Entertainment Medium Comparison Review

Watch Out of the Past (1947) and 200 Cigarettes (1999)

Comparison Reviews should focus on the use of cigarettes and cigarette smoke throughout the movies.

• To what extent are cigarettes and smoking a key “actor” in each film?
• Compare the “star power” of each movie. Which movie had a greater influence on society at its time? Why?
• Was smoking glamorized in both films? How or why not?

Is smoking still prevalent in popular films or other current media?

Links for the movies are not provided.

Answer preview

Films provide diverse insights into common issues like drug use in regular social interactions. The beauty of this art form is that it allows creatives to depict issues differently as one movie’s setting varies from another. A good case in point is how the different plots in Out of the Past (1947) and 200 Cigarettes (1999) highlight cigarette use in varying settings. The former provides a flashback into a complex drug and crime story intertwined in complicated romantic relationships between the characters (Tourneur, 1947). The latter discusses the adventures of young people who party to cope with their problems (Garcia, 1999).

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