Media Availability on the Rise

The rise of new technology increased the availability of media. Media comes in so many different mediums and genres that almost everyone can find something that is interesting and entertaining to them and also find access to it. Films/movies are a type of media that has been around for decades and one that a lot of people have been exposed to. An average movie is an hour and a half to two and a half hours long and (usually) tells a whole story by the completion of the film (not including prequels/sequels).

This is very appealing because once the movie is over you fully understand everything that happened and don’t have to wait to watch the next episode as is the case for many television shows. Crime films have become a genre that is on the rise. Crime films are both adventurous and mysterious. The actions of the characters, which are sometimes based on real people, are dangerous and captivating to the audience.

On the other hand, these actions, their motivations, and their effects are completely unknown to most viewers. This is what causes them to be so seductive. The increase in films being created about crime and the increase in interest by the public begs the question; are crime films bad or good for the public’s perception of real crime? (Note: Violence in movies may be used as a substitute for crime in movies. Most of the violence in movies is considered assault (aggravated assault), battery, larceny, and robbery, which in real life are crimes but in movies are not directly considered crimes.

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On the surface, it might be a little difficult to understand where the negative view of the film comes from because it’s great right? Well, once you dig a little deeper and start to see facts that are hidden under the surface, things because of a little clearer. It is very important to understand that film is part of the entertainment industry, which is a business, even though it didn’t start that way. “Cinema studies began when lovers of film strove to legitimize their passion. Now they are involved in an institutionalized marriage with the academy the perforce requires compromise” (Covey 2001:68) Now, the primary goal of this industry, which is in its name, is to entertain. Entertainment increases viewership which in turn increases profits. (Zeppa 2014:209) These types of films are often are “ideological” and “criticize some aspect of society…[and]…offer us some solace or resolution by showing a triumph over corruption and brutality.” (Covey 2001:65) The corporations that produce these movies also have a monopoly over what type of “crime themes” are portrayed. (Zeppa 2014:210) This means that movie companies can push issues that they think are important when there may not be an issue or you have a different view) or make you think there is an issue after watching the movie (ex: gun control).

“Cinematic script devices” are used by filmmakers to make a movie interesting, entertaining, and profitable. There are seven that are most often used. They are: “oversimplification of historic events, composite characters combining multiple people, time compression, false sequencing, exclusion of historical people, fictional characters, and whitewashing or the use of a white privilege perspective focused on attracting the largest movie-going audience.” (Zeppa 2014:212) Based on an argument made by Williard M. Oliver and Nancy E. Marion in their book Crime, History, and Hollywood: Learning Criminal Justice History Through Major Motion Pictures, these devices could prove to be problematic. Oliver and Marion argue that” movies serve not which only to entertain but inspire audiences, and they can act as a tool to fill historical gaps by recreating periods and true events which most audiences take as fact.” (Zeppa 2014:210) In other words, these movies, which have certain (possibly important) facts and people omitted, that are condensed, out of chronological order, and sometimes straight-up wrong, are used by people to educate themselves in areas where they don’t have a great understanding.

The reasons for crime and how they are handled can also be an area of concern about its accuracy. Nicole Rafter claims there is a “criminality code for crime movies” in her book Shots in the Mirror: Crime Films and Society and “discovers four causes of criminality in the movies.” (Covey 2001:66) Covey explains how “crime films emphasize environmental, mental illness, ambitions for a better life, or biological explanations for criminal behavior” and those four reasons can be classified as “normal or abnormal behavior.” (Covey 2001:66) Humans are extremely complex and implying one of those causes by itself is the reason someone committed a crime seems misleading. Rafter goes further than the criminals themselves by focusing on the heroes and the courts, the agencies that fight crime. There are two types of films introduced, mainstream and “alternative” films. (Covey 2001:66) “Mainstream films argue ‘that crime can be explained’” and “usually call on authority figures to explain crime” where“alternative films…problematize viewer’s ability to ‘solve’ crime” while “going against the grain, claiming that ‘no one can cope with crime’.” (Covey 2001:66) Accurate representations of court can be vital because this is the last stop for justice. This is where justice can be and sometimes is not served. Incorrect information about the courts and their proceedings can have negative effects on people’s faith in the criminal justice system. There seems to be a competing focus in courtroom movies. The focus is either on “immutable natural law or justice” or “fallible man-made law” which may have led to the shift from “films…preoccupied with justice versus injustice…until around 1980 when…there is no such thing as justice anymore.” (Covey 2001:67)

Films trends show an increase in violence and fewer restrictions on who is ‘allowed’ to view this violence can have negative mental and physical effects. Coyne, Stockdale, and Nelson (2012:189) point out that “G-rated (for all ages) films have become increasingly violent over time and that PG and PG-13 movies appear to contain as much physical aggression as many R-rated movies.” They also show that “most studies find that media violence is portrayed in ways that may increase subsequent aggression by viewers” because “violence is often glamorized and is portrayed as being justified.” (Coyne, Stockdale, and Nelson 2012:189) It has also been found that “exposure to film…violence can lead to decreased empathy for those in ‘real life’ pain, decreased helping behavior, devaluing others, more access to aggressive thoughts and constructs, increased hostility, hyper-masculinity in males, and increased pro-violence beliefs.” (Coyne, Stockdale, and Nelson 2012:190) It is also important to note that “the correlation between exposure to media violence and subsequent aggressive behavior is just as strong as the effect the smoking has on lung cancer” and “children are particularly vulnerable to long-term effects.” (Coyne, Stockdale, and Nelson 2012:190)