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Were movies better off under the studio system and the Hays Code?

posted 7 years ago by [deleted]
27 replies | jump to latest

I know it's great to see boobs and blood on the big screen, and I know actors and crew have more freedom without the studio system, but overall, didn't Hollywood produce better movies when the filmmakers had to hint at adult subject matter in a way only adults would understand? Your kids can watch most movies (gangster movies being the exception) from that era and generally have little idea what's going on when a man and woman look at each in one scene and are smoking a cigarette in the next scene. And by forcing adults to think just a bit more in order to understand what's really going on in a scene, I'm sure that helped sustain a general level of intelligence amongst the adults of our population. Just a thought.

[–] brux (14837) 7 years ago

Like drugs, food, health care and a ton of other stuff, when you monetize it purely for profit it stops being about people and is about lies and sensationalism.

There were a lot of what they called pre-Code movies that were really a delight ... adult in a clever, but non-offensive way. There is a place for anything if it is done right, but instead of doing that, movie producers think of something they want to show and then write some lame story around it, including product placement and obligatory scenes to interest the main demographics.

The Code of not every showing men and women together is a realistic way, or never showing a toilet, or not cursing, etc ... was going to far. It was unnecessary. So was the blacklist. The military and government were very keen on controlling what people saw.

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

They still are...

[–] Stratego (31048) 7 years ago

I agree that subtlety has been completely lost in Hollywood nowadays, but the Hays code was the other extreme. It completely ruined some movies. It wasn't just about sex and gore, the morality of characters was also an issue. The bad guy always had to be punished.

Now It Happened One Night had some wonderful innuendos, but that seems to be the strength of the movie. And since it was just the beginning of the Hays Code, it got away with a lot more than later movies.

[–] Sandoz (2021) 7 years ago

No.

I think the greatest films ever made in the United States occurred after both censorship restrictions and the old studio system finally collapsed in the mid-1960s. While I like many films made prior to that time, most of them seem quaint to me now.

[–] yesanything (251) 7 years ago

Let me thi HELL NO

[–] MovieManCin2 (26342) 7 years ago

In some cases, yes. In others, no.

😎

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

I'm liking the more thoughtful responses so far.

For the record, most of my favorite movies would either be underground films or never made at all had the code not died out. But as we see how depraved this culture is (Weinstein, Louis CK, Kevin Spacey, George Takai, Bill Cobsy, etc.,), one has to wonder whether we're better off with films that are constantly trying to "push the envelope."

[–] actionkamen (23176) 7 years ago

In that sense then the main problem comes from "pushing the envelope" and not from the lack of censorship.

Audience have to be educated that movies are just that, movies. It's not worth ruining lives, hiding crimes, not reporting paedophilia, etc. just to try to make the BEST movie.

It's not worth to be raped and stay silent just because a career in the movie industry.

But that can happen because the audience DEMANDS the BEST everything. They want the best directors, the best stars, the best producers. This makes the industry don't care even when the best director is a rapist because we need him to make the movie we want.

Stop giving stars, directors and producers too much unnecessary worship. Stop standing in line for ridiculous amount of time just to watch the latest Star Wars. Stop idolizing your favorite star or director. Stop giving too much importance of these people in our life.

Only with education we can combat this. Put prespective on it. Movies are just movies, not something to suffer and die for.

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

Some good points. I'm not sure if "the best" are even the ones getting accused (Has David Lynch been accused of groping or anything? Scorsese? Kubrick?...)

[–] actionkamen (23176) 7 years ago

Best is relative. However, Harvey Weinstein is of course one of the BEST around. If not, he can't be that successful, thus powerful.

I was inspired by the movie Whiplash, where the JK Simmons' character abuse and doing borderline illegal / criminal / morally questionable things. Yet he gives results. Results that people demands. Results that many other (better behaving) teachers could not get. Thus, it makes him the BEST.

We can easily imagine all sort of abuse (sexual or otherwise) that could happen in an environment where a man can do literally anything he wants as long as it gives results.

If Kubrick et al. never abuse anyone, then good. But that was not my point. My point was that they absolutely could, if they wanted to.

This is because of the extreme emphasis on getting the ultimate best result in our modern society.

Which is good and all in some situations, but NOT for movies. Movies are too non-important for people to suffer and die for. Movies are just that, movies.

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

I see. Interesting points. I would like to see "the best" at anything practice gonad control. Think of old Slick Willie Clinton, who was a very intelligent man (whether one is a fan of him politically or not, his intelligence, for the most part, cannot be disputed). How can someone that smart be dumb enough to diddle an intern in the freakin' oval office of the White House? It baffles me.

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

More opinions! There have to be more opinions!

[–] McQualude (4231) 7 years ago

I do agree that you can achieve a lot with innuendo and implication but it doesn't always reflect reality. They created a lot of movies and tv shows that didn't depict everyday life and people are still clinging to those fantasies as if it were real for everyone. I love movies and tv shows but honestly I believe technology has led to a dumbing down of America, at least, can't speak to other countries. Mostly because we never get the chance to be bored anymore and people need boredom to think and be creative.