ABSTRACT
Social class and stratification in societies preceded urbanism. The city can also blur class distinctions because it contains a higher percentage of strangers, or people who are unknown to one another save for their dress and other physical characteristics. The subject of social class pervades much of cinema. It has been addressed in every film genre and period, and, as with many of the topics of this study, is beyond comprehensive treatment here. Despite egalitarian ideals and the status achievement potentials of urbanism, social class and stratification have always been a part of American urban life. One of the main areas, in which the American city and movies related to race and ethnicity come together, is with respect to territorial competition. Race and ethnicity are arguably the most pervasive and profound aspects of the American experience. The gritty urban realism of films such as American History X, addresses the most unsettling dimensions of deep-seated racial hatred.
