Films about America 50-60 years: a list of the best

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Where, if not in films about America of the 50-60s, can you fully experience the charm of the atmosphere of those times? And you can also pull yourself up a little in history and even become interested in independently studying the events of a particular period. The plot of such films can be revealed from a variety of sides: from demonstrating ordinary life, romantic relationships and the struggle of people for their rights to mafia showdowns and the Cold War period. Our current list of feature films about America in the 50s and 60s will surely appeal to all lovers of historical cinema.

Hidden Figures (2016)

One of the modern films about America in the 50-60s, shedding light on the forgotten history of NASA. The space confrontation between the US and the USSR is not the only historical period that is described in Hidden Figures. It is also about a period of racial intolerance and constant conflicts that break out on this basis.

Moreover,the main characters of the picture were black female mathematicians, which added to the film even more social significance. The events taking place in "Hidden Figures" are based on real historical references of the time.

"The Right Stuff" (The Right Stuff, 1983)

Another film about America in the 50s, dedicated to the space race between two famous superpowers. The film is based on the book "The Battle for Space" by American writer and pioneer of "new journalism" Tom Wolfe. This is not just a film about America in the 50s and 60s, it is a film that focuses on how American astronautics developed at that time. At the beginning, the audience is introduced to the first successes of the United States in this field - this is overcoming the sound barrier with a jetpack, and the hard training of the first astronauts, and many other interesting events. The plot then moves on to the Soviet Union and shows how the aces of American astronautics got caught up in this race. The film turned out to be quite long (about 3 hours), but at the same time very interesting and lively.

Revolutionary Road (2008)

After watching this adorable drama, directed by the Oscar-winning Sam Mendes, you begin to involuntarily embrace the warm atmosphere of America in the 50s. The film is about an ordinary family, people from the middle class, who have been happily married for seven years now. The main characters are called Frank and April, they havechildren and one big common dream - to move to Paris. However, the plans of the spouses are destined to be tested by serious life tests, which will call into question not only their motivation, but also the strength of family relationships.

Also, Revolutionary Road stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. The reunion of this acting duo and best friends was the first since the actors played together in "Titanic".

Goodfellas (1990)

An outstanding work by Martin Scorsese based on the true story of American gangster Henry Hill. It is noteworthy that the release of "Goodfellas" took place in the same year as the release of the third part of "The Godfather" by Francis Coppola. At the same time, it was the first who managed to set a special bar among the significant gangster films.

At the beginning of the film, Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta as an adult character) appears before the audience as a very young man. Since childhood, he was attracted by the idea of a gangster life: fast cars, expensive suits, universal respect, unspoken reverence and other charms of this dangerous world. The Goodfellas plot traces Hill's life as an errand boy to one of America's most powerful and daring crime bosses. Before the eyes of the viewer, a biographical story of a real historical figure unfolds, filmed in the best traditions of Scorsese. This is a truly iconic film about America and the mafia of the 50s and 60s.

"Hitchcock" (Hitchcock, 2012)

The main material for this biopic dedicated to Alfred Hitchcock is a documentary book by Stephen Rebelo. In it, the author described the process of creating the film "Psycho", which later became a great success for the cult director. All this is reflected in the film Hitchcock, which was directed by Briton Sacha Gervasi.

In addition to creating Psycho, the movie tries to touch on the other side of Hitchcock's life, namely his relationship with his wife. This is without a doubt one of the best biopics and films about the 60s in America.

"The Help" (The Help, 2011)

The events of the film take place in the American hinterland of the 60s. The main character is a young girl named Skeeter, who had to return to her hometown after completing her studies at the university. Skeeter is obsessed with the desire to become a successful writer or journalist - such a career would surely help her break out into a big metropolis and live a truly vibrant life. One fine day, the girl decides to take on the creation of the book "The Help". She was inspired to take such a step by the stories of black maids about their difficult situation in society and the unfair attitude towards their work.

This beautiful feature film about America in the 50s-60s was able to touch on many historically important issues and told the general public about the various features of that time period. By the way, it is based on the eponymousa bestseller by author Katherine Stockett, which we also recommend reading.

Forrest Gump (1994)

Who doesn't know Forrest Gump? The story of this fictional boy has long been recognized as a true classic of world cinema, and for director Robert Zemeckis, this is also the most successful work of his career. Despite the fact that at the beginning of the film the events hint to the viewer at the 80s, the childhood and youth of the protagonist take place in the 50s and 60s. Watching Forrest's life, one involuntarily begins to notice what the American reality of that period was like.

Well, if someone hasn't watched "Forrest Gump" yet, then we have only one question for this: how is this possible?

Rear Window (1954)

"Rear Window" is a real classic of world cinema and one of the best films about America of the 50s, shot by Alfred Hitchcock himself. The protagonist of the picture is a photojournalist who ended up in a wheelchair due to a broken leg. Bored in his apartment, the man decides to observe the life of his neighbors from opposite apartments. His routine leads the photographer to a terrible suspicion: it seems that one of the tenants killed his wife! From that moment on, he begins to investigate what is happening in the hope of proving a possible crime.

12 Angry Men (1957)

Another movie about 50s-60s America straight from the past! "12 angrymen" helps to learn many interesting details about how the US judicial system worked at that time. The plot centers on the case of an 18-year-old guy who is accused of killing his father. The verdict must be pronounced by a jury, and it must be taken unanimously. Responsibility for The fate of the defendant rests on the shoulders of 12 men who will have to work hard to get to the bottom of the truth and make the right decision.