500
Possible answers:
1. Astonishment – it grabbed audiences
2. Novelty – it was something new, it was beautiful and captured motion
3. Realism – other forms of entertainment set the stage for acceptance
a. Realism in theater (Belasco), painting (Corbett), and the novel (Dickens, Flaubert)
b. Naturalism – “Hyperrealism” could only go so far
c. Film outdid the realism in ever other art form (maybe not the novel, depends on the reader)
d. Other art forms moved into other styles (away from realism) after the coming of cinema
4. Urbanization
a. Film caters to many people at one time
b. It met the needs of immigrants and the lower classes as there were no great demands on language.
5. Affordability – it was cheap
6. Socialization – it showed people of to dress, act; it demonstrated customs and traditions
7. Accessibility – there were theaters on every corner, not just in one downtown area
8. Clean – It was suitable for children
9. Narrative – it soon turned to telling stories which made them longer and involved more actors
10. Community – created a sense of shared feelings
11. Tapped into human dreams, hopes, fears, instincts, and pleasures.
a. It allowed them to leave conscious like and troubles outside.
b. Analogous to dreams:
i. In the dark, forget troubles, become another character, representations who work through everyday problems, images/pictures
What is why films caught on