I watched this program on AMC back in 2002 and I must say that it is similar in ambition and scope to "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls" which covers the 1970's in similar fashion, Obviously, the running time is hardly sufficient to cover the decade's films. By necessity, something of this duration is going to leave out cult classics, neglected foreign films and the like, so obviously anyone wanting to do more than skim the surface is best advised to look elsewhere. But for neophytes, this is a great starting point.
The program is structured in segments in which several contributing factors are each analyzed for a few minutes. The increasing popularity of foreign films, the stylistic influence of East Coast live television and the recurring motif of the "antihero" as embodied by Newman and McQueen are given individual segments, as is the politically bent (almost always) leftism brought in during that time. the program tries to work in other issues such as the dissolution of the Production Code and the progressive and antiwar movement; of course, it's hard to encapsulate it all into an hour, but this program does well with what it can.
Interestingly, the film arrives at a segment where it analyzes the two films that they seem to feel embodies the decade most: "The Graduate" and "Midnight Cowboy." The former is unmistakably a sixties film all around; the latter is extremely entertaining despite its flaws (and of course is best remembered as the least likely Best Picture winner ever). This program didn't really go into seventies cinema much other than to talk about the number of careers launched or revived by the sixties. I think it wisely treats the seventies as another discussion altogether. All in all, I think this would make - if one can find it - a great thing to show in a "Film 101" type of class.
The program is structured in segments in which several contributing factors are each analyzed for a few minutes. The increasing popularity of foreign films, the stylistic influence of East Coast live television and the recurring motif of the "antihero" as embodied by Newman and McQueen are given individual segments, as is the politically bent (almost always) leftism brought in during that time. the program tries to work in other issues such as the dissolution of the Production Code and the progressive and antiwar movement; of course, it's hard to encapsulate it all into an hour, but this program does well with what it can.
Interestingly, the film arrives at a segment where it analyzes the two films that they seem to feel embodies the decade most: "The Graduate" and "Midnight Cowboy." The former is unmistakably a sixties film all around; the latter is extremely entertaining despite its flaws (and of course is best remembered as the least likely Best Picture winner ever). This program didn't really go into seventies cinema much other than to talk about the number of careers launched or revived by the sixties. I think it wisely treats the seventies as another discussion altogether. All in all, I think this would make - if one can find it - a great thing to show in a "Film 101" type of class.