GRASS ROOTS: A CASE STUDY OF JOHN SAYLES’ LONE STAR AND UTILIZING RURALITY IN CINEMA AS A CATALYST FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
| dc.contributor.advisor | Purnama, Ari | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Rovak, Angela | |
| dc.contributor.author | DiStasio, Anthony | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-10-11T00:20:06Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-10-11T00:20:06Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-09 | |
| dc.description | 67 pages | |
| dc.description.abstract | This thesis investigates the portrayals of American rural life in film, examining the historical context, commonly found themes and qualities, and cultural implications involved with them. Ultimately, the argument made is that films set in rural environments can influence social change by reshaping the image of American history and identity, pieces of the national fabric in which the image of rurality plays a large role. To argue this, the thesis will first track the relationship between rurality, film, and the United States through time, pointing out important shifts in each subject and the development of the genre and thematic associations now related to rurality in film. Next, the general image of the rural United States will be crafted through compiling the common themes and features found among rural-set films. From there, a case study of John Sayles’ 1996 film Lone Star will demonstrate how a film can utilize those features to provide commentary and reflect on the national image through a rural lens. Overall, the thesis aims to show rurality in film as more than a backdrop, but a lens through which films can address the cultural foundations of the United States in order to serve as a catalyst for redefining the way history, national identity, and rural traditional life is perceived. | |
| dc.identifier.orcid | 0009-0005-7352-0079 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1794/30099 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | |
| dc.publisher | University of Oregon | en |
| dc.rights | Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-US | |
| dc.subject | rural | |
| dc.subject | film | |
| dc.subject | national | |
| dc.subject | history | |
| dc.subject | Texas | |
| dc.title | GRASS ROOTS: A CASE STUDY OF JOHN SAYLES’ LONE STAR AND UTILIZING RURALITY IN CINEMA AS A CATALYST FOR SOCIAL CHANGE | |
| dc.type | Thesis |