The answer perhaps, is all three. Some might say they enjoy smoking as a pastime, some may tell you that they can't live without it. While some may admit to being, what society deems, a social smoker. There is no denying however that smoking, be it a cigarette, a cigar or whatever else people choose to smoke, has a certain stigma attached to it. Why else would it be banned in public places? Or broadcast nationwide as a bad habit?
So why then, does it feature so heavily in the film industry? Simple. It adds to the depth of a character and allows the audience to witness what an actor/actress is attempting to potray.
Take Die Hard for example, what would Bruce Willis' John McClane have done if he didn't light up during scenes of tough talking cop? Well I for one can say if he wasn't smoking while hastily negotiating with terrorists, it wouldn't have had the same effect.
Similarly the iconic picture of Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's may have not given the same message had it not have been for her holding a cigarette. Having never seen the film, I'm unsure her smoking has anything to do with the plot, but it definitely adds to the class of the overall picture and certainly doesn't express the message of the film being bad.
It is interesting to consider then, why modern society is quick to express its disapproval towards smoking. As a non-smoker, I'm not going to reach for a cigarette as soon as one appears on screen and I share the belief that just because smokers are told how bad it is, they aren't going to suddenly stop smoking as it is their choice.
What is most fascinating is how soceity can change a persons point of view. Bruce Willis signed on for Die Hard 4 in 2007, 19 years after his first outing as McClane, with the condition his character didn't smoke as he does in the previous 3 films. Why the sudden change of heart? Wasn't this such an important part of the characters make-up? Apparently not. Willis described it as a 'nasty habit' and didn't want to give the wrong message; 'I didn't want to feel responsible for any kid smoking to try to look cool because he thought I looked cool doing it.' How interesting that this opinion only arises during his fourth outing as the heroic cop.
I wonder whether the film industry will slow in its attempts to use smoking as a subtext in films, to allow them to exist realistically in today's soceity. Only time will tell.
I agree with the statement that Bruce Willis made about not wanting to feel responsible for children smoking because he is a role model and smoking can seriously damage your health.
ReplyDeleteI think you have pretty much hit the nail on the head with this blog, one thing I disagree with is when you say 'they aren't going to suddenly stop smoking as it is their choice'. Sometimes people will start smoking as a youth out of choice, but they become addicted. A lot of people would like to quit and now don't smoke out of choice, but smoke because of addiction.