A message picture is a motion picture that, in addition to or instead of being for entertainment, intends to communicate a certain message or ideal about society. Message pictures usually present the message they want to deliver in the form of a morality play, and are usually serious (often somber) works. However, not all message pictures are 100% serious, and there are also films spoofing the genre (Sullivan's Travels, for example).
Dore Schary was famous for his message pictures at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Among these were The Next Voice You Hear, Asphalt Jungle, and Blackboard Jungle. Other famous message pictures by other parties include Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and In the Heat of the Night.
In Indian cinema, B.R. Chopra was known for message pictures. Examples include Kanoon (against capital punishment), Naya Daur (importance of labour), Waqt (importance of time and destiny), Nikaah (against triple talaq (divorce) among Muslims), etc.
Famous quotes containing the words message and/or picture:
“I will meditate the while upon some horrid message for a challenge.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“When you’ve been blind as long as I have, you learn to see through your senses. I can’t explain it exactly, but you get a feeling about people when you meet them. You see a picture of them in your mind. Not just what they look like, but what they really are. You see them much more clearly than you do with your eyes. Maybe that’s why they say looks are deceptive.”
—George Bricker. Jean Yarbrough. Helen Page (Jane Adams)