Have you ever noticed, this?
And by this I don't mean the part of the movie where they kiss, I mean everybody else
around them.
This "collective approval" is a recognisable trait of movies with a "happy ending".
Yet it manages to remain invisible, for not many seem to seem question why this happens
so much.
And this question, lives inside an ever-growing Hollywood confusion, and if you wish to join me,
we can explore it together.
We will be looking at many films so there might be spoilers for you
Because my question is:
What social embarrassment is hidden behind the persistent "Hollywood
Ending" wherein the protagonist displays their emotions to the public?
Or simply: Why do they clap?
It was James Macdowell who took on the task of exploring the 'Happy Ending' in depth.
Throughout the history of American mainstream cinema, he has thoroughly investigated this
convention and progressed to determine one of it's specific features: the union of
the romantic couple.
What I wish to add is that perhaps the "happy ending" might also exist as something inseverably
connected to 'society' or 'morality'.
In today's trends, I have noticed how it seems necessary for each individual film to
assert itself, to be accepted, whereas before it was the social, cultural and historical
context that did so automatically.
If you look carefully, actions and situations within a film, such as clapping at couple's reunion,
serve as a pre-judgedment, leaving them with an influenced appreciation of the event.
But it wasn't always like this.
Back in the day, 'romance' and 'comedy' were separate, The early beginnings of cinema
present films such as 'Girl Shy' and 'Sherlock Jr.', both released in the same year of 1924.
They presented a balanced dose of comedic gags and romantic development.
However they were still separated narratively: for it were a gag now, then a kiss later.
Eventually it was Harold Lloyd who coined the genre the moment he wore a pair of horn- rimmed glasses.
Becoming the Boy Next Door chasing the Girl Next Door.
It was a template for what later became known as romantic comedy. (Benson, 2014)
And now we know exactly what to expect from a romcom,
as Kathrine Glitre, says:
"Everyone knows how Hollywood romantic comedies end:
with a kiss.
And Robyn J. Stillwell says: "Part of the joy for the audience is knowing
that no matter the contrivances of the plot, the couple will end up together at the end."
Stillwell goes further and understands the relationship between 'romcoms' and their
viewers with one simple equation: female spectators are linked to female stars.
From this single statement many of the underlying social traits, from femininity to feministic
issues, float to the surface; the 'chick flick' is the first social embarrassment.
Think of it this way: If the genre was born feminine, and the world grew into something
where it didn't care about femininity or masculinity, something had to change.
That's where clapping comes in.
Our timeline begins in 1940, where there were no signs of it
With 'His Girl Friday' as example, If we were to fast forward to the end of the
film we would reach its climactic moment: an escaped prisoner practically falls into
Hildy's lap.
The scoop is so big she can only but begin to write the story, ignoring everyone except
for Walter's notes, where they kiss and reunite… sort of.
Now what I want to point out is how many chances there were for a public display of love, yet
that never happens:
The film presents one room at time crowded and at times empty.
Notice how the film's acceptance of the love between Hildy and Walter is done by representing
intimacy within privacy.
Something that continues throughout the 40's and even 50's.
In another film starring Cary Grant, 'An Affair To Remember', the intimate moment of
love between Nickie Ferrante (Cary Grant) and Terry McKay (Deborah Kerr) was still a
private one.
And just a few moments ago the house was full of a choir of kids.
Another moment where there could have been spectatorship, but there wasn't.
If we move to the 60's we begin to see a slight change.
In 'Barefoot in the Park', the intimate and troubled ending between Corie (Jane Fonda)
and Paul (Robert Redford) begins private, but shifts to public when Paul climbs to the
top of the roof threatening to jump.
By the time Corie climbs up on the roof to rescue him an audience has gathered beneath.
But once Corie and Paul hug, the first of what will become a very prominent pattern begins:
the spectators at the street applaud and even one of them says
"Oh good, they made up".
But this phenomena doesn't pick up until a
decade later.
The 70's seem to refute this phenomena.
The social public was very aware and active and were strongly opposed to the United States'
involvement in the Vietnam War.
This moral certainty manifested itself in film.
Perhaps 'Play it Again, Sam' serves as a perfect example, and for it's ending
reference to 'Casablanca'.
Made in 1942, the films shows how public spectatorship is not present,
and why.
The conclusion of the film, which ultimately is the 'separation' of Rick and Ilsa,
is considered, 'happy' albeit being an 'unhappy' moment.
This is because from a moral point of view, their sacrifice is a moral triumph:
to help Lazlo involves helping the fight against fascism to win the war.
In fact, this was a patriotic appreciation for even the Bureau of Motion Pictures Report
stated: "It is shown that personal desire must be subordinated to the task of defeating
fascism.
They realize that they cannot steal happiness with the rest of the world enslaved."
In the 80's, intimate moments shifted from private to public.
In 'Blind Date', the climactic moment takes place at a wedding, where friends
and family and strangers are there to watch how Nadia (Kim Basinger) stops her own forced
wedding with David (John Larroquette) and publicly acclaims her love for Walter (Bruce Willis).
Thus ending with Nadia and Walter jumping into a nearby pool, submerging with a kiss:
everybody claps.
At the end of the 90's the 'RomCom' exploded in quantity and so did the final speech,
more couples would fight in the middle and reunite at the end.
It became necessary to end with a… let's call it 'inner-universe' justification,
rather relying on the "outer-universe", that is us, those watching the film.
'Never Been Kissed' (1999) depicts the pinnacle of auto-assertion:
Josie (Drew Barrymore)writes an apology in the Chicago Sun-Times
This article acts a speech for she states "I think I'm in love with you"
for all of Chicago to read.
Where she says:
"I will stand on the pitchers mount for the 5 minutes prior to the first pitch.
If this man accepts my apology,
I ask him to come kiss me, for my first real kiss".
A double public display of love where a stadium full of people applauds,
satisfied with the couple's reunion.
The 2000's are no different.
Maybe, perhaps, slightly more sophisticated.
In 'Someone Like You' (2001), Jane (Ashley Judd) spills her emotions over live tv, leaving
only the spectators in the cinema (us) understanding that the she is talking about Eddie (Hugh Jackman).
Nonetheless, the audience in the film applauses in approval about a love they don't even know about.
In 'Crazy, Stupid, Love' (2011) there are many love plots, but when a 13-year-old
Robbie Weaver (Jonah Bobo) makes a depressing speech about love after being heartbroken,
his father Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) steps in and makes an uplifting speech about undying love,
ending with Robbie shouting into the microphone.
"I still love you, Jessica."
Resulting in of course, an applause.
However, this phenomena isn't absolute.
It only happens when the film possesses some sort of insecurity about the love relationship
that is unfolding.
Therefore, another way to demonstrate a pattern is to show where it doesn't exist.
The musical 'Hair' (1979) for example presents the exact opposite ending to Casablanca,
where one of the main love interests doesn't join the military, thus coinciding with their
historical context.
In 'When Harry Met Sally' (1989), Harry makes a speech for Sally in a New Year's
Eve party, but everyone is oblivious, thus maintaining the privacy.
Similarly to what Jordon says to Nick about Gatsby's parties:
"I like large parties. They're so intimate.
Small parties there isn't any privacy."
In 'Clueless' (1995), even with a title that explains how the protagonists are insecure,
the intimate decision occurs inside a large, empty mansion.
In 'Ted' (2012) the moment where John (Mark Wahlberg) and Lori (Mila Kunis) reunite
over Ted's dramatic death, the reconciliation happens in a vast and empty football stadium.
A stadium that was full of life in 'Never Been Kissed', is empty in 'Ted' because
the film is content with all the swearing, vulgarity and confusion of the present world,
and thus needs no ulterior confirmation of the unusual love that is between John and Lori.
Lori: "oh god!" John: "Oh What?"
Lori: "oh this is so gross!" John: "Don't tell me I don't want to hear about it."
John: "Did you get it?" John: "Oh my go- NO I DIDN'T GET IT!"
Another example of a film that is comfortable in their time is 'In Your Eyes' (2014).
The pretext of the film is that two people are connected mystically and discover that
they are able to see through each other's eyes even though they are 3,104 kilometers apart.
These intimate moments between them seem strange from an outsider's perspective because it
looks like Rebecca (Zoe Kazan) and Dylan (Michael Stahl-David) are talking to themselves all the time.
But whilst they may seem alone, they are together.
This film looks just like an online relationship.
As written in the Guardian, it is as if they were "a couple perfect for each other save
that they have never met – in the age of the smartphone.
The near- constant banter Rebecca and Dylan keep up will make perfect sense to a generation
weaned on the 24-hour connectivity of texting, sexting and so on."
And so making sense to a generation, this film doesn't need a forceful appreciation
with unnecessary applauding.
As a matter of fact, exactly the opposite occurs.
As the film reaches an end, both are on the run, chased by authorities.
They are literally running away from the public's eye.
Their reunion happens when they manage to get on a train, into a noticeably empty compartment.
And finally, to reach a further understanding of the power the 'inner- universe' has,
let's look at LGBT themed films, as there aren't many of them inside the 'Romantic Comedy' Genre.
One of the first films portraying a same-sex relationship was 'Different from the Others' (1919).
Of course, that film had a tragic ending, with the protagonist shunned by friends and
strangers alike.
The protagonist commits suicide.
When his companion discovers this, he attempts to commit suicide as well, but is stopped
by a doctor who tells him.
"that he must keep on living and change the world he lives in and bring justice through knowledge!"
And this was just the beginning of a limited number of films to come.
Only recently has there been more acceptance, and therefore more films representing the
LGBT(QIA) community.
Same-sex 'RomComs' don't tend to have the applause at the end.
Actually, quite the contrary, we find the public appalled.
At the end of 'Beautiful Thing' (1996), Jamie (Glen Berry) and Ste (Scott Neal) slow
dance in public, where some look shocked and some disapproving.
At the end of 'But I'm a Cheerleader' (1999), a similar scenario of 'Blind Date 'happens,
where Megan (Natasha Lyonne) interrupts Graham's graduation at a 'conversion' camp (Clea DuVall)
with a personal cheerleader chant:
the public is left speechless.
Megan escapes, and Graham rushes after her.
So the moral choice of, 'is that love right?'
no longer refers to us, the audience in the cinema who is watching the film, but also
to those inside the film itself; the cinematic world.
In other words,
the entire world is watching.
The engine of the Romantic Comedy works on love, and on love only, being the drive, the
answer, the interest, the moral care, the empathy, the connection, the representation
and the one thing that we can all understand in one form or another.
Something so universal can't die.
So stories built on this glue have always existed and will continue to exist.
What will change is the context the glue is in.
The genre was born and linked within a historical context of patriarchy, sexism, homophobia and nationalism.
However, throughout time, all those values changed, and are still changing.
This desire for acceptance seems more and more necessary due to a growing lack
(or even break) of traditions.
An inescapable consequence of a globalised world.
And this has lead to the coexistence of incoherent generations, all in one historical context.
And inside this complex system stories needed to be told.
And inside a complicated system of capitalism, stories need to have bigger production value,
so a cinema industry was formed.
Essentially, due to three complex factors,
1) traditions, 2) diverse audience, 3) industry;
a simple change could not happen.
With an industry tasked to please such a diverse audience during times of damaged traditions,
uncertainty was the result.
And with a diverse audience wanting so many different things, it became hard to create
a film where 'one size fits it all'.
To understand an unfamiliar love is what films try to do.
Only that unfamiliar is not longer found in outer-space, but by your bordering country.
Discovering these forms of love is equivalent to the discovery of America
(it was always there).
With a global audience filled of individuals familiar with their own form of love, film
attempts to unify love again, and make love compatible between any individual.
Romantic comedies show how we are actually confused about the world we live in.
How everything is changing beneath our feet.
How we wish to cling to the happy nostalgia of the past, knowing the brutality it had,
simply because we are afraid of the brutality of the present.
And when the opposite occurs, that is to say those films that don't suppress but rather
reflect our flaws, are in turn optimistic about the present, and portray a future in
which we may feel comfortable with new traditions to come.
So next time you see a happy ending, ask yourselves,
will they clap?
Thank you so much for watching the video,
this was my first one, I hoped you liked it.
There was so much more I could have said about the subject
So if you're interested in any way, you can check out my full dissertation,
the link is in the description below.
And if you like these kind of videos tell me, leave a comment below
and a like ♥
y'know
if you're already there...
and... wanna make me happy?
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