英语沙龙：什么是典型的美国电影？

What is a Typical American Film?

Is there such a thing as a typical American film?

It is true that there are many features that mark a movie as American,

but perhaps the most essential feature is the theme of the loner-hero.

From the earliest days of silent films

until the recent extravagant¹ science fiction films,

the American movie has concentrated on the role of one individual

who spends his or her life combating the forces of evil —

and the good guy, the hero,

usually wins by the end of the film.

In the western movie,

which comes out of many legends of the American West,

a typical figure is the lonesome cowboy.

He wanders into a town and straightens out its troubles.

Those troubles can be cattle rustlers or out-laws.

Then the strong and independent hero fades off into the sunset alone.

Americans like this image in their films

because they are highly independent themselves,

and individualism counts a great deal with them.

An individual who is able to correct the evils of the world,

or of a small town, is someone to admire.

Even the gangster² movie,

a very popular form of the typical American film,

usually has a hero.

Either he is a lawman out to catch the criminals or a gangster

who suddenly sees the light and tries to go straight.

During the violence?ridden period of Prohibition³ in the 1920s,

it is natural that the gangster movie would grow in popularity.

These films kept the same tone as the western —

the bad cannot triumph!

One good person can save the innocent.

Recent science fiction films deal with the same themes.

Against the forces of alien powers,

people will fight to protect their ideals.

Here, too, the action centers around a single individual,

but now he or she must save the world.

1 extravagant   

adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的

参考例句：

• They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。
• He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。

2 gangster   

n.匪徒，歹徒，暴徒

参考例句：

• The gangster's friends bought off the police witness.那匪徒的朋友买通了警察方面的证人。
• He is obviously a gangster,but he pretends to be a saint.分明是强盗，却要装圣贤。

3 prohibition   

n.禁止；禁令，禁律

参考例句：

• The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。
• They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。