Thursday, September 5, 2013
Classroom Screening #1: "American Graffiti" (1973 - George Lucas directing)
As we screen "American Graffiti" in class, consider how director George Lucas tackles the subject of "automobility" and 1960s youth culture.
1. What CAR-related themes emerge?
2. How does the CAR-as-ACTOR support these themes in the movie/story?
Please share a paragraph of reflections (5-7 sentences) at film's end.
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I found American Graffiti to be an interesting movie that explored themes about cars that I had never given much thought to previously. One theme I found interesting was the Car-as-actor idea. In the film the car is seen as a companion or a friend and also a status symbol. Without a car the characters become insignificant and less confident. This is seen through Toad when he loses his car and also through Harrison Fords character when his car explodes. The car is also used throughout the movie as a way to pick up girls and a private place/bubble to talk and do what you want away from pubic spectacle and curious ears. Another idea that I found intriguing is that cars are used to transport people and go places, yet everyone driving around throughout the movie isn’t going anywhere simply out for a joyride. The one character that ends up going somewhere (off to college) is the only character that doesn’t have a car and he boards a plane at the end of the movie. Overall, an interesting film and cool to see how cars were viewed in the 1960’s.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the movie, the car became an identifier for the characters, you would meet a character’s car before you would meet them. I also noticed that when switching storylines, before you would see the characters, the camera would pan over the car first and then onto the character’s faces. During the movie, I came to call the characters “the dude with the yellow car” or something like that because the vehicle came to represent the character. John Milner owned the fast, powerful yellow car and was well known around town and if I remember correctly, he was the only person with a car not colored white or black in the movie, making him stand out even more. In addition, the woman that Curt was chasing in the white Thunderbird was elusive and unattainable for him; much like a white Thunderbird would have been for most at that time.
ReplyDeleteAmerican Graffiti uses cars to narrate a story of youth culture in America. A big theme suggested by cars is freedom. These young people are running around town doing whatever they want because they have automobilty. Cars serve as private areas to explore romance and other youthful issues. I liked how the cars that specific characters drove said something about their personalities. One example is the guy that drove the yellow car. This guy is portrayed as tough and independent, but he proves to have a softer, "yellower" side when he picks up the younger girl. He isn't just a tough guy, but a tough guy that is also sensitive and protecting, and that is expressed by his car and the activities that occur in his car. Another example of cars explaining personalities is with the nerdy guy. First of all, he doesn't even have his own car, he is borrowing someone else's. Then that car gets stolen, and when he gets it back, it is once again taken from him. This signifies that the nerdy character is unsure of his own identity. He wants to look cool and is constantly lying about himself the whole movie, nothing in his life is permanent because he hasn't figured out who he is. In this movie, cars open up many possibilities but also bring up insecurities and complications.
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ReplyDeleteCar as cocoon, protector from the dangerous outside world was a prominent theme throughout the film. When the characters stepped outside of their car onto the street, the world became threatening and danger loomed in a thousand dark corners. When Kurt is kicked out of the girls' car, we see him on the sidewalk, confused, not sure which direction to go as cars zoom by, on the brink of a collision. He encounters a street gang that appears imposing and dangerous on the outside, but once inside the car Curt joins the gang and safety is restored. When Terry's "car" gets stolen in the wilderness by the make-out field, the forest suddenly creeks and every rustle of the leaves belongs to a murderous stalker. The car plays the role of a passive hero--once the pedestrians are reunited with thier automobile cocoon, the perilous danger of the outside world fades into the dust, and all is well in that moment.
ReplyDeleteThe most prominent car related theme I noticed was the car serving as an identity to other characters. The fact that we met everyones car before we met them, and that it is through their car and what they do with their car, that they develop their personality. We have already discussed this one quite a bit so I wanted to discuss another theme: the role the car plays in both independence and maturity. Having, driving, or being in a car provided an assumed sense of maturity. The nerd was honored that his buddy would let him take car off his car when he went off to college, it was a rite of passage. And as soon as he was in that vehicle, he began to feel and act more like a "man." The guy in the yellow car was out picking up chicks, and said he would take any girl in the car driving next to him because it was assumed that any girl driving around in a car in that social context would be mature enough to be riding around with him. Unfortunately this time it was not the case, he got a young punk instead of a mature independent woman. This leads me to the idea of independence. It was interesting how people seemed to value the car, over the independence. Granted, a certain sense of independence comes along with being in a car but characters in this movie would rather be in a car, than hold onto that independence. If characters did not have a car of their own, they wanted to be driving around with somebody else, in their car and control. Walking and moving freely wasn't considered an option if their was a ride available somewhere. The younger girl in the yellow car would rather be there with the mean older guy than walking around alone, the guy who goes off to college is stuck in peoples backseats desperately trying to chase down his blonde dreamgirl, instead of getting out to find her and move about on his own, and finally laurie, a strong female character who speaks her mind all night is silenced when she rides around in harrison ford's car- her independent character is sacrificed so she can be riding around with some hot shot in his car.
ReplyDeleteIn the film the car acts ironically, as an anchor. The characters use their cars to speak for themselves- tough guys drive fast and flashy muscle cars, for example. Cars are for moving from one place to another. But in the film, the characters aren't going anywhere- they're just driving, seemingly aimlessly, around town. Curt is the only one who abandons his car for the night, and is unsure if he wants to leave for college. He sheds his car, and in the end is able to leave for school. All the other characters are holding on too tight, are anchored, by their hometown perceptions of themselves, to their cars.
ReplyDeleteThe 1960s were the last time that the culture was completely innocent. As media progresses the culture becomes exposed to more ideas and learns from people around the globe. Cars also give more freedom to explore the unknown and lose innocence too. Cars were the focus of “American Graffiti,” because cars gave young adults in the film a sense of freedom and an escape from the everyday life. Cars were the anchor that kept the characters in the town and competing with each other for dates and the best car in the high school. Lucas directed the film to portray a relationship between cars, people, and the radio. Radio was the most popular form of media during the time period of the film. All three actors played key roles in the film because they began to show how the culture was slowly becoming less innocent. Cars gave young adults the freedom to experience new things without the surveillance of their parents. Actors used their limbic and reptilian brains because they were impulsive and focused on the images and sounds of all the cars involved in the characters’ lives. Although cars were the focus of the film another form of transportation, the plane showed how one character’s life was maturing because they were leaving the town behind to enter college and left by plane. Every characters’ social status was determined by their car, who had the fastest and coolest car was a determining factor of your social standing. It is ironic that their cars gave them the freedom to do what they please, but you never see the characters leaving the area. It seems that they used their freedom to be away from their parents, but not explore outside of their area.
ReplyDeleteCars plan an enormous role in the development of characters in American Graffiti. The reality the film creates depicts cars as the segway into social situations, as a definition of self, a piece of power and freedom, a method of pea-cocking, recreation, personal space, song, and finally transport. The idea of "self" extends to the car, so much that if you sit on my friends car, you are offending him. Just as your clothes define you form an outsider perspective, so does you car. It is a point of pride to own a car, and to has the coolest, fastest most attractive car. Each car has a radio, and that creates another piece of collective culture. What station you listen to shows your interests, you level of freedom and in some ways your individuality. Car is the entrance fee in itself to the drive in theater or restaurant.
ReplyDeleteCars were the gateway into every scene and character in the movie. It was rare to see a scene or frame without at least one car in it. Cars played a role as status symbols, as well. The coolest, badest people had the nicest cars, but mostly every male in the movie had a car. Cars were also actors in the sense that they offered people ways to connect. Women freely got in cars with strange men, and often left their own cars parked anywhere. The norm today of not getting in cars with strangers certainly did not apply back then. Cars in the movie also helped characters gain access to certain places, such as the drive-in or paradise road. If you didn't have a car you couldn't order outside because there wasn't a mirror to hang food on, and a person couldn't get to paradise road or race if a car was not handy. Cars were clearly central to this movie, and were almost more the main characters than their drivers.
ReplyDeleteThere were so many car related themes throughout the movie American Graffiti that I had never thought about before. In the movie the look of your car directly relates to who you are as a person. The macho guys expressed themselves through flashy fast cars, establishing their status as the top guy in town through the performance of their car. The car works as extension of their persona. The car in this movie also symbolizes and narrates the idea of a carefree and innocent lifestyle of the 1960’s. You see the kids cruising down the streets all night going anywhere they want and doing whatever they want in their cars. They are able to do all this because they have the freedom of automobility. As soon as any character stepped outside their car there was a level uncertainty and uneasiness about their movements. They didn’t feel as confident outside the walls of their car; it was like they were missing something.
ReplyDeleteThere are multiple car themes in “American Graffiti,” but one of the most interesting themes I noticed was the car served as a social-networking tool. Automobility was an important aspect in the nightlife of the town. Anybody who was anybody had a car and drove around town or if they didn’t, they found someone who did. It was shocking to see random characters just hop into the car with someone they never met and just drive, like when the character Debbie got into the car with Terry, but that was the norm then. Most of the conversations in the movie occurred outside of car windows and people would just yell out to other cars or pedestrians passing by. The car served as a portal for communication and sometimes the characters in the film picked up new “friends.” The car also served as a courting tool and served as a romantic cocoon for young lovers. Couples could drive around town together, listen to the radio, eat, and even fool around in the car. The car seemed to have endless possibilities and was able to function the way the characters needed it to. The cars in this film were definitely the star actors of the film and made the movie what it was.
ReplyDeleteCleopatra Doley
ReplyDelete1. What CAR-related themes emerge?
-Man’s dominance & car ownership
- Courtship through cars
- Freedom in youth through cars
- Right of passage/growing up in car culture
- The privacy of cars
- Cars as an identity
2. How does the CAR-as-ACTOR support these themes in the movie/story? Please share a paragraph of reflections (5-7 sentences) at film's end.
The car as an actor has an incredible power of driving the story. The car has significance in providing space for courtship, adulthood, privacy, and freedom. Automobility in this movie is so significant that this story line could not function with out cars. For example the borrowed white car was the source of pride for the “nerd” guy, and helped him to pick up a pretty blonde girl. But then when he lost the car, he was devastated and lost his confidence and identity for the moment. The car was his character, and his character was the car, when the car left, his character was incomplete. Understanding how the car affected each character in the movie was interesting to see. But, my main reflection is that with out these cars, there would be no character significance, and ultimately no movie or story line to be told.
Car-Themes:
ReplyDelete-Right of Passage
- Recreation
- Privacy for intimate settings or trouble-making
- Freedom and independence
-Identity and self-creation
- Status
Throughout the movie, one major theme that emerges is the use of the car for entertainment and recreation- almost the entire film takes place at night when everyone is out and about driving the streets, no matter if it's in a circle. The cars themselves become actors within this theme because each person /character is represented by a certain car. For example, the cool-guy in the yellow "race" car that he's continuously working on. Then, within the walls of these specific cars, different story lines unfold, switching back and forth and using the cars as literal transitions. The cars are used to pick up women and give an immediate ego-boost. Also, the "cooler" the car, the more "badass" the driver is perceived as a person, and the more fun they can have or the more trouble they can get into.
American Graffiti epitomizes cars and culture. There was a variety to themes presented throughout the duration of the movie. The car served as a form of transportation, a place to eat, a boundary or divider, a space for conversation,a form of isolation, almost like a cacoon, a way to transmit the radio and channel pop culture, even a way to perform a courtship ritual. The cars were a form of freedom and escape. I think what I found the most interesting theme was the idea of self curation. Almost everyone was introduced by their car, the car was shown before the character inside was revealed. The color, the engine revving, the style, every aspect was a way for the character to portray themselves through their cars. Car’s also were a way to express power, and how characters wanted to be portrayed and express their own power. I could relate to this aspect. In my high school year book we added a section to our yearbook my senior year called “The Cars of GHS.” There was a senior parking lot, and immediately driving in you could spot out who was at school, or who was missing, without even seeing them. We were all known by what car we drove, and it’s distinct feature. I think many people in modern times still express themselves through their car, and there are still stereotypical personalities that go along with certain vehicles. I always think of the Subaru and the classic vermonter. I think cars are both a way to identify people and a way of self expression and self curation.
ReplyDeleteWay to REV IT UP, Cars colleagues!
ReplyDeleteReally enjoying your "American Graffiti" reflections,
Dr. W
American Graffiti is a classic coming of age film that highlights our intimate relationships with cars. Throughout the film, George Lucas uses the car in a multitude of ways, like as a location for scenes, as a tool for scene transition and lighting, as well as an overall actor. Most notably, the car acts a social instigator. Driving around town on a weekend night is a social event, a time to be seen and to socialize with others who also have a vehicle, and are out 'cruising'. Cars, aside from being a status symbol, act as a means of arriving at a central meeting place, where the community gathers (like at the drive in) and socializes. Those without cars must rely on others to bring them to these places, and don't have their own insularized space for private "discussions", or more likely dates. The film was packed with less than savory value messages, but the feeling of camaraderie that existed throughout kept the movie light and pleasant. Car culture joined together characters that might not be friends in todays individualistic take on the culture of automobility.
ReplyDeleteAmerican Graffiti portrayed how the car fits into youth culture. One theme is the distinction between getting kicked out of someone's vehicle and deserting someone in their vehicle. This happened a lot throughout the movie and the driver always felt very fired up and conflicted afterwards. When people weren't in cars, their mission was to get into another car.
ReplyDeleteIn American Graffiti, cars seemed very human. As the movie progressed, the combination of headlights and dashboards became a face, and each car's was unique. To me it seemed like the cars drove themselves in this movie, perhaps because they had so much personality. It also felt this way because they seemed to facilitate what was going on inside the car, because of the authoritative personalities of each car, and the fact that the driver was never really paying attention.
George Lucas brings to life what we have been studying in class: cars can be a liberating in someone means to express his personality, be mobile, and take risks, while cars also restrict the individual by creating an in-group, a sense of agency that can only be expressed in a uniform, singular way, and forming relationship based on dependence. It was interesting to see these dynamics between car and person played out in what seemed to be an accurate portrayal of 1960's automobility. Seeing the car culture that my parents took part in was also a neat experience.
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