Mid-1960s society was a time of change, and the movie industry reflected this change. Social norms were changing dramatically, and movie themes were changing as well. The rise of McCarthyism and corporate management, along with the animosity towards the Vietnam Conflict, led to a change in movie themes as well.
Themes in films are often based on the time and place in which they were created. This allows for a more specific analysis of themes in films. Themes can be romantic, political, or escapist, or they can reflect a particular society or time period. Many themes have their own significance, but it is important to note that the themes in a movie are not necessarily the same as those in a real life situation.
Films are also unique in that they are considered to have a language of their own. In the classic book How to Read a Film, James Monaco explains that “film is a language in its own right.” According to Ingmar Bergman, “the language of movies was invented by Andrei Tarkovsky. Rather than showing the same image of a character in a scene, the camera moves back and forth between their profiles.”
During the Great Depression, the movie industry was one of the few businesses that showed profit during the time. This meant that movies of this time would focus on the theme of emotional optimism. The main character, a wealthy socialite, would be portrayed as a man and not a woman. While the theme of the movie is largely romantic, it is also rooted in the period’s socioeconomic and political climate.