What do people “know” because they saw it in a movie?
Well, they think they know J.R.R. Tolkien’s story of The Hobbit. But in fact, they don’t.
Had Tolkien been alive when the movie-makers began their assassination of his story, he would have objected strenuously and probably sued them. That bit about the Dwarf and the Invincible Female Elf-Warrior falling passionately in love–that might’ve killed him on the spot. Life is hardly worth living anymore, if they can make up such a monstrosity and successfully blame it on you.
But if you think you’re learning anything from movies–well, you’re not. Not by a long shot.
You USED to be able to learn things from film but that was when Hollywood had a code that THE BAD GUY COULD NEVER WIN! Even if it was a “good-bad” guy, he had to pay his debt to society before he could return to the long suffering love interest.
But films like Paths of Glory (showing the realities of WWI rather than the “heroics”) did a fine job of forcing folks to use their brains and not just their emotions. I loved all the old “religious” films like Bernadette and the Miracle of Fatima. Ben Hur, Quo Vadis, The Ten Commandments and other Biblical epics were done carefully and with concern for the faith and sensibilities of the viewer. The Christmas films — especially It’s A Wonderful Life — were great supports during difficult times. Even films like the Wizard of Oz had a good message (there’s no place like home!) and were therefore worthy of viewing.
I would say that things started going downhill when the CULTURE went downhill. In this case, I believe it was culture leading film and not the other way round.