Hollywood's Influence on Global Culture
The most commercially successful filmmaker of all time, Steven Spielberg, is synonymous with U.S. cinema. He has directed and produced international blockbusters like Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds, and the Indiana Jones movies. As U.S. dominance of the international film industry grows, Spielberg also has been the target of complaints about how Hollywood is changing world cultures. The values represented in his films are often viewed as part of the larger trend of the homogenization or, worse, Americanization of global values and beliefs. Jurassic Park ignited a storm of protest. Film critics and cultural ministries around the globe found it to be a brainless film, lacking plot and succeeding wholly through special effects and big-budget bells and whistles. French officials labeled the film a threat to their national identity.
Three leading filmmakers-Pedro Almodóvar, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Wim Wenders- wrote Spielberg to reprimand him for the poor quality of the film, calling him personally responsible for undermining their efforts to keep culturally rich European cinema afloat. Another popular U.S. movie, Lost in Translation, came under fire from Los Angeles to Tokyo. Set in Japan's capital and starring Bill Murray, the film was nominated for four Academy Awards and won for best screenplay. It also won three Golden Globes. But it was criticized for its portrayal of Japanese people as robotic caricatures who mix up their Ls and Rs. The image-conscious Japanese were disappointed by their depiction as comic relief. In a scene where Bill Murray's character is taking a shower in what is meant to be a five-star hotel, he has to bend and contort to get his head under the shower head.
In reality there isn't a five-star hotel in Tokyo that hasn't accounted for the varying heights of its potential guests. Another scene, in which Murray is shown towering at least a foot above an elevator full of local businessmen, mocks the smaller physique of the Japanese. The film was seen to reinforce negative stereotypes about the Japanese. Is the U.S. film industry overwhelming the cultures of the world? And if so, can the world really blame Hollywood? American studios produce 80 percent of the films viewed internationally. The European film industry is now about one-ninth the size it was in 1945. After aerospace, Hollywood is often the United States' largest net export. The copyright-based industries, which also include software, books, music, and TV, contributed more to the U.S. economy in the 2000s than any single manufacturing sector. While the United States imports few foreign films, Hollywood's output remains in high demand worldwide. Today, foreign films hold less than 1 percent of the U.S. market.
Distorting History and Religious Values
Under attack since their origin, Hollywood war films are widely accused of presenting biased accounts of history. War movies portray U.S. soldiers as patriotic heroes, protecting all that is good from all that is evil. Apocalypse Now painted an ethnocentric view of the Vietnam War, focusing on the U.S. tragedy while ignoring that of the Vietnamese. Mel Gibson's controversial film The Passion of the Christ enraged religious groups and governments in various countries. The government of Malaysia found it inappropriate for its largely Muslim population and banned its initial release in the country. (Christians were later allowed to view it.) International organizations and individuals also attacked The Passion of the Christ as antiSemitic. Other nations with deep religious values were offended by Brokeback Mountain, which portrayed a homosexual relationship between two cowboys in the United States. Crucial to U.S. dominance of world cinema is widespread acceptance of the cultural associations inherent in Hollywood films, an obstacle competitors must overcome. U.S. stars and Hollywood directors are well established in the international movie scene, and their drawing power transcends national boundaries. The CEO of Time Warner attributed Hollywood's global success to the association of "American style with a way of existence that to one degree or another [people] wish to share in."
Movies and Comparative Advantage
According to the theory of comparative advantage, countries should specialize in producing what they do best and import the rest. Economists argue this theory applies to films as much as to any industry. Movies are like any other commodity, they say, and the United States has advantages in producing entertainment and exporting it to the rest of the world. However, critics suggest such an assertion ignores the fact that movies influence national culture and social development. The motion picture industry is a venue for enhancing cultural identity. As a former Canadian Prime Minister remarked, "Movies are culture incarnate. It is mistaken to view culture as a commodity. Cultural industries, aside from their economic impact, create products that are fundamental to the survival of Canada as a society." This view highlights why governments often engage in cultural protectionism-a systematic effort to prevent local film industries from being swamped by U.S. imports. This effort includes erecting legal and bureaucratic trade barriers to prevent the import of foreign films, especially from the United States. Governments may also subsidize domestic filmmakers to ensure the survival and growth of the home-country film industry. Quotas restrict the number of foreign films that can be imported or require that a minimum number of movies be produced domestically. However, subsidies can weaken film industries by insulating them from competitive pressures and reducing their ability to create globally viable films. Quotas may prevent movie-goers from seeing the films they want to see. Cultural protectionism can result in the local production of films simply to fulfill government mandates. At one time France had its own booming film industry. But a complex system of quotas and subsidies has done little to slow its gradual demise. Meanwhile, the proportion of Hollywood revenues generated from abroad continues to grow
A Cultural Dilemma
Despite plenty of arguments on both sides of this ongoing debate, many big-budget Hollywood movies these days are in fact multinational creations. The James Bond thriller Quantum of Solace, with its German-Swiss director and stars hailing from Britain, Ukraine, and France, was filmed in Britain, Panama, Chile, Italy, and Austria. Russell Crowe, Charlize Theron, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, and Daniel Craig are just a few of the many global stars not from the United States. Two of the seven major film companies collectively known as Hollywood aren't even U.S. firms. Hollywood is not as "American" as it once was. As the lines connecting Hollywood with the United States are increasingly blurred, protectionists should not abandon their quest to salvage the intellectual and artistic quality of films. In an interview with The New York Times, French director Eric Rohmer stated that his countrymen should fight back with high-quality movies, not protection. "I am a commercial film maker. I am for free competition and am not supported by the state."
Case Questions
1. Most aspects of foreign culture, like language, religion, gender roles, and problem-solving strategies, are hard for the casual observer to understand. In what ways do Hollywood movies affect national culture outside the United States? What aspects of U.S. culture do Hollywood films promote around the world? Can you observe any positive effects of Hollywood movies on world cultures?
2. Culture plays a key role in business. In what ways have movies influenced managerial tasks, company activities, and other ways of doing business around the world? Can watching foreign films be an effective way of learning how to do business abroad? Justify your answer.
3. Hollywood movies are very popular abroad, but foreign films are little viewed in the United States. What factors determine the high demand for Hollywood films? Why are they so popular in Europe, Japan, Latin America, and elsewhere? Why are foreign films so little demanded in the United States? What can foreign filmmakers do to increase demand for their movies in the United States?
4. Worldwide, protectionism of most goods is declining. Do movies constitute a separate category, or should they be treated like any other good? Given the nature of movies, should a country shield and support its own film industry via protectionism? Are there better ways to maintain and enhance a homegrown film industry? Justify your answer.