reason Andy was fired was because he is a homosexual. "Let’s get it out of the closest, because this case isn’t just about AIDS is it? So let’s talk about what this case is really about, the general public’s hatred, our loathing, our fear for homosexuals"(Philidelphia,1993). As Joe is using words such as 'let’s' and 'our' Joe is almost dragging the audience into the accusation. This will open up the audience’s eyes to this problem and change society’s views. The director Jonathan Demme would have chosen an African American actor (Denzel Washington) to play Joe for the following reason. In the majority of Hollywood films which involve discrimination, it is African Americans that are being oppressed. By having an ethnic actor playing a discriminator, Demme has highlighted this big problem in society. Joe's journey in ‘Philadelphia’ is made as a guideline for the viewing audience as most of them will share similar stereotypical views. The audience will then identify themselves with Joe this in turn has changed society’s views.

There are various scenes in ‘Philadelphia’ that confront society’s sensitivity surrounding Homosexuality. This can be identified in the scene were Andrew is in hospital after collapsing in court. Andrew's partner Miguel is hugging and kissing Andrew. This scene shows the audience that homosexual couples can show love and affection like a heterosexual couple. This sympathetic moment will make the audience rule out any stereotypical views they have, even if it is for a brief moment. They will see Andrew as an equal. There are also scenes which highlight the sensitivity surrounding the AIDS issue. This can be perceived when Andrew meets Joe after being fired for contracting AIDS. Following Andrew and Joe's handshake, Andrew tells Joe that he has AIDS, Joe then wipes his hand as if AIDS is a disease not a virus. Immediately after that there is a scene that confronts this sensitivity. This is the scene were Joe is questioning the doctor about how HIV can be contracted. The doctor states "The HIV virus can only be transmitted through the exchange of bodily fluids" (Philadelphia, 1993). As it is a doctor that made this statement, this will make the audience aware of the factual information surrounding AIDS, this will change society’s views and unlike ‘Jaws’, reduce the paranoia.

This essay substantiates the fact that Films can change society’s views. ‘Jaws’ and ‘Philadelphia’ are prime examples of this as both of them have influenced society in different ways. The news and magazines often illustrate biased depictions on topics relating to sections on society. What Film does is go beneath the surface and unearth the gritty realism by implementing a tenacious narrative. As time goes on and more controversy occurs in the world, this controversy will open up more gateways for Films to be made which confront these issues and change society’s views.