Cary Grant, William Holden, Gregory Peck, Spencer Tracey…
Katherine Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn …
Author Lynn Florkiewicz
From my childhood to the present day I enjoy films but those from the golden age always have the edge.
Modern audiences may cast scorn on them but, look deeply, and little has changed between that era and this. A good film is a good film, no matter when it was made.
What are the differences?
First, the Hays Code censorship panel, during the 50s, were paranoid about could be said and shown. This ruined a large number of films and I admit that a big percentage of movies from that era are dreadful; but the same can be said about many films released now.
And, what about the themes of these golden age movies? Watch them and you will see the same topics that have been present since the dawn of storytelling; love, jealousy, trust, greed, identity, discrimination, power.
So, what is it about the golden age? For me, it’s about escaping to an era that I personally find very desirable and have a deep nostalgia for; the fashions, the locations, the culture, the music, the manners and morals. These movies encompass glamour, charm, style, elegance and sophistication. Even the cars turned heads! This is about escapism, which is something the golden age excelled in. Those attributes are no longer in vogue. Time evolves and fashions and culture change.
If To Catch a Thief, Summertime, Roman Holiday or South Pacific were filmed today, Monte Carlo, Venice, Rome and Hawaii wouldn’t look the same because those factors above have changed. Morals, fashions and cultures are different now. Occasionally, I yearn for ‘out-of-vogue’, hence loving the golden age.
Political correctness, sexism, wokeness etc is, of course, the major difference. But, I believe most people are intelligent enough to know that these films were made at a time when some behaviours, although unacceptable now, were acceptable back then. Cultures and morals evolve. Fast forward sixty years and I’m sure our descendants will despair at some of our behaviours and attitudes fashionable today.
I certainly embrace the realism of modern cinema, but I escape and bask in a golden age film for those things I miss.
The Book
Lynn Florkiewicz's latest book, the first ever biography of the old Hollywood 'Latin lover' Rossano Brazzi uncovering the different man behind the image who was part of the Italian resistance and Rome's la dolce vita. Beneath the serious Latin Lover image crafted by Hollywood, she discovers a mischievous and fun man, a scholar and classically trained actor.
A Happy Man: In Conversation with Rossano Brazzi is due to be published on the 28th September 2024 ISBN: 9781835740460 Price: £12.99
Read our review A Happy Man: In Conversation with Rossano Brazzi