Cars in films

Cars in films

It's quite telling how American urban life in the 1950s and 1960s is depicted in films. It must have been a fascinating period for the physical environment, with so much becoming mature and widely available. Recent films seem to celebrate this and depict it in a fond manner. Cars, in particular, have rather gentle presence, being there and serving people well, in contrast to films on more recent times, where motorized traffic can be overwhelming - and not just in bigger cities. It seems that the past we want to remember can be quite different from what was experienced back then, just because the present is worse. Reversely, back then people may have exaggerated the ills of cars because they thought the past was better, more peaceful and tranquil. At least, there are enough films from the period that do not present cars in a positive manner, while horses and horse-drawn vehicles receive more sympathetic treatment. The past is always sanitized.