Melodrama's Historical Impact on American Cinema

Introduction: Melodrama and the End of Classical Cinema

In the first half of the 19th century, classical cinema was the norm in the American film industry, and filmmakers had become accustomed to uniform styles for creating the visuals and sounds used in motion pictures. Due to the dominance of this distinctive cinematic style, viewers had come to anticipate certain stylistic choices for certain narratives. However, by the second half of the century, melodrama had become the most popular kind of theatrical entertainment, and according to Williams, it successfully tested the boundaries set by the classical Hollywood style (353). By definition, melodrama is a film genre designed to appeal to the emotions of the audience. The style derives its name from the music it uses to create tension, accompany action, and generate mood; and it is characterized by moral polarization, pathos, heightened emotions, and extravagant theatricality. Its popularity in the 19th century was attributed to the omnipresence of active villainy, where the villain would trigger a series of events posing a threat to the safety, livelihood, or reputation of a hero or heroine. Each melodrama would typically end with the defeat of the villain and the triumph of good over evil.

Apart from playing an important role in public recognition of pathos, some filmmakers manipulated melodrama to introduce elements of modernity in cinema (Mercer and Shingler, 79). They used it to test boundaries, to eliminate stereotypes, and to reexamine the theories of contemporary film alongside the prevalent changes in social experience. The success of their films proved that melodrama was a significant catalyst in the formation of modernity. Thus, melodrama marked the end of classical cinema and its modes of production, and marked the beginning of a more defined and modern cinema. This paper analyzes the works of two of the most successful films in history — James Cameron's Titanic and Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho — and identifies some of the changes these melodramas brought to the American film industry.

Emotion and Graphic Violence

Melodrama had always been associated with heroic tales of the battle between good and evil. However, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho was the game-changing masterpiece of horror (Williams, 355). In fact, the film's famous shower scene still ranks among the most violent scenes ever shot in an American film. The scene, which depicts a violent attack in a shower, came as a great shock to audiences, who were left clutching themselves involuntarily, covering their eyes and ears, and recoiling in fear. With unmatched skill, Hitchcock captured the attention of his audience during the first half hour, building their engagement with the film's lead female character; then, in an unexpected twist, she is hacked to death, with chilling audio effects in the background accompanied by graphic images of blood flowing down the shower drain. The camera work expertly captures the darkness of the drain accompanied by a clockwise spiral of water, then pulls back in reverse out of the dead eye of the actress — evidence of the spectatorial disorientation that made the film unique (Williams, 355). Hitchcock later explained that it was convenient to shoot the film in black and white, as color would have made it too grotesque and likely led to rejection by censors at the time. Thus, the film tested the boundaries of melodrama successfully, and represented a shift in the levels of violence permissible in cinema by introducing graphic screen violence that was subsequently emulated by other filmmakers.

The ability of melodrama to appeal to diverse audiences was also evidenced by James Cameron's Titanic in 1997 (Maslin). Produced three decades after Psycho, Titanic aimed to relive the experience of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, bringing a new perspective to love, life, and death. One key to the film's impact was Cameron's ability to incorporate images of the real wreck into his story. The film opens with footage from the bottom of the Atlantic, where the audience observes a ship that sank in real life and is made to feel like an intruder in an unknown world. The solemn nature of these scenes builds suspense and lends the entire film authenticity. Just before the end of the film, the audience watches in awe as the only part of the ship still afloat rises perpendicular in the water. At this moment, the lead character Jack Dawson, together with the few surviving passengers, hangs from the railing and, in a mix of excitement and fear, exclaims, "This is it," leaving the audience at the edge of their seats as they anticipate what comes next (Maslin). The film also set a precedent because, unlike other films of its time, it was able to appeal to multiple emotions at once by incorporating humor, the power of love, the importance of family, and the fear of death.

Conclusion

The works of James Cameron and Alfred Hitchcock confirm that melodrama was indeed the end of the classical Hollywood style in cinema. Both filmmakers were able to captivate their audiences through a paradoxical love of shock, fear, romance, tension, and suspense. Classical cinema had not yet mastered the art of manipulating audience emotions for maximum effect. However, Psycho in 1960 tested that boundary successfully, and decades later, films such as Titanic continued to use visual and sound effects to provide audiences with a remarkable experience. Compared to classical cinema's reluctance to deviate from established norms, melodrama also succeeded in eliminating gender stereotypes and incorporating new ideologies that addressed pressing social issues. Advances in technology made it possible for filmmakers to produce seamless and convincing illusions that elevated their films to among the best in history. Melodrama diverged from classical cinema in significant ways and opened numerous opportunities for future filmmakers. At the same time, it marked the beginning of a better-defined and more fully realized modernity in cinema.

Works Cited

Hadley, Elaine. Melodramatic Tactics: Theatricalized Dissent in the English Marketplace 1800–1885. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1995. Print.

Maslin, Janet. "Titanic (1997) Film Review; A Spectacle As Sweeping As the Sea." The New York Times, 1997. Web. 9 May 2015.

Mercer, John, and Martin Shingler. Melodrama: Genre, Style, Sensibility. London: Wallflower Press, 2004. Print.

Williams, Linda. "Discipline and Fun: Psycho and Postmodern Cinema." 2004. Web. 9 May 2015.