Last Night I Dreamt I Went to Manderley Again: Social Class in Hollywood Film

            It is not uncommon for Hollywood film to delve on the subject of class. Since the early days of cinema, films have both centered on the issues of social class and, more often than not, hinted at social class discreetly.

            The United States was founded, in part, in hopes of eliminating the firm class system seen in England at the time. “One of the many reasons the 13 colonies broke away from England in the first place was a revolt over the strictness of the British class system” (Benshoff and Griffin 167). Despite this goal, to have a nation without such a strongly defined class system, America does indeed see obvious social and economic stratification. This stratification, in turn, gets imbedded into Hollywood films.

            The book Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (published in 1938) is my all time favorite. In 1940 it was made into a film (also one of my favorites) with the same title, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. In Rebecca, social class is a topic referred to throughout and plays a key part in the story. The main character, a young woman known only as Mrs. de Winter (Joan Fontaine), is continuously reminded of her low social status before marrying the owner of Manderley estate, Maxim de Winter (Sir Laurence Olivier). It is a fact that haunts her throughout the film. Much of the storyline revolves around her believed inability to manage an estate of that size because she has not lived a wealthy life in the upper class.

            Other characters also do not believe Mrs. de Winter capable of living such a life among the upper class. Mrs. Van Hopper (Florence Bates) is the woman who employed her as a “paid companion” before her marriage to Maxim. When Mrs. Van Hopper learned they were to be married she said, “You certainly have your work cut out as mistress of Manderley. To be perfectly frank with you my dear, I can’t see you doing it, you haven’t the experience, you haven’t the faintest idea what it means to be a great lady” (Rebecca). The head maid, the villainous Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson), is in complete doubt of Mrs. de Winter’s ability to run the estate as well, and continuously compares her to the former Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca, who was a lady of wealth and social standing.

            There are more subtle hints to class as well. For example, we see how one is treated differently based on their social standing in the scene in the restaurant in Monte Carlo. When the (soon to be) Mrs. de Winter is sitting alone in the restaurant, the waiters are very standoffish, as she is simply a lower class citizen. After the wealthy estate owner, Maxim, brings her over to his table though, they are extremely attentive and gracious towards her.

            Though our country has seen great progress in equality since it’s formation (and since Rebecca was written and filmed), there is still a firm class system and wide division of wealth today. This is seen in Hollywood films, both from the past and present. Whether or not movies focus on the class system is up to the writers and directors. But even if it’s not meant to be highlighted, you will see notions of class in Hollywood films, as it is so largely a part of our society.

Works Cited

Benshoff, Harry M. and Sean Griffin. America On Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies. 2^nd ed. Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Print.

Rebecca. Dir. Alfred Hitchcock. Perf. Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier, Florence Bates, and Judith Anderson. Selznick International Pictures. United Artists, 1940. Film.

Image: Vallows-Dancy, Alan. “Rebecca (1940, Alfred Hitchcock).” 2 or 3 Things I Know About Film. Google Blogger. Google. Web.

Ferris Bueller and the Classical Hollywood Narrative Form

            Going to the movies is one of America’s favorite pastimes. In the U.S., more people go to the movies than to professional sporting events and theme parks combined. Since films were first introduced over a century ago, they have continued to work their way into our hearts. Last year alone U.S. and Canada brought in $10.2 billion at the box office (Theatrical 2). The American film industry (particularly Hollywood) is such a large part of our culture. Theaters continue to attract patrons, but are we essentially seeing the same story over and over again?

            Hollywood films are made with a very specific form and style in mind. The classical Hollywood narrative form is the way storylines are usually structured in Hollywood films. The foremost characteristic of the classical Hollywood narrative form is that storylines are extremely linear and chronological. There is always a beginning, middle, and end, which occur in order. By examining movies from the past and present we can clearly see how “this way of cinematically telling stories is basically the same today as it was in the 1930s” (Benshoff and Griffin 23).

            Take for example, a great movie that many of us have seen, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Here we have a perfect case of the classical Hollywood narrative form. To start, we have Ferris, the charming, charismatic protagonist. A protagonist, or main character, is key to the classical Hollywood narrative form (and in most cases is a white heterosexual male). In the typical classical Hollywood narrative form, the protagonist will have some sort of goal. In the case of Ferris Bueller, his goal is to skip school, essentially taking a day off, and not get caught. To aid in reaching the goal, the protagonist often times has characters helping out. Cameron in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a perfect example of the typical best friend character. Cameron, reluctantly, helps Ferris achieve his goal.

            Of course we cannot forget another very important aspect to classical Hollywood narrative form: the love interest. The love interest character is one seen in almost all typical Hollywood films. This character “either accompanies the main character in reaching the goal, or functions as the protagonist’s goal” (Benshoff and Griffin 25). In Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the love interest is Ferris’ girlfriend, Sloane. And like any good love interest, Sloane is the perfect embodiment of patriarchal ideals. 

            Even more central to the storyline of most Hollywood films is the antagonist. The antagonist is the “villainous force or person” who makes it harder for the protagonist to reach his or her goal (Benshoff and Griffin 24). The antagonist to the protagonist is like Voldemort to Harry Potter or Darth Vader to Luke Skywalker. In Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, I would have to consider the relentless school dean Rooney as the antagonist.

            The next characteristic of the classical Hollywood narrative form is the climax, or “the most intense point of conflict” (Benshoff and Griffin 25). Who can forget the scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, when he’s racing home to get there before his parents? Even if you’ve never seen the movie, it’s easy to predict how it might go from here. Ferris proves successful and manages to get back home just in time for him to avoid being caught. You can imagine why Hollywood almost always incorporates such closure and a happy ending. They want viewers to leave the theater happy and content, not sad and confused. They also look to reinforce the underlying ideologies of white patriarchal capitalism, which closure often does.

            Hollywood’s method of filmmaking has proven to be a success, in the sense that people continue to go to the movies. The classical Hollywood narrative form keeps people coming back to the movies, but it also makes them easily predictable. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a great example. The next time you see a movie, apply the classical Hollywood narrative form. You’ll probably find yourself already knowing how it will end.

Works Cited:

“2011 Theatrical Market Statistics Report.” Motion Picture Association of America: Industry Reports. Motion Picture Association of America, Inc., 22 Mar. 2012. Web. 3 Oct. 2012.

Benshoff, Harry M. and Sean Griffin. America On Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies. 2^nd ed. Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Print.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Dir. John Hughes. Paramount Pictures, 1986. Film.

Image: “When Schoolkids Go Rogue.” Empire Magazine Online. Bauer Consumer Media. Web. 6 Oct. 2012.