Even if some old movies deserve their status as classics, this doesn’t mean that they would still get made today. There are plenty of things which can date a movie and make it feel like a time capsule from a different era. While aesthetic choices don’t often have a huge impact, other factors can ensure that a movie wouldn’t work if it was released today.
Like any artwork, a movie is the product of the political and cultural landscape in which it’s created. As these factors shift throughout the years, it can leave some movies feeling like remnants from a bygone era. Although they can still be enjoyed, they wouldn’t work if they were being made today.
At the time,Who Framed Roger Rabbit’s blend of live-action and animation was a wonderful novelty, especially with so many recognizable cartoon characters living in Toontown. However, Robert Zemeckis' comedic film noir parody only works because it mixes live-action with 2-D characters.
IfWho Framed Roger Rabbitwere made today, it would have to choose between depicting 2-D animation, which is outdated, or 3-D characters like Princess Elsa and Buzz Lightyear.
IfWho Framed Roger Rabbitwere made today, it would have to choose between depicting 2-D animation, which is outdated, or 3-D characters like Princess Elsa and Buzz Lightyear. The second option is inherently less interesting, especially since so many modern blockbusters already feature computer-generated characters sharing the screen with real actors. These characters are also less prone to cartoonish slapstick like Roger Rabbit, Goofy or Daffy Duck.
There are countless comedy movies which people like to suggest are too controversial to be made today. The truth is,modern audiences will forgive one or two outdated jokes if a comedy movie has a good heart.Blazing Saddlesis one comedy that tests the limits of this notion.
Blazing Saddlesis one ofMel Brooks' best movies, and it exemplifies his risqué sense of humor. Brooks often pokes fun at racial stereotypes, toeing the line between satire and bad taste. While his fans know that there’s no malice in what he does, it’s hard to imagine a modern studio taking the chance that audiences will be able to understand the layers of satire.
Muppetscreator Jim Henson is also known for directing movies likeLabyrinth,a dark, intriguing fantasy that features a cast of puppets alongside real actors. David Bowie adds a touch of mystic charm to proceedings, but the necessity of the puppets can’t be overstated.
Labyrinthwouldn’t be the same movie if it were made with computer-generated characters rather than puppets, but this is almost certainly what would happen if it were made today. It would be robbed of its unique character and its nostalgic appeal. The story would still deliver some fun moments, but it would have a completely different tone.
Released between the first twoGodfathermovies and a few years beforeApocalypse Now, The Conversationoften gets overshadowed by Francis Ford Coppola’s more famous hits. This is a shame, because it’s a gripping thriller that displays Coppola’s mastery of subtle filmmaking. It also has one ofGene Hackman’s best performances.
The Conversationcapitalized on a post-Watergate sense of public paranoia, as contemporary fears about surveillance were just taking root. Over 50 years later, these issues have evolved so much thatThe Conversationwouldn’t quite make sense if it were released today. Aside from the technology being outdated,The Conversationdoesn’t demonstrate how people view their own privacy in today’s world.
2001: A Space Odysseyis one ofStanley Kubrick’s best movies, as well as one of the most influential sci-fi films ever made. From its breathtaking visuals to its thematic exploration of humanity’s place in the universe, it has left an indelible mark on the genre. However, this doesn’t mean that it would still be made today.
For starters, it’s worth mentioning that2001: A Space Odysseywas made at the height of the space race. More modern sci-fi movies tend to hold a pessimistic view of space travel, casting humans as colonizers or money-hungry capitalists in space exploration stories. It’s also hard to see a modern studio giving a director such a large budget and free rein to produce something so slow, cerebral and demanding of its audience.
WarGamesis a time capsule of 1980s aesthetic style, likeThe Breakfast CluborHeathers,for example. It’s also firmly rooted in the Cold War panic that categorized the era. While this makes it a fun throwback thriller, it’s one of a few reasons whyWarGameswould have to change massively to work for a modern audience.
WarGamescame out during an era when “hacking” was a nebulous concept that could mean just about anything. Audiences were assumed to take it in their stride that a teenager could accidentally hack into the American military’s missile system. Today, such a flimsy explanataion wouldn’t fly in any thriller other than the most ludicrous parrody.
Biopics and real-life dramas usually benefit from a bit of distance. This wasn’t possible withThe Social Network,which depicts chapters from Mark Zuckerberg’s life which only happened a few short years prior. In many ways, it has aged surprisingly well, but a modern version of the same movie would have to look considerably different.The Social Networkis mostly faithful to the true story, but recent developments have left it with some glaring omissions.
Even thoughThe Social Networkis only 15 years old, it can already be understood as a product of its time. These days, it’s hard to think about Facebook without considering the way that it has changed public discourse and the global political landscape. SinceZuckerberg has become a more controversial, politicized figure, a biopic about his life would feel incomplete if it only saw Facebook as a business venture and a social tool.
Pixar changed the landscape of animated movies withToy Storyin 1995, but it took a while for Disney to fully adapt to the shift in the industry. Disney underwent a strange transitional period in the years following their critically-acclaimed ’90s hits likeHerculesandMulan. Treasure Planetstands out as one of these movies that could only have ever been made during this phase.
IfTreasure Planethad been made five years earlier, it would have looked more likeThe Lion King,for example.If it had been made just five years later, it would have looked more likeTangled.Its unusual blend of 2-D animation and 3-D techniques gives it a lot of character, but it also means it would never get made today.Disney’s animated movieshave stuck to the same computer-generated style since the 2010s.
Team America: World Policepushes the limits of acceptable comedy, which should be expected fromSouth Parkcreators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Some of its biggest jokes are still relevant today, but a movie about overtly patriotic warmongering would have less of an impact if it were made today.
Team Americasatirizes the wave of Bush-era jingoism that fueled America’s foreign policy in the years following 9/11. Now that social attitudes about the Iraq War have evolved to take on more nuance and skepticism,Team America’s humor wouldn’t be as revolutionary or as bold.
Midnight Cowboyfollows a young man from Texas who decides to uproot his life to become a gigolo in New York City. His dreams of glamour and endless parties are soon shattered by the harsh reality of his new circumstances, and he seems comically out of place in the big city.
Midnight Cowboyrepresents the rift between the old and the new, and the rural and the urban.
Midnight Cowboyrepresents the rift between the old and the new, and the rural and the urban. On another level, it’s a conflict between the cozy familiarity of Old Hollywood and the destruction and corruption present in New Hollywood movies. Without this context,Midnight Cowboywouldn’t make sense today, especially sincethe relationship between the two sides of America that it depicts now looks completely different.
