Message picture

{{Short description|Film intended to communicate sociopolitical ideas as well as entertain}}

A message picture (or message movie)[https://books.google.com/books?id=EUVKDwAAQBAJ&dq=message+picture+movies&pg=PA3 Teaching History with Message Movie - Google Books] 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

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).{{Cite web|url=https://www.criterion.com/films/657-sullivan-s-travels|title=Sullivan's Travels|website=The Criterion Collection|language=en|access-date=2019-12-05}}

History

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.[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1980/07/08/film-producer-dore-schary-74-dies/2568607b-4b07-421f-bb62-95e029cb60b0/ Film Producer Dore Schary, 74, Dies - The Washington Post] Other famous message pictures by other parties include Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and In the Heat of the Night{{Cite web|url=https://www.criterion.com/films/29459-in-the-heat-of-the-night|title=In the Heat of the Night|website=The Criterion Collection|language=en|access-date=2019-12-05}} (the former directed by Stanley Kramer, who was also well known for numerous message films).{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/feb/21/guardianobituaries.filmnews|title=Obituary: Stanley Kramer|last=Bergan|first=Ronald|date=2001-02-21|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-12-05|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}

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.[https://upperstall.com/profile/br-chopra/ BR Chopra – Upperstall.com]

Examples

=Pre-1970=

=Post-1970=

Billy Jack (1971)
The Deer Hunter (1978)
Gandhi (1982)
White Dog (1982)
The Color Purple (1985)
Stand and Deliver (1988)
Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Do the Right Thing (1989)
Philadelphia (1993)
Schindler's List (1993)
Amistad (1997)
Pokémon: The First Movie (1998)
American History X (1998)
American Beauty (1999)
The Cider House Rules (1999)
Music of the Heart (1999)
Erin Brockovich (2000)
Pay It Forward (2000)
Remember the Titans (2000)
The Devil's Backbone (2001)
I Am Sam (2001)
House of Sand and Fog (2003)
The Sea Inside (2004)
Crash (2004)
Woman Thou Art Loosed (2004)
American Gun (2005)
Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
Babel (2006)
Blood Diamond (2006)
Coach Carter (2006)
Wall-E (2008)
Avatar (2009)
Courageous (2011)
God Bless America (2011)
Where to Invade Next (2015)
Get Out (2017)
The Hate U Give (2018)
Us (2019)
Don't Look Up (2021)
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Barbarian (2022)
Smile (2022)
X (2022)
Pearl (2022)
M3GAN (2023)
Barbie (2023)
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023)
Oppenheimer (2023)
The Zone of Interest (2023)

Sources:[http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie&page=2 The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart][http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie&page=3 The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart][http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie&page=6 The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart][http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie&page=11 The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart][http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart][http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie&page=12 The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart][http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie&page=5 The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart][https://www.thoughtco.com/top-classic-films-with-social-message-3325203 Top 10 Classic Films With a Social Message - ThoughtCo.][http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie&page=4 The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart][https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2012/05/the-10-most-heavy-handed-message-movies/ The 10 Most Heavy-Handed Message Movies|Complex][https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/54248/6-things-you-might-not-have-known-about-billy-jack 6 Things You Might Not Have Known About Billy Jack|Mental Floss]{{cite web | url=https://www.seminolenewspaper.com/powerful-message-behind-hit-movie-barbie/ | title=Powerful Message Behind Hit Movie "Barbie" }}{{Cite web |last= |date=2017-12-27 |title=Get Out's Cinematographer Reveals the Methods Behind Jordan Peele's Brilliant Madness |url=https://www.motionpictures.org/2017/12/get-outs-cinematographer-reveals-methods-behind-jordan-peeles-brilliant-madness-2/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Motion Picture Association |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Randall |first=Melissa |last2=Jiménez |first2=Paula Rey |last3=Jiménez |first3=Melissa Randall and Paula Rey |date=2023-06-21 |title=The Everything, Everywhere, All at Once Meaning and Themes |url=https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-meaning/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=NYFA |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Weeks |first=Andrew |date=2023-07-27 |title=Oppenheimer: A masterful film with a haunting message |url=https://www.hjnews.com/opinion/columns/oppenheimer-a-masterful-film-with-a-haunting-message/article_5ea6fdd2-2be1-11ee-aee4-dfefd808d446.html |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=The Herald Journal |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Krishnan |first=Gaurav |date=2023-03-03 |title=Why Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is More Relevant Than Ever |url=https://movieweb.com/why-oppenheimer-is-so-relevant-now/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=MovieWeb |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Dominguez |first=Andrew |last2=Minchin |first2=Amanda |date=2023-02-13 |title=10 Horror Movies That Deliver Important Messages About Society |url=https://movieweb.com/horror-movies-that-deliver-important-messages/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=MovieWeb |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Aleisha |date=2023-04-23 |title=10 Best Socially Conscious Horror Movies of the 21st Century |url=https://collider.com/best-horror-movies-with-a-message-21st-century/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Collider |language=en}}[https://screenrant.com/barbie-2023-movie-data-proves-message-important/ 2023's Top Movie Data Proves That Barbie Happened At Just The Right Time - ScreenRant]{{Cite web |last=Roman |first=Julian |date=2023-06-29 |title= Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken Review: A Clever Girl Power Message with Vivid Animation |url= https://movieweb.com/ruby-gillman-teenage-kraken-review/|access-date=2024-03-24 |website=Movieweb |language=en}}[https://slate.com/culture/2023/12/the-zone-of-interest-movie-holocaust-jonathan-glazer.html The Zone of Interest: A Holocaust movie with a message for our moment - Slate Magazine]{{cite web|url=https://slate.com/culture/2018/10/the-hate-u-give-movie-review-adaptation.html|title=The Hate U Give Is a Black Lives Matter Movie Designed for Anyone Willing to Listen|work=Slate|date=October 5, 2018|accessdate=May 16, 2025}}

=Notable directors=

Spike Lee[http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie&page=4 The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart]
Stanley Kramer[http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie&page=6 The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart]
Tom Laughlin[http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie&page=5 The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart]
Elia Kazan[http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie&page=2 The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart]
Oliver Stone[http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie&page=12 The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart]
Abel Gance[http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie&page=7 The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart]
Norman Jewison[http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie&page=2 The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart]
Frank Capra[http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart]
Richard Attenborough[http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart]
Edward Dmytryk[http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Message+Movie&page=3 The Best Message Movies of All Time - Flickchart]
Jordan Peele