By our definition, a teen film is classified as a movie about teenagers. However, as we embark on the journey exploring the intersection between classic/art cinema and teen screen, sometimes this intersection is found within the teen film itself, not via comparison.
For example, quintessential teen angst film Rebel Without a Cause (1956) would not be used as an example of teen screen (“low culture”) against a classic film because it itself is commonly acknowledged as a classic film. It would feel weird to post a quote from Clueless about having a “Twin Peaks experience”, when the TV show it references centres it’s narrative around the mystery of a dead prom queen. Although this is an ensemble show about the town of Twin Peaks, it is equally about the teenagers who try their own hands at helping to solve the case as it is about the adults.
So, what makes these things have Classic status? I’ve narrowed it down to a few factors.
What Makes a (High Art) Classic Film – Rebel Without a Cause
The 1950s was a high time for teen films, as it was the decade where the term really came into full force. Being a “teenager” hardly exited before then, and it was truly enforced through Hollywood jumping on the band wagon, especially with the series of “I Was a Teenage…” films. However, Rebel Without a Cause endures partly because of the way it portrayed the complexities and anxieties of being a teenager, and partly due to the mysterious allure of James Dean who died a month after the film was released.
What Makes a (High Art) Classic Film – Rebel Without a Cause
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| James Dean as Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause (1956) |
The 1950s was a high time for teen films, as it was the decade where the term really came into full force. Being a “teenager” hardly exited before then, and it was truly enforced through Hollywood jumping on the band wagon, especially with the series of “I Was a Teenage…” films. However, Rebel Without a Cause endures partly because of the way it portrayed the complexities and anxieties of being a teenager, and partly due to the mysterious allure of James Dean who died a month after the film was released.
Other teen films such as Grease, Dirty Dancing and The Breakfast Club are classics because of the way they explore the complexities of being a teenager—and also due to age. These films have stood the test of time and continue to be popular. However, they aren’t “classic” in the high art sense. This is due to the language used and how the films are perceived. Dirty Dancing is a terrific coming of age film about a seventeen-year-old Baby and her sexual awakening, as well as being the first film to talk about abortion in a serious, non-demonising way. It deals with issues in a serious manner but persists in popular culture as some sappy guilty pleasure film women sob in front of the TV over. Grease is nothing but a campy musical and The Breakfast Club, while being one of the best films ever made, is always talked about in terms of its teen film-ness. John Hughes was a great director—of teen films.
Rebel Without a Cause does not fall into this imposition due to the help of a particular group of voices. The film is directed by Nicholas Ray, who was a favourite of the Cahiers du Cinema: especially Francois Truffaut (whose film The 400 Blows was referenced here). As such, Ray was one of the first directors to be named an auteur, an artist. This discussion surrounding the director and the film also informs who the larger audience is: cinephiles and those who like arthouse cinema. This kind of audience operate as tastemakers in defining what is a Good Film. It is unlikely for these audiences to view teen film in the same way, unless it has been vouched for by an approving body: The Cahiers du Cinema in the 1950s, or in the case of Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird via The Academy Awards.
What Makes an Arthouse TV Show – Twin Peaks v Riverdale
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| Twin Peaks vs Riverdale - Title Cards |
Historically, like teen film, television would be seen as low-culture itself compared to the true art that is cinema. However, as television developed with higher production values and sophisticated storytelling, this can no longer be considered true. The high versus low art divide now exists within television itself. And I’m not just talking about reality TV versus HBO.
Twin Peaks is widely considered a Classic television show. The series is a masterpiece, it’s use of narrative and film techniques were ground-breaking for television at the time. Yet when it aired in 1990-91, the ratings fluctuated during the series, leading it to be axed at the end of series two. Usually this is a bad omen for TV shows. However, the show was created by David Lynch, and his status as a highly revered arthouse director and auteur defines how the show was received.
When actor James Marshall, who plays James Hurley in the show, was asked why he thinks the show has continue to stay so popular nearly 30 years later, he attributed it to Lynch: “certain directors are gifted with a certain magnetism and a certain sense of visual poetry that most people don't get. I think it's true art.” With this kind of language surrounding the show, no wonder it remains a classic, with a prequel film and a reboot series, Twin Peaks: The Return. The latter was even included in many critics’ Top 10 Films of 2017 lists. Lynch brought art cinema to television audiences who previously may not have thought to access it. “Lynchian” has been added to the dictionary.
It is interesting, then, to think if a show like Riverdale could ever receive the same cult following. Like Twin Peaks, Riverdale is a sleek and stylish show about a quiet and mysterious tree-surrounded town which is shaken up after the murder of the popular teenager. The title of the show is the name of the town, and its narratives focus on the relationships between all the towns-members, while the teenagers try to help solve the murder as much as the adults do.
Twin Peaks is widely considered a Classic television show. The series is a masterpiece, it’s use of narrative and film techniques were ground-breaking for television at the time. Yet when it aired in 1990-91, the ratings fluctuated during the series, leading it to be axed at the end of series two. Usually this is a bad omen for TV shows. However, the show was created by David Lynch, and his status as a highly revered arthouse director and auteur defines how the show was received.
When actor James Marshall, who plays James Hurley in the show, was asked why he thinks the show has continue to stay so popular nearly 30 years later, he attributed it to Lynch: “certain directors are gifted with a certain magnetism and a certain sense of visual poetry that most people don't get. I think it's true art.” With this kind of language surrounding the show, no wonder it remains a classic, with a prequel film and a reboot series, Twin Peaks: The Return. The latter was even included in many critics’ Top 10 Films of 2017 lists. Lynch brought art cinema to television audiences who previously may not have thought to access it. “Lynchian” has been added to the dictionary.
It is interesting, then, to think if a show like Riverdale could ever receive the same cult following. Like Twin Peaks, Riverdale is a sleek and stylish show about a quiet and mysterious tree-surrounded town which is shaken up after the murder of the popular teenager. The title of the show is the name of the town, and its narratives focus on the relationships between all the towns-members, while the teenagers try to help solve the murder as much as the adults do.
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| James Marshall as James Hurley in Twin Peaks (left) Riverdale (right) |
When I first watched Riverdale, I was struck by the level of sophistication it possessed. With its moody, neo-noir lighting, twists and intrigue, unlike the bland looking teen dramas of the 00s (sorry One Tree Hill, I love you), Riverdale has a cinematic quality to it. Produced by The CW, Riverdale’s audience is younger than Twin Peaks. Because the network made a name for itself with shows like One Tree Hill, Smallville and Gossip Girl—a lot of teen dramas—The CW is always looked down upon as nothing but teen fodder. Despite being also available on Netflix, these pre-conceived notions about the series turn watching Riverdale into a guilty pleasure or tasteless, rather than an engrossing neo-noir.
Nowadays, “auteur” is not a term which hold a lot of weight anymore. Other than the way films and shows are perceived, ultimately, what creates “classic” status is what it adds to the medium, and also time. How has the film/show influenced the industry? It is obvious Twin Peaks continues to have influence, due to Riverdale’s similarities. Whether or not Riverdale’s distinctive neon-noir (petition to change neo-noir to emphasise the use of neon) style will influence new shows in the future and reach Classic status, only time will tell.
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Cause a Cine and the Teen Screen Cinematheque do not own any of the images used in this post.
