1970s

Have you ever wondered why the films of the 1970s looked and sounded different to those of the decades before? Why were horror films, conspiracy thrillers and disaster films so popular? and Why weren’t they making westerns anymore?! Let’s take a look back at the 1970s, a decade that gave us cult classics, famed directorial debuts, and a whole new way to watch movies.

Film Directors and The Auteur Theory

There was a new kind of audience for film in the 1970s. This audience wanted stories that reflected their own lives and there was a new group of directors who knew exactly how to provide this new audience with what they wanted. The 70s gave us Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich, Francis Ford Coppolla, George Lucas, Woody Allen, Steven Spielberg plus many more! These directors came through when the auteur style of filmmaking was popular. Basically meaning the directors had more control over the films they were making and would often reflect their personal vision and creative styles. This led to successful films such as Chinatown, Annie Hall, Taxi Driver, American Graffiti, A Clockwork Orange…the list could really go on.

New Technology

If you’re a film fan it’s almost impossible not to know the iconic scene from 1976 film Rocky where the title character, played by Sylvester Stallone, is running through the streets of Philadelphia in a training montage that culminates with Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia museum of Art. This particular scene posed some issues for director John G, Alvidson as he had no idea how to execute the scene without it looking shaky and rough. His camera assistant told him to look into a new technology called the steadicam, invented in 1974 by aspiring cinematographer Garret Brown. His invention was a piece of equipment that stabilised the camera while still allowing the cameramen to move alongside the actor and still get a clean shot. Alvidson finally had a way to pull off his now famous scene. Interestingly, when Garrett Brown was testing his invention, he had his girlfriend run up and down the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art while he followed behind with the prototype for his steadicam, the very same steps that were eventually used in that Rocky scene.

The steadicam was revolutionary in that it gave the camera the steadiness of a tripod, the lightweight ease of a handheld camera and the movement of a Dolly. Prior to its invention, action shots were filmed with heavy and expensive equipment that were often unavailable to low budget filmmakers. Equipment such as rigs, dolly’s and cranes were often used on bigger budget films but these were time consuming and could only really be used for exterior shots. With Garret Brown’s invention, filmmakers had a way of creating smooth movement shots with ease. The steadicam also made interior action shots more possible as the size of the equipment gave them the ability to move through doorways, up and down stairwells and even around corners. This one invention changed filmmaking forever and is still used by directors today. Other 70s films to utilise this invention were Bound for Glory and Marathon Man.

While the steadicam had an impact on the filmmaking process, other exciting new technologies were having an impact on the viewing experience of films. In the early 1970s tech companies were working on a prototype for a home video system and by the mid 70s we had the competition of the VHS and Betamax with VHS ultimately being the most successful product. Betamax was actually a more superior product but it was also more expensive so VHS became more popular. The Video Home System, or VHS for short, provided a way for consumers to record television programs that could be watched more than once or at a more convenient time. Although it wasn’t really commonplace within most homes until the 80s; theatres realised that they were once again going to be battling with the convenience and popularity of television and needed to entice audiences to come outside of their homes to watch films. Fortunately they had a new trick up their sleeve in the form of Dolby Stereo Sound. First used in Stanley Kubrick’s film ‘A Clockwork Orange’, Dolby Stereo created a surround sound experience by using a 4 channel soundtrack while utilising their noise reduction technology which eliminated background noise. This meant the viewers could be immersed in the movie experience by strategically placed speakers that meant they were literally surrounded with sound. This new system created a whole new experience for cinemagoers and was particularly effective with films such as Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Apocalypse Now and Superman. Theatres were hopeful that this new viewing experience was enough to compete with the rise of VHS as well as cable television which offered audiences yet another option for convenient viewing in the comfort of their own home. Theatres were also combating this new competition with the development of multiplex theatres meaning you had several options of what you could view at the cinema.

Disaster Movies

As with most decades, there are trends of certain genres and for the 70s it was definitely the Disaster movies. Whether it be the fact that the new Dolby Stereo technology made the viewing experience of these films more enjoyable or perhaps it was simply the fact that when one disaster movie was successful other movie studios tried to copy that success…either way, movies that focused on major disasters were particularly popular during this decade. The first of these types of films was Airport in 1970 with an all star cast, including Burt Lancaster and Dean Martin. The film was followed up with subsequent Airport disaster films in the following years. In 1972, Twentieth Century Fox released the Poseidon Adventure starring Gene Hackman and Shelley Winters. The exciting story follows nine people who have to navigate their way through a capsized cruise liner in order to survive. It captivated audiences and was a huge commercial success. Fox capitalised on this success by teaming up with Warner Bros to release The Towering Inferno in 1974. Also in ‘74, Universal Pictures jumped on the trend when they released Earthquake starring Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner who are dealing with the effects of an Earthquake that has devastated the city of Los Angeles. Other notable films in this genre include The Hindenburg, The Swarm and Meteor.

Horror Films

Along with disaster movies, Horror films were popular during this decade and some of the most memorable films of this genre were made during the 70s. Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Carrie were all successful but the highest grossing horror film of the decade was The Exorcist. In fact, if you factor in inflation it’s actually the highest grossing horror film of all time. Released in 1973, The Exorcist shocked audiences with its graphic special effects and obscene language and some found it so scary they ran out of the cinema. It wasn’t expected to be so successful but within a week of its opening fans of the horror genre had heard about the ‘scariest film of all time’ and audiences began lining up for hours in the freezing cold just to see it. The reaction to it was so strong both positively and negatively that actress Linda Blaire who played the 12 year old possessed girl in the film required personal security and police protection after receiving death threats from religious fanatics. The success of the Exorcist was followed by other horror films with a religious motif including Abby and The Omen.

You could also classify Jaws as a horror film, only the villain was not a fictitious creature or some kind of psychopath, in this case the monster was a killer shark. Prior to Jaws, horror films depicting animals would showcase them in giant or mutated forms. Following the success of Jaws, more realistic forms of animals were depicted in horror films such as Grizzly, Orca and Night Creature.

Cop Movies and Conspiracy Thrillers

Did you ever notice that they moved away from cowboy westerns in the 70s and started making cop films and conspiracy thrillers instead? Our research came up with some really interesting reasons as to why this happened. According to statistics from the US Department of Justice, crime rates in America began to hit their peak in the mid 1970s. The topic of crime was being discussed more than ever before so studios responded with films like Dirty Harry, Serpico, The French Connection, Mean Streets and Taxi Driver. Soon enough the popularity of gunslinging cowboys was being replaced by tough talking cops with unconventional tactics.

Another historical event that had an impact on this genre of film might actually surprise you… The Watergate saga of 1974. Now you might be wondering what on earth this political scandal had to do with Hollywood but if you take a look at films in the latter half of the 70s you’ll notice an increase in films with conspiracy theories, espionage and paranoia. This reflected a newfound distrust of the government and federal agencies. In 1975 film critic Robert Ebert wrote “Conspiracies involving murder by federal agencies used to be found in obscure publications of the far left, now they're glossy entertainments starring Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway.” He went on to say, ‘Hollywood stars used to play cowboys and generals. Now they're wiretappers and assassins, or targets.’ He was actually reviewing Francis Ford Coppola's film ‘The Conversation’ when he wrote this. The screenplay of this film technically predates Watergate but was released just months after news of the scandal broke out. Other notable films with these themes include Three Days of the Condor and All the President’s Men.

Franchises

Hollywood loves a franchise and some of the biggest ones started in the 70s. There was Rocky, Star Trek, Halloween, Mad Max, Superman and The Godfather all beginning during this decade. However, One of the most memorable and beloved franchises to come out of this decade would have to be Star Wars. In fact, in a recent poll of our subscribers, Star Wars was named as the film from the 1970s with the biggest impact. Its success was unexpected and no one was more surprised by its popularity than its very own director George Lucas. In fact, he was so sure the film was going to be a flop that he didn’t even bother attending the Premiere! Star Wars set the model for modern movie trilogies and proved that sequels (and much later on, prequels) could be just as successful as the original. It also set the standard for merchandising and went on to make more money from its merchandise than from the actual film itself. This was all good news for George Lucas who’s contract not only gave him a cut of the net profits of the film but also gave him ownership of the sequels and merchandise. Despite Star Wars being a science fiction film, its lasting success can not only be attributed to the passionate fanbase of the sci fi genre because the film was loved universally and by a multitude of generations. The reason for this? At the heart of the film are the endearing main characters, both human and non human.

The Performances

The 1970s was full of outstanding and memorable performances. The style of acting during this decade had come a long way from the more traditional Golden Age of cinema to become more improvisational with performances that were gritty and raw. So let’s take a look at the best performances of the decade that made us laugh, cry, think and love.

Both Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher's performances in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has us feeling shocked and mortified. They were both recognised for their performances with the best actor and actress Oscars for their work.

Sally Field was utterly heartbreaking as the traumatised and psychologically damaged Sybil and her 16 different personalities. It was made all the more devastating by the fact that it was based on a true story.

Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep's performances in Kramer vs Kramer was heartbreaking and made us question our own values and examine what’s most important in life.

When it came to music, Liza Minelli proved her musical prowess in Cabaret and John Travolta made us want to dance in Saturday Night Fever.

Audiences were amazed by the artistry of Bruce Lee’s martial arts. A style of performance that had not been seen in mainstream western media before.

Robert De Nero made it known early on that he was going to be one of the greatest of all time with his performances in Taxi Driver and The Godfather.

Strong female leads/ women’s rights

Feminism was having a big moment in the 70s and based on some of the films made during this decade the movie studios clearly responded in support of the movement. The number of female directors began to increase in Hollywood, as there had previously only been a few female directors, most notably Ida Lupino in the 50s and 60s and Dorothy Arzner in the 20s and 30s. There was also an increase in the number of films that showed empowered women or focussed on women’s issues.

In researching this aspect of 1970s film, I came across a dissertation written by Maya Montanez Smukler that examines the relationship between the feminist movement and the film industry in Hollywood. According to Smukler’s dissertation, The activism of women during this decade led to a number of reforms taking place within Hollywood guilds including the Writer’s guild, Director’s guild and the Screen Actors Guild. These reforms resulted in an increased number of female directors making commercial feature films. In 1973 a nonpolitical association named Women in Film was formed, the following year the American Film Institute ran a directing workshop for women, and both the Writer’s guild and Screen actors guild set up dedicated women’s committees. As a result, successful female filmmakers during the 70s included Elaine May, Joyce Chopra, Joan Darling and Martha Coolidge. Despite the incredible talent of these women, none of these female directors were awarded with an oscar to recognise their work. In fact the first female director to achieve this would not occur until 2010 when the best director academy award was presented to Kathryn Bigalow for her work on film The Hurt Locker.

There was not only a rise in women behind the camera but there was also a surge in the number of strong female characters on screen. The latter half of the decade saw female empowerment portrayed in characters like Faye Dunaway’s Diana Christensen in Network and Sally Field’s Norma Rae in the film of the same name.

Blaxploitation

Films showing elements of black life in a way that had never been seen on screen before really took off in the 70s, in a genre that is now known as Blaxploitation. Films such as Shaft, Sounder and The Mack showcased black actors in major roles and these types of films developed a cult following. They were not without their critics, however, the films were often criticised for creating a stereotype of African Americans. Some films were accused of romanticising poverty and the then President of the NAACP said the genre was “proliferating offences” to the black community. Nonetheless, Blaxploitation films became hugely successful for Hollywood studios even those made with small budgets and the genre would go on to influence future directors like Quentin Tarantino.

Films of the 1970s had a look and feel to them not seen in the decades prior. After the confusion of the 1960s, the New Hollywood was well underway in the 70s and audiences were telling film studios what they wanted loud and clear. New technology, up and coming directors, advancements in advertising and the rise of women and people of colour in the film industry, all gave film in the 1970s a new edge. Arguably some of the greatest films ever made came out during this decade. Could it be that the 1970s were the best decade in film history?