Why are 70's movies soooo depressing?

I don't get it. I love the 70's as an idea, I mean I was a kid during it and pretty sheltered...It seems to me the 70's were fun. The music certainly was a lot of fun, with Disco and Osmonds, etc. etc. I understand that the 70's were hard on families- the economy was bad (like now!). On TV, there was the whole "gritty realism"- everything seemed drab and dirty on sitcoms even (the difference between "Good Times" and "The Cosby Show"....but...Why are 70's movies in particular always SO DEPRESSING?!? I was watching that movie "Aloha Bobby And Rose", and those scenes of L.A. in late '73 are AWESOME! But the movie itself is sad...I couldn't even get through it. Movies that were big, crowd pleasers were depressing. "Saturday Night Fever". Looks like fun, disco, party! from the clips they showed on TV of the dancing, but the movie itself is SOOO awful and depressing and the characters are horrible people. "Looking For Mr. Goodbar", good gravy!! I know every decade has dark and light movies, but the 70's (except for maybe "Star Wars") movies all seem so "gritty" and depressing. Even the Disney films were not all colorful and fun. The cartoons- "Watership Down"-

Is it just me? Were the 70's really that dark?? Weren't there light entertainment flicks back then????

Annette

 

Sure, there was plenty of light entertainment, but the decade lent itself toward grittier films. The US dealt with Vietnam and Watergate and oil shortages and recessions and all sorts of crap - these influenced the national mood and made filmmakers "go dark".

Also, toward the end of the 60s, independent filmmakers started to push the envelope more than they'd been able to do so under the studio system, so a broader range of voices got heard, and a lot of them wanted to take advantage of new freedoms...

 

I totally agree with 70s films being very depressing. Kramer Vs Kramer, Taxi Driver, French Connection, Dog Day Afternoon, and many others were very dark and depressing. Films were portrayed as gritty and realistic. A lot of it had to do with the New Hollywood directors like Friedkin, Scorsese, and Lumet releasing a bulk of quality critic favorite films. It wasn't until 1977 and the release of Star Wars when the Hollywood Blockbuster came to form. By 1984, the majority of films were all blockbusters and more or less family friendly.

 

speaking music and movies...I loved the early 70's before disco! it even influenced the dress code! later in life I learned to enjoy it as well...life goes on...it's not the era it's the person living in the era...

 

I enjoy many of the movies from the 70's. Godfather, Jaws, Animal House, Deer Hunter, Dirty Harry are all great flicks. I don't find these to be depressing at all.

Sure there are some, Kramer vs Kramer, Norma Rae, Midnight Express (that was great movie!) that were depressing but there are depressing movies in every decade.

And what other decade had Rocky Horror Picture Show!

 

Add Rocky and any Mel Brooks film to the "not depressing" list.

Plenty of fun to be found in '70s flicks.

 

First one that came to mind was Carnal Knowledge.

 

One of my all-time favorites

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

was SOOoooo Funny......but in the end

VERY DEPRESSING !!!

 

I love the 70's American International Pictures movies! I wish they would turn up on DVD as the many Crown International movies from the 70's turned up on BCI/Brentwood followed by Mill Creek.

 

yes, but a classic! fabulous!

 

Harold and Maude is good film!
smokey & the bandit !
Bananas (very depressing film!)
the jerk
American Graffiti
monty python's Life Of Brian( realism killed this film for me)

 

I bet you have some vintage bell bottomsm still.

 

wish I did! I'd sell them!:thumbsdn:

 

No wonder I like 70s films.

 

Err.. I loves me some Star Wars but I think Jaws really set that bar.

 

Many of the AIP films found their way to DVD via the MGM "Midnite Movies" line of single and double features, and can be had for chump change now. Additional titles are now being released through the studio's manufacture-on-demand service.

Fun stuff!

 

I don't find 70s movies any more depressing than any other decade. But then I don't consider "Saturday Night Fever" depressing.

Maybe try to find "The Kentucky Fried Movie" or "The Groove Tube" as an antidote?

 

A few 70's films that aren't depressing:

What's Up, Doc?
Up In Smoke
Animal House
Meatballs

 

Two words: Easy Rider.

 

Not sure if you're citing "Easy Rider" as an influence on the darker films of the 70s or as a light film of the 70s.

Assume it's the former - amused if it's the latter!

 

Seriously. I find a lot of the formulaic mainstream Hollywood blockbusters today to be depressing, whereas a lot of the more naturalistic, character driven movies of the 70's hold up well.

 

Couldn't be the latter, since it came out in '69.

 

Yup - which is part of the reason it'd be amusing if that's what Robin meant!

I'm 99.99% sure Robin meant that "Easy Rider" was the film that broke open the styles that became big in the 70s - I just thought it was funny that his post could be viewed either way and I wanted to crack wise about it!