ng before the cynical Millennials, the snarky Brat Pack, and bad-boy greasers of the 1950s, teenagers were finding their own voicesâ??and using them to scream at their elders. Most historians pin the origins of teen culture to the 1950s, when adults first noticed that adolescents were dictating trends in fashion, music, film, and more. But director Matt Wolfâ??s latest film, called simply â??Teenage,â? challenges the notion that this turbulent, in-between life stage is a modern development.
Based on Jon Savageâ??s book of the same title, â??Teenageâ? is an exploration of youth culture before mass media had a firm grasp on the concept of adolescence, from the beginning of the 20th century up to World War II. Using archival footage and firsthand accounts, â??Teenageâ? examines the various movements that paved the way for todayâ??s teen angst, helping audiences empathize with the excitement, fear, and indignation felt by restless youth more than 100 years ago.
â??The old had sent us to die, and we hated them,â? recounts one young man early in the film, in reference to the carnage of World War I. â??Teenageâ? goes on to show how such emotional turmoil has repeatedly ignited youthful rebellion: Whether by embracing shockingly risqué behavior, like the Bright Young Things in Great Britain, or arch-conservative political beliefs, like the National Socialist (Nazi) Party in Germany, the film reminds us that teenagers have consistently challenged the world of their parents, trying to build the perfect future for themselves.
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