A message picture (or message movie)[1] is a motion picture that, in addition to or instead of being for entertainment, intends to communicate a certain message or ideal about society.

Characteristics

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Message pictures usually present the message they want to deliver in the form of a morality play, and are usually serious (often somber) works. However, not all message pictures are entirely serious, and there are also films spoofing the genre (Sullivan's Travels, for example).[2]

History

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Dore Schary was famous for his message pictures at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the late 1940s and early to mid-1950s. Among these were Tea and Sympathy, Bad Day at Black Rock, and Blackboard Jungle.[3] Other famous message pictures by other parties include Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and In the Heat of the Night[4] (the former directed by Stanley Kramer, who was also well known for numerous message films).[5]

In Indian cinema, B.R. Chopra was known for message pictures. Examples include Kanoon (against capital punishment), Naya Daur (importance of labour), Waqt (importance of time and destiny), Nikaah (against triple talaq (divorce) among Muslims), etc.[6]

Examples

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Pre-1970

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Post-1970

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Sources:[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]

Notable directors

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Teaching History with Message Movie - Google Books
  2. ^ "Sullivan's Travels". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
  3. ^ Film Producer Dore Schary, 74, Dies - The Washington Post
  4. ^ "In the Heat of the Night". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
  5. ^ Bergan, Ronald (2001-02-21). "Obituary: Stanley Kramer". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
  6. ^ BR Chopra – Upperstall.com
  7. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart
  8. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart
  9. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart
  10. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart
  11. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart
  12. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart
  13. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart
  14. ^ Top 10 Classic Films With a Social Message - ThoughtCo.
  15. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart
  16. ^ The 10 Most Heavy-Handed Message Movies|Complex
  17. ^ 6 Things You Might Not Have Known About Billy Jack|Mental Floss
  18. ^ "Powerful Message Behind Hit Movie "Barbie"".
  19. ^ "Get Out's Cinematographer Reveals the Methods Behind Jordan Peele's Brilliant Madness". Motion Picture Association. 2017-12-27. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  20. ^ Randall, Melissa; Jiménez, Paula Rey; Jiménez, Melissa Randall and Paula Rey (2023-06-21). "The Everything, Everywhere, All at Once Meaning and Themes". NYFA. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  21. ^ Weeks, Andrew (2023-07-27). "Oppenheimer: A masterful film with a haunting message". The Herald Journal. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  22. ^ Krishnan, Gaurav (2023-03-03). "Why Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is More Relevant Than Ever". MovieWeb. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  23. ^ Dominguez, Andrew; Minchin, Amanda (2023-02-13). "10 Horror Movies That Deliver Important Messages About Society". MovieWeb. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  24. ^ a b Brown, Aleisha (2023-04-23). "10 Best Socially Conscious Horror Movies of the 21st Century". Collider. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  25. ^ 2023's Top Movie Data Proves That Barbie Happened At Just The Right Time - ScreenRant
  26. ^ Roman, Julian (2023-06-29). "Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken Review: A Clever Girl Power Message with Vivid Animation". Movieweb. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  27. ^ The Zone of Interest: A Holocaust movie with a message for our moment - Slate Magazine
  28. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart
  29. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart
  30. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart
  31. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart
  32. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart
  33. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart
  34. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart
  35. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart
  36. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart
  37. ^ The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart