As a result, our filmmakers often portray this decade as one-dimensional, its inhabitants both suspiciously self-aware and oblivious to their current social situation.
The 1950s is a decade particularly difficult to nail down, marked by post-war ennui, the early days of the Civil Rights movement, and the gender binary as divided as ever.
Many current filmmakers aim, and miss, for the past glory of the golden age of Hollywood, whether that be adapting the life stories of history’s biggest stars into standard biopics, trying to capture the complexities of the studio system, or using distinctly outdated aesthetics as a creative gimmick.
